Comparison

HopeWaves vs Current

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

Head to head
About

HopeWaves

Access real-time HD beach webcam snapshots and 16-day wave forecasts for Rhode Island. Get tide information and live buoy data to track current swell conditions. Widgets are available for home and lock screens.

Highlights
  • HD beach webcam snapshots
  • 16-day wave forecasting
  • Tide information
  • Live NOAA buoy data
  • Home and lock screen widgets
  • Apple Watch widgets
Features
Read full description

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!

About

Current

Get detailed, physics-based surf forecasts for California breaks. See wave height, how waves break, swell details, wind, tide, and water temperature. A free daily forecast is available, with premium features for multi-day predictions and advanced statistics.

Highlights
  • Physics-based surf forecasts
  • Wave break type prediction
  • Swell partitions and timeline
  • Lull duration and wave energy
  • Water temperature
  • Multi-day forecast (premium)
Currently charting
Read full description

Current gives you physics-based surf forecasts for every break In California and the East and Gulf Coasts. Current is part of a movement to create more accurate and detailed surf forecasts. What you get: • 8-day surf forecast for every spot - swell, wind, tide, surf heights, and ratings • An animated map - wind, currents, and swell in motion, surf height painted along the coastline • Spot stats you won't find anywhere else - set height, breaker type, peakiness • Secret spots - draw your own spot anywhere on the coast and get a full forecast for it Today's forecast is free for every spot. Upgrade to Current Premium for multi-day forecasts, detailed surf-zone statistics, and map overlays. Forecasts are estimates — always check real conditions and surf within your limits. - Support URL: https://currentsurf.com · Marketing URL (optional): https://currentsurf.com · Privacy Policy URL: https://currentsurf.com/privacy CURRENT PREMIUM (optional subscription) Premium Monthly - $4.99/month, auto-renews. Unlocks the full 8-day forecast everywhere: future-day map overlays, future-day spot stats, and up to 100 secret spots. Today's forecast is always free. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews monthly unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel in your App Store settings. Privacy Policy: https://currentsurf.com/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://currentsurf.com/terms

Screenshots

HopeWaves4 screens
Current4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: HopeWaves at 4.9 against Current's 4.5. HopeWaves also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 80%) and ratings volume (189 vs 16). Current's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and chart position (#160 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. HopeWaves sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Current sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

HopeWaves holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HopeWaves has 189 ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of HopeWaves's written reviews are positive against 80% of Current's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

HopeWaves ships an update every 2 months, Current fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
HopeWaves versus Current: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHopeWavesCurrent
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (189 ratings) — better4.5 (16 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better80.0% of reviews
Number of ratings189 — better16
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
Best chart rank—#160 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.1
Further details — not scored
Size51 MB40 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMatthew IannucciColin Weaver

Customer experience

HopeWaves

All ratings189 ratings
Positive98.9%
Neutral1.1%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Current

All ratings14 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.1%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

HopeWaves

One-time3
  • Small Tip$1.99
  • Medium Tip$4.99
  • Large Tip$9.99
1 purchases

Current

Subscriptions1
  • Current Premium$4.991 Month

Questions

Is HopeWaves free?
HopeWaves is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Current free?
Current is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, HopeWaves or Current?
HopeWaves is rated higher. HopeWaves averages 4.9 out of 5 from 189 ratings, while Current averages 4.5 from 16 ratings.
Do HopeWaves or Current have ads?
Neither HopeWaves nor Current shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HopeWaves or Current?
HopeWaves ships an update every 2 months, and Current fortnightly. Most recently, HopeWaves was updated on October 24, 2026 and Current on October 28, 2026.

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