Comparison

XTide vs Tide

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

Head to head
About

XTide

Get tide and current predictions with this app. It offers information for your favorite tide stations and is based on the open-source XTide for Unix. Note: not for navigation and accuracy depends on harmonic data.

Highlights
  • Tide and current predictions
  • Apple Watch app and widget
  • Favorite tide station information
  • Based on open-source XTide
  • Supports custom harmonics files
Read full description

XTide provides tide and current predictions. The Apple Watch app and Widget show information for the closest of your favorite tide stations. It is based on the popular open source XTide for Unix from http://www.flaterco.com/xtide/introduction.html XTide includes a harmonics file (tide data) for the United States only due to legal issues with the data from other countries, but supports custom harmonics files. See https://flaterco.com/xtide/faq.html#60 for more information. NOT FOR NAVIGATION This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. The author assumes no liability for damages arising from use of this program OR of any 'harmonics data' that might be distributed with it. For details, see the appended GNU General Public License. (Accurate tide predictions can only be made if the 'harmonics data' for the relevant location are good. Unfortunately, the only way the maintainer of those data has of knowing when they are bad is when someone with access to authoritative tide predictions or observations reports a problem. You should not use this program or any data files that might be distributed with it if anyone or anything could come to harm as a result of an incorrect tide prediction. NOAA and similar agencies in other countries can provide you with certified tide predictions if that is what you need.) XTide's predictions do not incorporate the effects of tropical storms, El Niño, seismic events, subsidence, uplift, or changes in global sea level.

About

Tide

Get accurate 30-day tide predictions, moon phases, and sunrise/sunset times for any location worldwide. Includes local weather conditions, wave heights, and swell periods to help plan your outdoor activities.

Highlights
  • 30-day tide graphs and tables
  • Moon phases
  • Sunrise and sunset times
  • Local weather conditions
  • Wave heights and swell periods
  • Global location forecasting
Features
Read full description

The official app by Tide-Forecast.com: Your Go-To Tide Prediction Tool, Anywhere in the World. Tide-Forecast.com offers simple, accurate 30-day tide graphs and tables for any location across the globe. Whether you’re planning a beach day, fishing trip, or a day out on the boat, we’ve got you covered. Our free tide graphs and tables provide: - High and low tide forecasts - Detailed tide ranges - Moon phases - Sunrise and sunset times - Local weather conditions (wind, humidity, temperature, and rainfall) - Wave heights - Swell periods What makes us unique? Simple—TidePro users can generate 30-day tide forecasts for any coordinate worldwide. Experience the convenience of real-time, location-specific tide data at your fingertips with the official app by Tide-Forecast.com! For the full Terms and Conditions of this service, please visit: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

XTide2 screens
Tide4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: XTide at none against Tide's 2. XTide also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 90%). Tide's advantage is ratings volume (206 vs 3) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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. Tide sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. XTide asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Tide holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Tide has 206 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of XTide's written reviews are positive against 90% of Tide's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
XTide versus Tide: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterXTideTide
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (3 ratings)5.0 (206 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better90.0% of reviews
Number of ratings3206 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB57 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLee Ann RuckerMeteo365 Ltd.

Customer experience

XTide

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Tide

All ratings206 ratings
Positive99.5%
Neutral0.5%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive90.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative10.0%

In-app purchases

None

XTide

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Tide

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Service (Monthly)$2.991 Month
  • Premium Service (Yearly)$19.991 Year

Questions

Is XTide free?
XTide is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Tide free?
Tide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, XTide or Tide?
Tide is rated higher. XTide averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Tide averages 5.0 from 206 ratings.
Do XTide or Tide have ads?
Neither XTide nor Tide shows ads.
Which is updated more often, XTide or Tide?
XTide ships an update every 3 months, and Tide every 3 months. Most recently, XTide was updated on October 9, 2026 and Tide on October 12, 2026.

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