Comparison

Absolute Tides vs CountMeDown

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β€” 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

CountMeDown

This app is designed for racing sailors to manage start sequences. It offers easy access to start, stop, and rest functions, allows syncing to the closest minute, and supports custom countdown sequences for various racing scenarios. A voice countdown feature keeps hands free during the race.

Highlights
  • Start, Stop & Rest buttons on home screen
  • Sync to closest minute (up & down)
  • Custom countdown sequences
  • Voice countdown feature
  • Specify sequence minute length
  • Specify number of classes & interval
Features
Read full description

Made Specifically to satisfy the Racing Sailor during Start Sequence. Start, Stop & Rest buttons all Accessible on home screen! Sync to closest minute if you missed the gun - both up & down. Set countdown minutes easily... specify Sequence minute length, Number of classes & Interval/gap between Class starts. Custom Countdown sequences for Match Racing starts, including Attention, Entry & Flight info. AND, CountMeDown includes a VOICE countdown - allowing you to keep your hands free & head in the game!

Screenshots

Absolute Tides4 screens
CountMeDown1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Absolute Tides at Free against CountMeDown's $1.99. Absolute Tides also leads on iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). CountMeDown's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 11) and review sentiment (100% vs 67%). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Absolute Tides is free to download; CountMeDown costs $1.99 up front. Absolute Tides sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. CountMeDown asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Absolute Tides ships an update every 5 months, CountMeDown every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and September 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences Β· 2 level
Absolute Tides versus CountMeDown: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAbsolute TidesCountMeDown
PriceFree β€” better$1.99
Positive reviews67.1% of reviews100.0% of reviews β€” better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 3 weeks β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo β€” better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases β€” betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch β€” betteriPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.6 β€” better17.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size30 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDarren EdwardsSusanne LEECH

Customer experience

Absolute Tides

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

CountMeDown

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Absolute Tides

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • App stopped working after 2025/2026 update
  • App crashes when selecting River Tyne ports
  • App crashes immediately on opening with 2024 data
  • Tyne ports cause app to disappear and require reinstallation
  • App crashes on iPad when clicking 'Streams'
Show 5 more
  • App crashes on opening after iPhone update
  • App crashes on iPhone 6
  • App crashes on opening
  • App stops working at the end of the year
  • App crashes when loading data

Requested features

10 requests
  • Version covering full French Brittany & Atlantic coasts using SHOM charts
  • Indication of Standard vs. Secondary port in tide time display
  • Include Fleetwood or more detailed Morecambe Bay data
  • Map showing port locations
  • Apple Watch complication
Show 5 more
  • Full 12 months of data for subscription
  • Constant view of at least the next 6 months
  • Larger print/double-sized display for day selection
  • Ability to restore purchases after losing a phone
  • Option to purchase data for specific regions or a full year upfront

CountMeDown

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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
None

CountMeDown

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Absolute Tides free?
Absolute Tides is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is CountMeDown free?
CountMeDown costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Absolute Tides or CountMeDown have ads?
Neither Absolute Tides nor CountMeDown shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Absolute Tides or CountMeDown?
Absolute Tides ships an update every 5 months, and CountMeDown every 3 weeks. Most recently, Absolute Tides was updated on October 8, 2026 and CountMeDown on September 11, 2026.

Other comparisons