LuckGrib vs Actual Currents
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
LuckGrib
This app provides advanced weather data visualization, downloading, and routing for sailors and weather enthusiasts. It offers access to a wide range of global and high-resolution weather and ocean models, with features for optimizing routes and analyzing complex weather parameters. Remote access via satellite is also supported.
- GRIB file reader, viewer, and downloader
- Advanced weather routing and route analysis
- Satellite data access
- High-resolution global and regional weather models
- Ocean current models
- Detailed weather parameter analysis
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LuckGrib is a fully featured, easy to use, fast GRIB reader, viewer, downloader and weather router. Remote access to weather data via satellite. Advanced weather routing capabilities, for sailors, is available. Weather forecast data, packaged as GRIB files, can be downloaded directly from the LuckGrib server cluster. Downloads are available via: a direct high speed internet connection, or through the Iridium GO! as well as through the RedPort Optimizer. For sailors, LuckGrib offers a best-in-class, complete solution: industry leading visualization and ease of use, highly optimized weather data downloads via satellite, along with industry leading optimized weather routing and route analysis. Inshore sailors may not require satellite downloads, but will benefit from the rest of the system. LuckGrib is unique among apps that were originally designed for sailors, in that the weather analysis tools are powerful enough to attract attention from meteorologitsts. For sailors, meteorologists, and all weather enthusiasts, LuckGrib offers access to a wide range of high resolutions models, a number of global models, weather data at the surface, 850mb, 500mb and 250mb levels, parameters ranging from simple things such as wind, pressure and temperature, to more advanced quantities such as simulated radar, standard deviations, precipitable water, lightning, vertical vorticity, helicity and more. LuckGrib is a thoroughly modern and advanced GRIB viewer. LuckGrib provides access to many weather and ocean models, including global models such as GFS and ECMWF along with many high resolution models, which vary according to the region you are interested in. In the USA, there is the HRRR, NAM, NBM and many others. In Europe there is Icon-EU, Arpège, Arome, the Danish DINI and others. There are several ocean current models, such as the global RTOFS and Mercator Ocean, along with regional higher resolution models such as OFS, NCOM, CMEMS and others. The LuckGrib weather routing system is an industry leading, high quality, robust, high performance and comprehensive system. The LuckGrib isochronal Weather Routing solver has many unique features, such as being able to respect constraints (points that must be left to port or starboard,) deal with routes which require you to heave-to, outstanding visualization and interactivity features, and much more. LuckGrib comes with a 14 day free trial, or free access to reduced resolution downloads (LuckGrib Lite) for users who do not require access to the most accurate data. If you are interested in studying weather and gaining access to detailed weather forecasts, download the app and give it a try. Downloading data via satellite requires the Offshore Data in-app purchase. Access to the isochronal weather routing system requires an in-app purchase. Note that LuckGrib does not use a subscription pricing model - after the free trial, when you decide to purchase the app, there will be a one time charge, not an ongoing subscription. For more details, please visit the support website. * for details on the offshore data system: https://offshore.luckgrib.com * for details on weather routing: https://routing.luckgrib.com * for details on weather models: https://luckgrib.com/models * the privacy policy: https://luckgrib.com/privacy * terms of use: https://luckgrib.com/terms-of-use * end user license agreement: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Actual Currents
Visualize real-time tidal currents with animated particles and a detailed heatmap on an interactive nautical map. Plan your trips with confidence by scrubbing through time to see how currents change throughout the day, with options for global ocean currents and wind overlays.
- Animated tidal current visualization
- Real-time wind overlay
- Interactive nautical map
- Time scrubber for predictions
- Route planning with current analysis
- Global ocean currents view
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Actual Currents brings tidal currents to life with real-time animated particle visualization on a nautical-grade interactive map. See the actual flow of water in your area — not just tide times, but the speed and direction of tidal currents rendered as thousands of flowing particles over a detailed heatmap. Plan your trip with confidence by scrubbing through time to see how currents change throughout the day. FEATURES • Animated tidal current visualization with speed-colored particles and GPU-accelerated heatmap • Time scrubber — view current predictions for any time, past or future • Globe view with global ocean currents when zoomed out • Real-time wind overlay with global weather data • ENC nautical chart data with navigation aids, depth soundings, and depth contours • Satellite, bathymetry, and nautical basemap options • Route planning with current-aware analysis • Trip logging with GPS drift tracking • Location search to jump to any harbor or waterway COVERAGE • US Atlantic coast — Maine to Florida • US Pacific coast — Washington to California • Gulf of Mexico • Global ocean surface currents BUILT FOR BOATERS Whether you're sailing, fishing, kayaking, or navigating commercially, understanding tidal currents is critical for safety and efficiency. Actual Currents gives you an intuitive, visual understanding of water movement that tide tables alone can't provide. SUBSCRIPTION TIERS • Basic (free) — Real-time currents within ±3 hours of now • Pro ($4.99/mo) — Full historical and forecast access • Unlimited ($39.99/yr) — Full historical and forecast access with 7-day free trial Terms of Use: https://www.actualcurrents.com/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://www.actualcurrents.com/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: LuckGrib at 93% against Actual Currents's 60%. LuckGrib also leads on ratings volume (338 vs 20) and rating (4.9 vs 4.7). Actual Currents's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. LuckGrib sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Actual Currents sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
LuckGrib holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LuckGrib has 338 ratings behind it against 20, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 93% of LuckGrib's written reviews are positive against 60% of Actual Currents's.
LuckGrib ships an update every 2 months, Actual Currents fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | LuckGrib | Actual Currents |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (338 ratings) — better | 4.7 (20 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 92.7% of reviews — better | 60.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 338 — better | 20 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #154 | #148 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.4 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 173 MB | 22 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Craig McPheeters | Luka Catipovic |
Customer experience
LuckGrib
Actual Currents
Bugs and requests
LuckGrib
Reported bugs
2 issues- Reported issues with 'no wind data for start time'
- Occasional app crashes or freezes
Requested features
3 requests- Integration with boat instruments and data logging
- More advanced routing options and customization
- Improved support for regional weather models
Actual Currents
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
LuckGrib
- 14-day TrialFree
- 14 day trial of Offshore DataFree
- 14 day Weather Routing trialFree
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- LuckGrib weather data access$29.99
- Premium Offshore Data access$59.99
- Weather Routing access$59.99
Actual Currents
- Pro monthly$2.991 Month
- Unlimited monthly$4.991 Month
- Unlimited Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year
Questions
Is LuckGrib free?
Is Actual Currents free?
Which has better reviews, LuckGrib or Actual Currents?
Do LuckGrib or Actual Currents have ads?
Which is updated more often, LuckGrib or Actual Currents?
Which is more popular, LuckGrib or Actual Currents?
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