# MetService Marine vs Surf

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MetService Marine at none against Surf's 2. MetService Marine also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.1). Surf's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 12 months) and rating (4.9 vs 4.6). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Surf sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. MetService Marine asks for nothing beyond the download.

Surf holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Surf has 991 ratings behind it against 50, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 72% of MetService Marine's written reviews are positive against 87% of Surf's.

MetService Marine ships an update every 12 months, Surf every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on October 21, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | MetService Marine | Surf |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (50 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/metservice-marine/id783127076/reviews) | **[4.9 (991 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surf-forecastcom/id6450721636/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 50 | **991** |
| Positive reviews | 71.6% of reviews | **87.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 12 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#72** |
| Size | 20 MB | 138 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MetService](https://appshunter.io/developer/525900893) | [Meteo365 Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/661723505) |

## What reviewers say

### MetService Marine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/metservice-marine/id783127076)

Access New Zealand marine weather forecasts, including tides, severe weather alerts, and detailed rainfall predictions. Customize your experience with a saved home location and personalized background images.

**Highlights:** Recreational and Coastal marine forecasts, Severe weather information, Tides, 7.5 minute Rain Radar, 3 day rainfall forecast imagery, Surface pressure maps, User selected default location

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Accurate weather reporting
- 👍 Useful for planning activities
- 👍 Good for marine/boating
- 👍 Provides tide information
- 👍 Good for coastal visits

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Slow to load
- 🐛 App fails to load
- 🐛 Locks up on devices
- 🐛 Latest version not working
- 🐛 Missing locations (Gisborne, Far North)

**Reported bugs**

- App fails to load on iPhone
- App is slow to load
- App locks up on iPad
- Latest version not working
- Cannot change location after initial setup

**Requested features**

- Tide chart on home page
- Tide times for Three Kings Islands
- Map able to be enlarged
- Include Far North coverage
- More content needed


### Surf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surf-forecastcom/id6450721636)

**Currently charting:** #72 Top Grossing · Weather, #169 Top Free · Weather (US App Store)

Get simple, accurate surf forecasts for over 7,000 breaks worldwide. Plan your sessions with detailed wave information, tide times, and mapping to find the best conditions and nearby spots. Access extended forecasts and custom alerts with premium features.

**Highlights:** Detailed surf forecasts, Wavefinder map, Live webcam links, Tide times, 12-day forecasts, Custom surf alerts

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Service: Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium Service (Yearly) | $34.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌊 Accurate surf forecasts
- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 🗺️ Comprehensive coverage of locations
- 🔍 Detailed information (swell, wind, tides, etc.)
- 💰 Good value for subscription

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔄 Inconsistent data updates
- 🌊 Wave height/conditions not always accurate
- 🏞️ Missing data for some locations (e.g. Great Lakes)
- 🤔 Confusing or misleading surf ratings/forecasts

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes or freezes on some devices
- Geolocation issues with break markers

**Requested features**

- Ability to manually refresh data
- More detailed tidal/current information
- Expanded location coverage
- Improved accuracy for wave height/conditions


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MetService Marine free?

MetService Marine is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Surf free?

Surf is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, MetService Marine or Surf?

Surf is rated higher. MetService Marine averages 4.6 out of 5 from 50 ratings, while Surf averages 4.9 from 991 ratings.

### Do MetService Marine or Surf have ads?

Both MetService Marine and Surf show ads.

### Which is updated more often, MetService Marine or Surf?

MetService Marine ships an update every 12 months, and Surf every 6 weeks. Most recently, MetService Marine was updated on October 21, 2026 and Surf on October 21, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*