XTide vs OceanConnect
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Tide and current predictions
- Apple Watch app and widget
- Favorite tide station information
- Based on open-source XTide
- Supports custom harmonics files
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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.
OceanConnect
Access detailed ocean conditions and forecasts for coastal regions from Northern California to south-western Alaska. This free application requires no login and is fully supported by the Hakai Institute.
- Ocean conditions and forecasts
- Coastal BC coverage
- Northern California to Alaska
- No login required
- Free to use
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Discover ocean conditions and forecasts along the coast of British Columbia and beyond - from Northern California to south-western Alaska. It is free, requiring no login or registration and is fully supported and maintained by the Hakai Institute.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: OceanConnect at daily against XTide's every 3 months. OceanConnect also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7). XTide's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 75%). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
OceanConnect holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 4 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of XTide's written reviews are positive against 75% of OceanConnect's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
XTide ships an update every 3 months, OceanConnect daily. The most recent releases landed on June 1, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | XTide | OceanConnect |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (3 ratings) | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 75.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 3 | 4 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Daily — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Lee Ann Rucker | Tula Foundation |
Customer experience
XTide
OceanConnect
In-app purchases
XTide
No in-app purchases
OceanConnect
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is XTide free?
Is OceanConnect free?
Which has better reviews, XTide or OceanConnect?
Do XTide or OceanConnect have ads?
Which is updated more often, XTide or OceanConnect?
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