# HopeWaves vs Surf

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 (#79 vs unranked) and ratings volume (1K vs 189). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HopeWaves | Surf |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (189 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hopewaves/id945847570/reviews)** | [4.9 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surf-forecastcom/id6450721636/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 189 | **1K** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 86.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#79** |
| Size | 58 MB | 138 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Matthew Iannucci](https://appshunter.io/developer/945847569) | [Meteo365 Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/661723505) |

## What reviewers say

### HopeWaves

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hopewaves/id945847570)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $9.99 | one-time |


### Surf

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

**Currently charting:** #79 Top Grossing · Weather, #132 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 HopeWaves free?

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

### Is Surf free?

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

### Which has better reviews, HopeWaves or Surf?

HopeWaves is rated higher. HopeWaves averages 4.9 out of 5 from 189 ratings, while Surf averages 4.9 from 1K ratings.

### Do HopeWaves or Surf have ads?

Surf shows ads; HopeWaves does not.

### Which is updated more often, HopeWaves or Surf?

HopeWaves ships an update every 2 months, and Surf every 6 weeks. Most recently, HopeWaves was updated on November 6, 2026 and Surf on November 7, 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.*