HopeWaves vs Surf
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
HopeWaves
Access live HD beach webcam snapshots and a 16-day forecast for Rhode Island's current wave conditions. Includes tide information, live NOAA buoy data, and home screen widgets for easy access.
- Live HD beach webcam snapshots
- 16-day wave forecast (GFS/ECMWF)
- Tide information and forecasts
- Live NOAA buoy data
- Home and lock screen widgets
- Apple Watch support
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HopeWaves is the best way to check the waves on the go in Rhode Island. It displays the latest HD snapshots from beach webcams all over Rhode Island, keeping you in the loop with the current conditions. It also features a custom 16 day forecast derived from GFS and ECMWF Wave models, tide information and forecasts, and live buoy data straight from NOAA buoys. All of the tools you need to track down the current swell in one easy to use app. Try out the Tide and Buoy Widgets to get the latest data on your home or lock screen or apple watch!
Surf
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.
- Detailed surf forecasts
- Wavefinder map
- Live webcam links
- Tide times
- 12-day forecasts
- Custom surf alerts
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Surf-Forecast.com gives you simple, accurate and easy-to-read surf forecasts so you have the best chance of hitting those breaks when the waves are pumping. Built by surfers, for surfers, and trusted by millions of surfers for over 20 years, our updated app lets you see all your favorite surf spots at a glance. Providing detailed surf forecasts for over 7,000 breaks worldwide, our new features let you see further ahead than ever before - giving you plenty of advance warning for when those swells start coming in. Find the best surfing conditions near you and use the rating tool to find exactly when to go. – FREE App Features ⁃ Detailed surf forecasts ⁃ Wavefinder map ⁃ Live webcam links ⁃ Multi-swell component presentation ⁃ Tide times ⁃ Detailed mapping to locate nearby breaks – Surf Premium Benefits ⁃ Access to the full 16 days of our new Wavefinder feature ⁃ Hourly forecasts ⁃ 16 day forecasts ⁃ Custom surf alerts ⁃ Ad-free browsing on our website So what are you waiting for? Grab your board and get exploring. We’ll see you out there! For the full Terms and Conditions of this service please visit: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: HopeWaves at none against Surf's shown. HopeWaves also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 86%). Surf's advantage is chart position (#111 vs unranked) and ratings volume (1K vs 189). On price, rating, update cadence 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
Both are free to download. HopeWaves sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Surf sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for HopeWaves against 4.9 for Surf. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Surf has 1K ratings behind it against 189, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of HopeWaves's written reviews are positive against 86% of Surf's.
HopeWaves ships an update every 2 months, Surf every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | HopeWaves | Surf |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (189 ratings) — better | 4.9 (1K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 86.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 189 | 1K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 6 weeks — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | #111 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 58 MB | 138 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Matthew Iannucci | Meteo365 Ltd. |
Customer experience
HopeWaves
Surf
Bugs and requests
HopeWaves
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Surf
Reported bugs
2 issues- Crashes or freezes on some devices
- Geolocation issues with break markers
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to manually refresh data
- More detailed tidal/current information
- Expanded location coverage
- Improved accuracy for wave height/conditions
In-app purchases
HopeWaves
- Small Tip$1.99
- Medium Tip$4.99
- Large Tip$9.99
Surf
- Premium Service: Monthly$4.991 Month
- Premium Service (Yearly)$34.991 Year
