# Absolute Tides vs First Mate

The clearest difference is price: Absolute Tides at Free against First Mate's $19.99. First Mate's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 11) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 5 months). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Absolute Tides is free to download; First Mate costs $19.99 up front. Absolute Tides sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. First Mate asks for nothing beyond the download.

Absolute Tides ships an update every 5 months, First Mate every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 18, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Absolute Tides | First Mate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $19.99 |
| Positive reviews | 67.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 30 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **14.5** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Darren Edwards](https://appshunter.io/developer/1055828981) | [Matthew Ricciardo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1585527362) |

## What reviewers say

### Absolute Tides

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/absolute-tides/id1055828982)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| UK Tides 2016 | Free | one-time |
| UK Tides 2017 | Free | one-time |
| UK Tides 2018 | Free | one-time |
| UK Tides 2019 | Free | one-time |
| UK & Eire Tides 2020 | Free | one-time |
| UK & Eire Tides 2021 | Free | one-time |
| UK & Eire Tides 2022 | $2.99 | one-time |
| UK & Eire Tides 2023 | $2.99 | one-time |
| UK & Eire Tides 2024 | $2.99 | one-time |
| UK & Eire Tides 2026 | $2.99 | one-time |
| UK & Eire Tides 2025 | $2.99 | one-time |


### First Mate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/first-mate/id1603120795)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Absolute Tides free?

Absolute Tides is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is First Mate free?

First Mate costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Absolute Tides or First Mate have ads?

Neither Absolute Tides nor First Mate shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Absolute Tides or First Mate?

Absolute Tides ships an update every 5 months, and First Mate every 3 weeks. Most recently, Absolute Tides was updated on August 18, 2026 and First Mate on September 9, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*