Scirocco vs Windfinder
Windfinder is built for sailors, kiters and windsurfers: wind forecasts for 160,000 locations and live readings from 21,000 stations. Scirocco is built for people going out by boat in the Mediterranean, with a high-resolution Italian model and a reliability label. Here's how they compare.
🧭 Marine forecast, waypoints and route in one app with Scirocco → — free, no account.
Side by side
| Scirocco | Windfinder | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Forecast free, with banner ads. Pro without ads: $24.99/year (7-day free trial) or $3.99/week (3-day free trial) | Free with ads; Windfinder Plus $1.99/month or $12.99/year (7-day free trial) |
| Wind forecast | 7 days, hour by hour: speed, direction and gusts | Speed, gusts and direction for over 160,000 locations; 10-day wind preview with Plus |
| High-resolution model | ItaliaMeteo ICON-2I (2 km) where available, free | Superforecast, its hourly high-resolution model for North America, Europe and more, with Plus |
| Model comparison | ICON-2I vs ICON-EU and ECMWF, with spread and a reliability label | Not stated in the listing |
| Live wind readings | No | 21,000 weather stations, also on the map with Plus |
| Animated wind map | No | Yes; Plus adds gusts, temperature and precipitation |
| Waves | Hourly waves, swell height, period and direction | Wave height, period and direction |
| Tides | Tide curve for the next 24 hours with highs, lows and range | High and low tide forecasts for over 20,000 locations |
| Current, storms and fog | Current in knots, thunderstorm risk and fog in the hourly view | Severe weather warnings for the US and Europe |
| Wind alerts | No | Notified when windy or calm days are forecast, with Plus |
| Offline at sea | The last forecast stays saved for 7 days | Optimized data transfer for quicker loading |
| Mediterranean wind names | Tramontana, Grecale, Levante, Scirocco and the other Med winds | Not stated in the listing |
| Compass, route and waypoints | Compass with course correction in words, route around the coast, waypoints and tracks | — |
| US App Store rating | Not enough ratings yet | 4.8 out of 5 (62,351 ratings) |
Highlighted: the stronger app on that point, where the difference is clear.
Which one to choose
Choose Scirocco if
- you're going out by boat in the Med and want wind, waves, swell and storms on one screen
- you want a 2 km model for Italian waters without a subscription
- you want to see whether the models agree before you go
- you also need a compass, a route around the coast and your waypoints
Choose Windfinder if
- you kite, windsurf, wing foil or race dinghies and check live wind at the spot
- you want the animated wind map and webcams
- you want an alert when the right wind is forecast
- you need tides for many ports, including outside the Mediterranean
Frequently asked questions
Is Windfinder free?
Yes, with ads. Windfinder Plus adds wind alerts, Superforecast, widgets and extra map layers. On the US App Store it costs $1.99 a month or $12.99 a year, with a 7-day free trial (checked October 20, 2026).
What is Windfinder Superforecast?
It's Windfinder's hourly high-resolution model for North America, Europe, South Africa, Egypt and the Canary Islands, included in Windfinder Plus. In Scirocco the high-resolution role is played by ItaliaMeteo ICON-2I, which covers Italy and the nearby seas.
Does Windfinder show live wind or just forecasts?
Both: besides forecasts it shows real-time readings from 21,000 weather stations. Scirocco shows forecasts only.
What wind speed is safe for a small boat?
It depends on the boat and the sea state, but look at gusts as much as the average. A big gap between average wind and gusts means a choppy, irregular sea. Wind blowing from the land keeps the water flat near shore but can push you offshore.
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Prices, features and ratings of the apps come from their US App Store listings on October 20, 2026 and may change: Scirocco, Windfinder.
Windfinder, Superforecast and ECMWF are trademarks of their respective owners. Scirocco is not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by them.