Comparison

OpenSnow vs Wave Whisperer

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

OpenSnow

Get the most accurate snow forecasts, detailed snow reports, and severe weather maps. Access 15-day forecasts, local expert insights, and offline 3D maps for snow depth, avalanche risk, and more. Track storms with advanced radar and AI-powered weather systems.

Highlights
  • 15-Day Snow Forecast
  • Local Expert Snow Reports
  • 3D & Offline Weather Maps
  • AI-Powered Weather System
  • Severe Weather Tracking
  • Mountain Webcams
  • Snow Depth & Avalanche Risk Maps
Features
Read full description

OpenSnow is your trusted source for the most accurate snow forecast, snow report, and severe weather maps. "Weather forecasting for the mountains takes extra focus, analysis, and precision, which is exactly what OpenSnow provides. The app is incredible, even for super weather nerds like myself." – Cody Townsend, Pro Skier 15-Day Snow Forecasts Finding the location that has the best conditions can feel overwhelming. With OpenSnow, deciding where to go is easy. View the latest 15-day snow forecast, snow report, conditions history, and mountain webcams for your favorite locations in just a few seconds. Local Daily Snow Experts Instead of spending hours sifting through weather data, get the inside scoop in just a few minutes. Our local experts write a new Daily Snow forecast each day in the winter for regions around the US, Canada, Europe, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. Have one of our expert local forecasters guide you to the best conditions. 3D Weather + Snow Maps We make it easy to track incoming storms with super-res radar and global precipitation, radar, and snow forecast maps. You can also view 3D maps for snow depth, avalanche risk, slope angle, active fires, air quality, wildfire smoke, public and private land ownership, and more. Download high-resolution satellite maps to view offline. PEAKS + StormNet PEAKS is our mountain weather forecast model that is up to 50% more accurate in complex terrain. StormNet is our severe weather forecast model that produces real-time, high-resolution forecasts for lightning, hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes. Combined, PEAKS + StormNet provide a first-of-its-kind, fully operational multi-component weather forecast system. Daily Features • 15-Day Hourly Forecasts • Current + Forecast Radar • Precipitation Forecast Maps • Air Quality Forecasts • Wildfire Smoke Forecast Maps • 50,000+ Weather Stations • 3D + Offline Maps • Land Boundary + Private Ownership Maps • Recent Satellite Maps Snow + Ski Features • 15-Day Snow Forecast • Powder Quality Forecast • Snow Depth Map • Season Snowfall Map • Snow Forecast Alerts • Snow Forecast Maps • Offline Ski Resort Trail Maps • Snow Forecast + Report Widgets • Historical Snow Reports Severe Weather Features (US only) • Super-Res Radar • Lightning Risk • Tornado Risk • Hail Risk • Damaging Winds Risk • Severe Weather Alerts Free Features • My Location 15-Day Forecast • Snow Forecast 15-Day Summary • Historical Weather + Snow Reports • Snow Report Alerts • Avalanche Forecasts • Mountain Webcams • Active Fires Map • Air Quality Map • Slope Angle + Slope Aspect — Free Trial — New accounts automatically receive the full OpenSnow Premium experience, with no credit card or payment information required. If you choose not to purchase OpenSnow after the free trial is over, you will be automatically downgraded to a free account and not charged. — In-App Purchase — OpenSnow Base is an auto-renewable subscription, which will renew yearly at $49.99 USD. Payment will be charged to the user's Apple account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. The account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period and identify the cost of the renewal. If the auto-renewal fails due to a payment issue, you will still be able to access the paid content for 16 days while Apple attempts to collect payment. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. Full terms and conditions can be found here: https://support.opensnow.com/legal/terms | https://support.opensnow.com/legal/privacy Sales through Apple will be governed by Apple’s refund policy. We value all of our customers and encourage you to provide feedback on your experience. Please get in touch with us by sending an email to hello@opensnow.com

About

Wave Whisperer

Access real-time buoy data for surfers, including swell height, period, direction, and sea surface temperature. Track historical readings, compare conditions over 24 hours, and learn about buoy data with an educational section. Features a low-light mode and customizable units.

