A theory is presented for the magnetostatic modes in ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic nanotubes, which have a large length-to-radius aspect ratio and an external magnetic field parallel to the cylindrical axis. The surface and bulk magnetic excitations (or magnetostatic spin waves) are studied for cases where the dipole–dipole interactions are dominant in the spin dynamics. This situation can be realized at sufficiently small wavevectors by inelastic light scattering or magnetic resonance techniques. A macroscopic continuum theory is developed, using the magnetostatic form of Maxwell's equations and the electromagnetic boundary conditions, and the characteristic equations (or dispersion relations) are deduced for the magnetostatic modes. Numerical calculations are presented for ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic nanostructures, taking Ni 80 Fe 20 and MnF 2, respectively. The spatial variations of the mode amplitudes are also investigated.