Comparison

Sunset Predictions vs Surf

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

Head to head
About

Sunset Predictions

This app predicts not only sunrise and sunset times but also the quality of light, helping photographers and enthusiasts plan their shoots. It offers detailed forecasts, customizable alerts, and augmented reality tools to visualize the sun's path.

Highlights
  • Sunrise & Sunset Quality Forecasts
  • Golden Hour & Blue Hour Times
  • Flexible Reminder Alarms
  • Custom Location Planning
  • Augmented Reality Sun Path
  • Live Activities & Widgets
  • Apple Watch Support
Features
Read full description

Alpenglow helps you capture better sunrises and sunsets, not just the times, but the quality. Whether you’re planning a photography shoot or simply don’t want to miss a great sunrise or sunset, Alpenglow tells you when it’s worth going outside. Unlike other sunrise apps, Alpenglow combines accurate times with sunrise and sunset quality forecasts, so you know how good the light is expected to be before it happens. Key Features • Sunrise, Sunset, Golden Hour, Magic Hour & Blue Hour Times • Sunrise & Sunset Quality Forecasts, showing how good the light is expected to be • Flexible reminder alarms so you never miss a great moment • Custom locations to plan shoots and trips anywhere in the world • Quick date navigation with arrows or a calendar picker • Sun direction map showing where the sun rises and sets • Augmented reality sun path to visualize the sun’s movement • Live Activities to count down to upcoming events • Interactive Home Screen, Lock Screen & StandBy widgets • Apple Watch support, including complications • Light & Dark Mode and full Dynamic Type support Improve the forecasts Submit field reports after a sunrise or sunset — your reports help improve future color and quality forecasts for everyone. Alpenglow uses its own continuously evolving forecast model, designed specifically for predicting sunrise and sunset light quality. The model improves over time as more data and real-world reports are added. Available on all your Apple devices Alpenglow works across iPhone, Apple Watch, Mac, Apple TV, and Vision Pro, so your forecasts are always close at hand. Alpenglow Pro Alpenglow is free to use, with optional Pro features for photographers and planners who want more control and foresight. With Alpenglow Pro, you can: • View quality forecasts up to 4 days ahead • Get forecast notifications when sunrise or sunset quality exceeds your threshold • Let Alpenglow automatically schedule alarms when a sunrise or sunset is worth catching • Unlock interactive forecast widgets • Access forecast Apple Watch complications • Use more accurate location and elevation data, processed entirely on-device • Quickly revisit recently searched locations • Customize the app with accent colors and alternative app icons • Share Pro features with Family Sharing Privacy-first by design Your location stays on your device and is never stored online. Alpenglow Pro subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription anytime in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use: https://alpenglowapp.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://alpenglowapp.com/privacy

About

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.

Highlights
  • Detailed surf forecasts
  • Wavefinder map
  • Live webcam links
  • Tide times
  • 12-day forecasts
  • Custom surf alerts
Features
Read full description

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

Sunset Predictions4 screens
Surf4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Surf at 86% against Sunset Predictions's 48%. Surf also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.5) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.6). Sunset Predictions's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 6 weeks). On price, ratings volume, 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. Sunset Predictions sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Surf holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.1K and 1K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 48% of Sunset Predictions's written reviews are positive against 86% of Surf's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sunset Predictions ships an update every 5 days, Surf every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Sunset Predictions versus Surf: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSunset PredictionsSurf
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (2.1K ratings)4.9 (1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews48.4% of reviews86.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2.1K — better1K
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#98 — better#152
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS18.615.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size188 MB138 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAndrew YatesMeteo365 Ltd.

Customer experience

Sunset Predictions

All ratings2,095 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral4.3%
Negative8.2%
Written reviews275 reviews
Positive48.4%
Neutral8.4%
Negative43.3%

Surf

All ratings940 ratings
Positive99.3%
Neutral0.1%
Negative0.6%
Written reviews125 reviews
Positive86.4%
Neutral4.0%
Negative9.6%

User reviews

Sunset Predictions

From 2.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Accurate sunset/sunrise forecasts
  • 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
  • 💡 Customizable notifications and widgets
  • 🎨 Great for photography and capturing sunsets

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Inconsistent and inaccurate forecasts
  • 🔒 Paywall for basic features
  • 🔋 Drains battery quickly
  • 🤔 Unclear metrics for sunset/sunrise quality

Surf

From 1K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Bugs and requests

Sunset Predictions

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Apple Watch complication not working consistently
  • Location services issues causing incorrect forecasts
  • Subscription issues with app not recognizing purchases

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add moon rise and moon set times
  • Implement dark mode option
  • Improve accuracy of forecasts through better data sources
  • Allow users to submit feedback and field reports to improve predictions

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

10 purchases

Sunset Predictions

Subscriptions6
  • Pro Monthly3 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Pro Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Pro Monthly3 Days trial$2.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Pro Yearly7 Days trial$14.991 Year
  • Pro Yearly$19.991 Year
  • Pro Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time4
  • Sweet-Sized Tip3 variants$0.99
  • Coffee-Sized Tip2 variants$4.99
  • Pro Lifetime$24.99
Show 1 more
  • Pro Lifetime$29.99
2 purchases

Surf

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Service: Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Premium Service (Yearly)$34.991 Year

Questions

Is Sunset Predictions free?
Sunset Predictions 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, Sunset Predictions or Surf?
Surf is rated higher. Sunset Predictions averages 4.5 out of 5 from 2.1K ratings, while Surf averages 4.9 from 1K ratings.
Do Sunset Predictions or Surf have ads?
Surf shows ads; Sunset Predictions does not.
Which is updated more often, Sunset Predictions or Surf?
Sunset Predictions ships an update every 5 days, and Surf every 6 weeks. Most recently, Sunset Predictions was updated on October 29, 2026 and Surf on October 30, 2026.
Which is more popular, Sunset Predictions or Surf?
Sunset Predictions currently peaks at #98 in the App Store charts, and Surf at #152. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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