Highlights
  • Real-time buoy data (swell, period, direction, temp)
  • 24-hour condition comparison
  • Save and revisit historical readings
  • Rotating compass with swell direction
  • Buoy School educational section
  • Low Light display mode
  • Customizable units (feet/meters, F/C)
Features
Read full description

Read the buoy. Watch the water. Train your call. Wave Whisperer pulls current buoy data straight from CDIP and NOAA. Current swell height, period, direction, and sea surface temperature. Built for surfers who want the numbers as measured. This is not a forecast. What you get: • Your own buoys: the five stations nearest you to start, then any of 109 across the North Pacific • Individual swells and the average period, two switches you turn on when you want them • 24-hour comparison, so you can see how conditions have shifted • Recent data at a glance; press and hold a row to save a past reading • Swell history you save on your device and revisit anytime • A rotating compass with swell direction on the rim • Buoy School: what every reading means, with CDIP's own definitions and links • Low Light display mode for dawn patrol • Feet and Fahrenheit, or meters and Celsius; 12-hour or 24-hour clock • A share card for the current reading No ads. No accounts. No tracking. Your saved history stays on your device and in your own iCloud. Try it free for 30 days. After that, a one-time $1.99 unlock keeps it going. No subscription. Wave Whisperer shows current measured conditions. It is not a forecast and does not tell you whether to paddle out. Always use your own judgment and official sources for marine safety. Not affiliated with NOAA, NDBC, CDIP, or Scripps.

Screenshots

OpenSnow4 screens
Wave Whisperer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: OpenSnow at 9.1K against Wave Whisperer's 2. OpenSnow also leads on chart position (#21 vs unranked). Wave Whisperer's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and review sentiment (100% vs 80%). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. OpenSnow sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $49.99 per year and Wave Whisperer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Wave Whisperer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: OpenSnow has 9.1K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of OpenSnow's written reviews are positive against 100% of Wave Whisperer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

OpenSnow ships an update every 11 days, Wave Whisperer every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
OpenSnow versus Wave Whisperer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOpenSnowWave Whisperer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (9.1K ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews80.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings9.1K — better2
Update frequencyEvery 11 daysEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#21 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size125 MB20 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCloudnine Weather, Inc.In the Moment Technology LLC

Customer experience

OpenSnow

All ratings9,057 ratings
Positive92.1%
Neutral1.2%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews849 reviews
Positive80.3%
Neutral3.7%
Negative16.0%

Wave Whisperer

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

OpenSnow

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Occasional crashes or freezes on certain devices
  • Inconsistencies in the display of weather data and forecasts

Requested features

5 requests
  • Expand coverage to more international ski resorts
  • Improve offline functionality and data availability
  • Introduce more customization options for user preferences
  • Enhance integration with other outdoor activity planning apps
  • Provide more detailed snow and weather data for backcountry use

Wave Whisperer

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

OpenSnow

Subscriptions3
  • OpenSnow Legacy$49.991 Year
  • OpenSnow Base$49.991 Year
  • OpenSnow Base Legacy$49.991 Year
1 purchases

Wave Whisperer

One-time1
  • Lifetime Unlock$1.99

Questions

Is OpenSnow free?
OpenSnow is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Wave Whisperer free?
Wave Whisperer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, OpenSnow or Wave Whisperer?
Wave Whisperer is rated higher. OpenSnow averages 4.7 out of 5 from 9.1K ratings, while Wave Whisperer averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do OpenSnow or Wave Whisperer have ads?
Neither OpenSnow nor Wave Whisperer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, OpenSnow or Wave Whisperer?
OpenSnow ships an update every 11 days, and Wave Whisperer every 9 days. Most recently, OpenSnow was updated on October 17, 2026 and Wave Whisperer on October 13, 2026.

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