Comparison

NOAA Tide Chart & Tables vs DawnTracker

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

Head to head
About

NOAA Tide Chart & Tables

Access accurate tide predictions, real-time conditions, and global station data. Plan your outdoor activities like sailing, fishing, or surfing with detailed forecasts, solunar data, and customizable alerts.

Highlights
  • Global tide charts
  • Daily tide forecast
  • Location-based station search
  • Solunar fishing data
  • Fish Activity Score
  • Lunar calendar & sunrise/sunset
  • Monthly tide reports
  • Tide Alerts
  • Wave and swell forecasts
Features
Read full description

NOAA Tide Chart & Forecast puts NOAA's official tide data right in your pocket: accurate predictions, real-time conditions, and easy station search, all in one…NOAA Tide Chart & Forecast puts NOAA's official tide data right in your pocket: accurate predictions, real-time conditions, and easy station search, all in one app. Whether you're sailing, fishing, boating, or surfing, our app helps you plan around the tides with confidence. Our app offers professional tide predictions for high and low tides across the globe, as well as day-to-day forecasts for in-depth tidal data on a specific date. You can also access real-time solunar data for sunrise and sunset times, as well as monthly reports for long-term planning. Here is a summary of the features we offer: Key Features: - Global tide charts: high and low water predictions for stations worldwide, shown as a full curve so you can read the whole day at a glance rather than just the peak times - Daily tide forecast: in-depth tidal insights for the day ahead, including the timing and height of each high and low. - Find tides near you: location-based search picks up your nearest station instantly, so you get data for where you actually are rather than the nearest big port. - Fishing tide chart tools: solunar data showing the major and minor periods that drive feeding activity, so you can time your trip around the best bite windows. - Fish Activity Score: rates each day from 0 to 100 using solunar periods, moon phase and local conditions. It shows your best window for the day along with major and minor feeding times. - Lunar calendar and real-time sunrise and sunset tracking: moon phase and daylight times for your station, useful for planning early starts and late returns. - Monthly tide reports: see the full month ahead in one view to plan trips, spring tides and the lowest water of the month well in advance. - Tide Alerts: set an alert for the conditions you care about and get notified before they happen, a low tide for clamming, slack water for diving, or the incoming push you've been waiting for. - Wave and swell forecasts: height, period and direction for any station, so you know what the water will actually be doing before you head out. - Tide history: quickly access past tide information to check conditions on a day that fished or sailed well, and plan around the same pattern next time. - Flexible search: find any station by name, station ID or location, whether you know exactly where you're going or you're exploring somewhere new. - Favorites: save the spots you use most and view their high and low data instantly, without searching again each time. - Filtered views: switch between All, Nearest and Favorites to get to the station you need in a couple of taps. - Customize units: set feet or metrs, 12 or 24 hour time, and the measurement preferences that match how you read conditions. Terms of Use https://tide.nextstack.org/public/terms-of-usage.pdf

About

DawnTracker

This app calculates precise times for sunrise, sunset, and various twilight periods for any location and date. It's useful for photographers planning shoots or anyone wanting to know daily solar event timings.

Highlights
  • Sunrise, solar noon, and sunset times
  • Civil, nautical, and astronomical twilight
  • Golden and blue hour calculations
  • Day length estimation
  • Offline functionality
  • Supports favorite cities
Features
Read full description

When will the sun rise today in Paris? How long does the Golden Hour last tomorrow in Hamburg? And what time will civil dawn begin, 3 months from now, in New York City? DawnTracker calculates solar events (sunrise, sunset, dawn, dusk, golden & blue hour etc.) for your current location and your favorite cities. A handy little tool if you're trying to capture the perfect sunset or simply want to know when the sun will set today. * Pick any date and any city to get info * Sunrise, Solar Noon and Sunset * Civil, Nautical and Astronomical Twilight * Golden & blue hour * Day length * Beginning and end of night * Calculations based on location data. Doesn't need internet connection. Doesn't share data. Available for iPhone and Apple Watch. Privacy policy: https://wxt.media/apps/privacy/

Screenshots

NOAA Tide Chart & Tables4 screens
DawnTracker3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: NOAA Tide Chart & Tables at Free against DawnTracker's $2.99. NOAA Tide Chart & Tables also leads on ratings volume (92 vs 1) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). DawnTracker's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.0) and in-app purchases (none vs 5). On update cadence 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

NOAA Tide Chart & Tables is free to download; DawnTracker costs $2.99 up front. NOAA Tide Chart & Tables sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. DawnTracker asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

DawnTracker holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NOAA Tide Chart & Tables has 92 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NOAA Tide Chart & Tables ships an update weekly, DawnTracker every 3 days. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
NOAA Tide Chart & Tables versus DawnTracker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNOAA Tide Chart & TablesDawnTracker
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating4.0 (92 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews36.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings92 — better1
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 3 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size186 MB3 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperNextStack LLCInes Opifanti

Customer experience

NOAA Tide Chart & Tables

All ratings92 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral4.3%
Negative20.7%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive36.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative63.6%

DawnTracker

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

5 purchases

NOAA Tide Chart & Tables

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly$2.997 Days
  • Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Yearly7 Days trial$24.991 Year
One-time2
  • Remove Ads$0.99
  • Lifetime Access$149.00
None

DawnTracker

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is NOAA Tide Chart & Tables free?
NOAA Tide Chart & Tables is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is DawnTracker free?
DawnTracker costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, NOAA Tide Chart & Tables or DawnTracker?
DawnTracker is rated higher. NOAA Tide Chart & Tables averages 4.0 out of 5 from 92 ratings, while DawnTracker averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do NOAA Tide Chart & Tables or DawnTracker have ads?
NOAA Tide Chart & Tables shows ads; DawnTracker does not.
Which is updated more often, NOAA Tide Chart & Tables or DawnTracker?
NOAA Tide Chart & Tables ships an update weekly, and DawnTracker every 3 days. Most recently, NOAA Tide Chart & Tables was updated on October 29, 2026 and DawnTracker on October 29, 2026.

Other comparisons