Comparison

Absolute Tides vs Anchor Pro

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

Head to head
About

Absolute Tides

Access official UKHO tidal data offline for up to a year in advance. View monthly tide tables, daily charts, and tidal streams. Includes weather forecasts and anchoring assistance.

Highlights
  • Offline UKHO tidal data
  • Annual data plugins
  • Monthly tide tables
  • Daily tide charts
  • Tidal stream view
  • Met Office weather forecast
  • Anchoring assistance
Features
Read full description

Displays officially licenced UKHO tidal data on an annual basis without ever needing to go online. The tidal data is contained in our annual data plugins and must be purchased using in-app purchases. Once you have purchased the data, this app will allow you to view UKHO standard port tides up to a year in advance. The app will also calculate secondary port tides using its own built in offsets. (The 'UK data 2016' IAP contains data for 38 primary ports and over 500 secondary ports, see our website for more details on coverage) The main view is an 'At a glance' table view of each month's tides and tidal ranges. Selecting an entry will display an easy to use daily chart view showing the tide height for any time of day and a tidal stream view showing tidal direction and speed at hourly intervals. The Weather section downloads and displays the current Met Office Inshore Forecast. Absolute Tides also makes anchoring easy by calculating the maximum and minimum tides beween the current time and any selected future date/time. Note: This application will NOT work without at least one of our tidal data in-app purchases being installed. Please check that the tide data you want is available before downloading this app. The small print: For leisure use only. Heights of tides can vary from those predicted depending on the prevailing weather conditions. All data is given in good faith and is believed to be correct but we accept no responsibility for any consequential loss or damage arising from use of this application. Secondary port data calculated using offsets will be less accurate than the UKHO standard port data. This app is neither affiliated to nor endorsed by the Met Office.

About

Anchor Pro

This app helps boaters set and monitor their anchor position in real-time. It allows for defining safe zones, tracking boat movement, and receiving alerts for critical changes. Remote notifications and Apple Watch integration enhance its utility for secure anchoring.

Highlights
  • Set anchor location in real-time or manually
  • Define custom safe swing zones
  • Monitor boat movement and track history
  • Receive real-time alerts for position, GPS, and battery
  • Remote notifications via Telegram or email
  • Apple Watch companion app for key metrics
Features
Read full description

SET THE ANCHOR Set your anchor location in real time as you drop it, or specify it later by entering distance and bearing. Advanced users can also input exact coordinates. DEFINE THE SAFE ZONE Define the allowed swing area as a simple circle around the anchor, or create a more precise zone by setting two different radii at specific angles. MONITOR MOVEMENT Stay on top of every movement with comprehensive real-time data. Review key metrics on the main screen or switch to the map view to see your boat's track — ideal for analyzing whether your anchor is holding or dragging. GET ALERTED WHEN IT MATTERS Monitor position, GPS signal strength, and battery level — and receive alerts the moment any of these fall outside your set thresholds. REMOTE ALERTS Leave your phone on board and stay informed from shore. Receive alarm notifications via Telegram or email. With Telegram, you can also request a live status update at any time. APPLE WATCH Keep distance, bearing, and battery level on your wrist with the Apple Watch companion app — all updated in real time. TRY ANCHOR PRO FOR FREE Core features are always free. Want to explore everything? All premium features are available during a free trial period — no commitment required. Anchor Pro is ad-supported. Purchasing an Anchor Premium subscription removes ads and unlocks extra features. Payment is charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation. Subscriptions renew automatically at the same price unless auto-renewal is turned off at least 24 hours before the current period ends. You can manage auto-renewal anytime in your Account Settings. Anchor Premium is $6.99 USD/year (pricing may vary by country). Any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited upon purchasing a subscription, where applicable. Terms of use: https://links.ideaboys.net/anchor-ios-terms.html GOOD TO KNOW Anchor Pro uses background audio and location services to keep alerts active when the app is not in the foreground. Please note that continuous GPS use will drain your battery faster than usual.

Screenshots

Absolute Tides4 screens
Anchor Pro4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Anchor Pro at 80% against Absolute Tides's 67%. Anchor Pro also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). Absolute Tides's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.2). 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. Absolute Tides sells 11 one-off in-app purchases and Anchor Pro sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $6.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Absolute Tides ships an update every 5 months, Anchor Pro every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on August 18, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Absolute Tides versus Anchor Pro: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAbsolute TidesAnchor Pro
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.8 (3.5K ratings) — better
Positive reviews67.1% of reviews79.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings—3.5K — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.6 — better17.2
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB23 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDarren EdwardsIdeaBoys GmbH

Customer experience

Absolute Tides

Written reviews70 reviews
Positive67.1%
Neutral10.0%
Negative22.9%

Anchor Pro

All ratings3,496 ratings
Positive96.5%
Neutral1.7%
Negative1.7%
Written reviews176 reviews
Positive79.5%
Neutral2.8%
Negative17.6%

Bugs and requests

Absolute Tides

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Anchor Pro

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • App randomly shuts off
  • Anchor position tracking glitches

Requested features

3 requests
  • Customizable anchor icon/color
  • Integration with marine GPS/chartplotter
  • Ability to adjust alarm parameters remotely

In-app purchases

11 purchases

Absolute Tides

One-time11
  • UK Tides 2016Free
  • UK Tides 2017Free
  • UK Tides 2018Free
Show 8 more
  • UK Tides 2019Free
  • UK & Eire Tides 2020Free
  • UK & Eire Tides 2021Free
  • UK & Eire Tides 2022$2.99
  • UK & Eire Tides 2023$2.99
  • UK & Eire Tides 2024$2.99
  • UK & Eire Tides 2026$2.99
  • UK & Eire Tides 2025$2.99
1 purchases

Anchor Pro

Subscriptions1
  • Anchor Premium7 Days trial$6.991 Year

Questions

Is Absolute Tides free?
Absolute Tides is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Anchor Pro free?
Anchor Pro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Absolute Tides or Anchor Pro have ads?
Neither Absolute Tides nor Anchor Pro shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Absolute Tides or Anchor Pro?
Absolute Tides ships an update every 5 months, and Anchor Pro every 2 months. Most recently, Absolute Tides was updated on August 18, 2026 and Anchor Pro on September 29, 2026.

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