Surfline vs Windguru for Surfers (2026)
Verdict table
| Surfline | Windguru | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free tier; Premium $15.99/mo or $119.99/yr; Premium with Ads $69.99/yr; Premium+ $149.99/yr | Free; PRO €49/yr (about $53) or €2.90/mo | Windguru |
| Live cams | Largest surf cam network; ad-free + rewind on Premium | None | Surfline |
| Spot-level surf rating | Yes — star rating + forecaster notes | No — numbers only; you judge | Surfline |
| Models shown | Proprietary LOTUS; you don't see the inputs | GFS, WRF, ICON, AROME, NAM, HARMONIE and more, side by side | Windguru |
| Free-tier limits | Short forecast window, limited cams, ads | Full GFS free; the popular WRF runs are delayed ~12 hours for free users | Tie |
| Forecast range | 16 days on Premium | Up to ~10 days on GFS; longer windows on PRO | Surfline |
| Wind detail | Good | Excellent — hourly, multi-model, gusts, built for wind sports | Windguru |
| Speed to read | Seconds (the star rating) | Seconds once you know the table; minutes until then | Surfline for beginners, Windguru for veterans |
| Personalization | None | None (custom spots on PRO, but no learning) | Neither |
Where Surfline wins
Cams, again. If you can see the lineup, you don't need to interpret anything. The rating. Surfline has decided for you. Editorial forecasts that explain timing. And a friendlier UI if spreadsheets make your eyes glaze.
Where Windguru wins
Price. The free tier is fully usable and PRO is less than half of Surfline Premium.
Transparency. You see every model. When GFS says 4ft at 12s and WRF says 3ft at 9s, you know to trust the morning less — Surfline's single number can't tell you that.
Wind. Windguru's hourly multi-model wind is the best of any mainstream app, which matters because wind makes or breaks most sessions. See offshore vs onshore wind.
Speed for veterans. Once you know your spot wants 10s+ from the SW with under 8 knots of wind, the table answers in a glance.
One caveat: the WRF model most Windguru users rely on is delayed about 12 hours on the free tier, so at dawn you may be looking at yesterday's run unless you pay for PRO.
Where both fall short
Both are modeled forecasts of generic conditions. Neither uses the real-time buoy reading sitting 20 miles off your coast (NOAA publishes it free — here's how to read it), and neither learns what you rated highly last time those numbers lined up. A Windguru table says 3ft at 14s from 270°; whether that's a great day at your reef on a low tide is something you carry in your head.
Which one, by situation
| You are… | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| New to reading forecasts | Surfline | A star and a sentence beat forty numbers until you know which numbers matter. (Then read how to read a surf forecast.) |
| Experienced, know your break's recipe | Windguru | Hourly multi-model table answers "does it match?" in a glance, for free or €49/yr. |
| Dawn patrol decisions | Surfline cam, or Windguru PRO | Free Windguru's WRF runs are ~12 hours old at 5am; a cam or an undelayed model fixes that. So does a buoy. |
| Kiter/windsurfer who also surfs | Windguru | Built for wind sports; Surfline is surf-only. |
| Surf trip planning | Surfline Premium | 16-day outlook plus forecaster notes on timing. Windguru's long windows need PRO. |
| On a budget | Windguru free + NOAA buoys | Full GFS for nothing, plus the live reading from NDBC. |
Free tiers compared
Windguru free is a complete product: every spot, GFS and several other models, tide, the full table. Its one real limitation for surfers is the delayed WRF run — the higher-resolution model people like for coastal wind — which PRO removes. Surfline free is a preview: the report and a short forecast window, with limited cams and ads. If you never intend to pay, Windguru's free tier does far more. If you're going to pay, the question is whether the extra ~$67/yr for Surfline Premium over Windguru PRO buys you cams you'll actually use.
The third option
That "carry it in your head" problem is what LazySurfer (our app) is built for. It logs your sessions against the live NOAA buoy, wind and tide readings at the time, then a per-user deep-learning model predicts the rating you'd give today's conditions. It's the Windguru philosophy — real data, no cams — with the Surfline convenience of a single answer, except the answer is tuned to you. Free with no ads; Pro is $7.99/mo, $29.99/6 mo or $49.99/yr. Windguru users tend to like it because it doesn't hide the inputs: you can see the buoy numbers behind the rating.
Head-to-heads: LazySurfer vs Surfline · LazySurfer vs Windguru
Frequently asked questions
Is Windguru free?
Yes. Windguru's free tier shows the GFS model and several others for any spot. Windguru PRO, at €49 per year (about $53) or €2.90 per month, adds higher-resolution models without delay, longer windows, archives, alerts and custom spots. On the free tier the popular WRF runs are delayed about 12 hours.
Is Windguru accurate for surf?
Windguru's wave data comes from public wave models and is as accurate as those models, which is generally good for swell size and period a few days out and less reliable for local wind and bathymetry effects. It does not rate surf quality; you interpret the numbers. Real-time NOAA buoy observations are the best check on any model.
Which is better for surfing, Surfline or Windguru?
Surfline is better if you want cams, a star rating and forecaster notes. Windguru is better if you want to see multiple models and wind detail for less money. Experienced surfers often prefer Windguru's table; beginners usually find Surfline easier.
Does Windguru have surf cams?
No. Windguru is a forecast table and map service with no webcam network. Surfline has the largest surf cam network, which is the main thing you pay for with Surfline Premium.
Related: Is Surfline Premium worth it in 2026? · Surfline vs Windy · Windguru alternatives
Competitor prices and tiers on this page were checked on 2026-08-21 against the sources listed at the bottom. Prices are USD unless noted, exclude tax, and can change; app-store prices sometimes differ from web prices. If you spot something out of date, tell us and we'll fix it.