# High Tide vs Lightning Map

The clearest difference is price: Lightning Map at Free against High Tide's $0.99. Lightning Map also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.8) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 4 months). High Tide's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (225 vs 1). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Lightning Map is free to download; High Tide costs $0.99 up front. Lightning Map sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. High Tide asks for nothing beyond the download.

Lightning Map holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: High Tide has 225 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

High Tide ships an update every 4 months, Lightning Map every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | High Tide | Lightning Map |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.8 (225 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/high-tide-charts-and-graphs/id1200137686/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightning-map-storm-radar/id6799079042/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **225** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 22.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#102** | — |
| Size | 3 MB | 39 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.1** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [LW Brands, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/963599018) | [Tirin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1665717789) |

## What reviewers say

### High Tide

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/high-tide-charts-and-graphs/id1200137686)

**Currently charting:** #102 Top Paid · Weather (US App Store)

Access NOAA tide forecast data with a simple and elegant tool. View current and 7-day hourly forecasts with interactive graphs for over 800 tide stations. Your preferences are automatically saved to the cloud.

**Highlights:** Current and forecasted tide data, 7-day hourly NOAA tide forecast, Interactive tide graphs, Cloud preference saving, 800+ tide stations

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use interface
- 👍 Useful data for planning
- 👍 Accurate tide information
- 👍 Good for fishing trips
- 👍 Clear presentation display

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤔 Hard to understand
- 🤔 Not enough detail on charts
- 🤔 Poor navigation
- 🤔 App doesn't work
- 🤔 Inaccurate information

**Reported bugs**

- Map is not identified
- App says one thing, reality is opposite
- Tide station not on maps
- Unable to scroll map
- Charts too small to view

**Requested features**

- Ability to zoom in on charts
- Slider bar for times and tide levels
- Way to select tide station
- Display actual times & levels of high & low tides
- Include more tide stations (Alaska, Estero Bay, Henderson Inlet, Harpswell Maine)


### Lightning Map

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightning-map-storm-radar/id6799079042)

This app provides real-time lightning strike tracking and severe weather alerts. It offers interactive radar maps, instant notifications for nearby storms, and historical data to help you stay safe outdoors.

**Highlights:** Real-time lightning tracker, Live strike distance and timestamp, Proximity alerts with customizable radius, Interactive storm radar map, Multi-layer display (lightning, precipitation, clouds), Storm history and analytics, Historical lightning heatmaps

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lightning Map Monthly Premium | $2.99 | per month |
| Lightning Map Lifetime Premium | $6.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is High Tide free?

High Tide costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Lightning Map free?

Lightning Map is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, High Tide or Lightning Map?

Lightning Map is rated higher. High Tide averages 3.8 out of 5 from 225 ratings, while Lightning Map averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do High Tide or Lightning Map have ads?

Neither High Tide nor Lightning Map shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, High Tide or Lightning Map?

High Tide ships an update every 4 months, and Lightning Map every 5 days. Most recently, High Tide was updated on November 9, 2026 and Lightning Map on November 10, 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.*