Comparison

SurfTideWatch (Tide graph) vs DriftCrew

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

Head to head
About

SurfTideWatch (Tide graph)

Visualize tide graphs and astronomical events for marine sports. Select from thousands of global tide points and synchronize data to your Apple Watch. Customize place names and utilize complications for quick access to tide information.

Highlights
  • Tide graph visualization
  • Global tide point selection (10,000+)
  • Synchronization with Apple Watch
  • Customizable place names
  • Astronomical event display (sunrise, sunset)
  • Apple Watch complications support
Features
Read full description

"SurfTideWatch" is an app that show a tide graph on Apple Watch. It can be able to select the places to use from about 10,000 tide points around the world on iPhone and synchronize with Apple Watch. You can select from the map a tide place. Also you can change the place name to make it easier to understand. It can store up to 5 places on Apple Watch. It can be saved is for 2 weeks of tide data, but it can be updated from your iPhone at any time. It can be shown graphically and you can check astronomical events such as sunrise, sunset, high tide, low tide and more infomation. It also supports watch's complications. Some complications can display the next tide event information. The following is a simple method for creating tide data on your iPhone. For details, check to "Help & Support" from "Settings" in the app. ----- 1, Tap the "+" button at the bottom right of the main screen 2, Select which area tide places will be shown on the map You can choose from the following 7 areas. - U.S. Upper East Coast (Maine through Virginia) - U.S. Lower East Coast (North Carolina through Florida Keys) - U.S. Gulf Coast (East to West) - U.S. West Coast (North to South) - Northern sites outside contiguous U.S. (except Japan) - Southern sites outside contiguous U.S. - Japan and nearby sites When the selection is over, it will be the map screen It takes some time to process the first time. 3, Tap the map pin shown on the map and select the place to register Places that are close together are clustered. Clustering is released when you zoom the map. You can select multiple places. 4, Tap the "+" navigation button at the top right of the map screen and to return to the main screen 5, Tap "Update All" on the right side of the screen to get tide data This takes a little time. The operation up to this point , the preparation of tide data is complete. Finally, send the tide data to your Apple Watch. If Apple Watch is connected to iPhone, tap "≪" at the top center of the screen to synchronize. If it is not connected, tap "Save to iCloud". In this case, Apple Watch will automatically sync when it comes online. ----- Note: This app is an app for showing a tide information on Apple Watch. It cannot show tide data on the iPhone alone. This app can be used for marine sports such as surfing and fishing, but please do not use it for nautical purposes. To use iCloud, you must be signed in to iCloud on your iPhone.

About

DriftCrew

Real-time adventure tracking for outdoor sports enthusiasts. See your crew's live GPS positions, track stats, and receive safety alerts. Share session highlights and media via web links.

Highlights
  • Real-time GPS tracking of crew members
  • Live position, speed, and distance tracking
  • Safety alerts for stops, range, and lost signal
  • Shore Team Mode for remote monitoring
  • Crew management and invitation system
  • Session history and stats review
  • Web sharing of sessions and media
Features
Read full description

DriftCrew is the real-time adventure tracker built for outdoor sport enthusiasts. Whether you're on a downwind run, mountain biking, or parawing session; always know where your crew is with a simple check of the app. REAL-TIME GPS TRACKING See every rider's live position on a shared map. Track speed, direction, and distance from crew members. We've recently incorporated Apple Watch for users to be able start and stop their sessions. Easily select which crew and then get started. Users continue to have easy Alert button access along with ability to see their active session stats on their Watch. SAFETY ALERTS THAT MATTER • Get notified if someone stops moving • Alerts when a rider drifts out of range of the planned route • Alert button sends your location to the entire crew • Lost signal detection — know immediately if someone drops off • Watch and phone will pulse SOS when you trigger an Alert for confirmation SHORE TEAM MODE Add friends or family as Shore Team members. They can monitor from anywhere — live tracks, alerts, and positions — from the comfort of their home. If a rider ends up needing help they can trigger an Alert or let our 24/7 automated monitoring notify them when riders go out of cell signal, have stopped for an extended period, or gone way off course on a planned route. CREW MANAGEMENT • Create crews from your contacts or invite them with a unique code • Start sessions with a planned route or without • Mutual friend verification for privacy SESSION TRACKING • Full GPS route history • Distance, altitude, time stats • Review past sessions   Share your sessions to the Web! • Take that once in a lifetime shot of a friend out on the water, or a 30 second video • Once the session is done, hit the Share button to create a unique web link and send to your friends (no membership required). • Shared tracks auto-expire after 30 days, includes no personal information - just your crew tracks from that session and your media. • Web viewer is completely free to use and allows replay of the sessions with auto-highlighting of your media on your tracks. Built by riders for our family and friends. We've tested this around the world - from Hawaii, Mauritius and the US. Where ever your adventure takes you, keep DriftCew ready to track your adventure! Perfect for: kiteboard sessions, kitesurf downwinders, wing foil runs, prone foil paddles, SUP tours, and any water sport where you ride with friends & family. App Subscriptions Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

SurfTideWatch (Tide graph)4 screens
DriftCrew4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: DriftCrew at 5.0 against SurfTideWatch (Tide graph)'s 3.6. DriftCrew also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 6 days vs every 3 weeks). SurfTideWatch (Tide graph)'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (13.2 vs 26.2). On price, ratings volume 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. DriftCrew sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. SurfTideWatch (Tide graph) asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

DriftCrew holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 3 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SurfTideWatch (Tide graph) ships an update every 3 weeks, DriftCrew every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
SurfTideWatch (Tide graph) versus DriftCrew: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSurfTideWatch (Tide graph)DriftCrew
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.6 (8 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews24.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings8 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 6 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS13.2 — better26.2
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB33 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMitsuhiro ShiraiMontana AI Solutions, LLC

Customer experience

SurfTideWatch (Tide graph)

All ratings8 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews41 reviews
Positive24.4%
Neutral12.2%
Negative63.4%

DriftCrew

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

SurfTideWatch (Tide graph)

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

DriftCrew

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly$6.991 Month
  • Monthly Family$12.991 Month
  • Yearly Family$49.991 Year

Questions

Is SurfTideWatch (Tide graph) free?
SurfTideWatch (Tide graph) is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is DriftCrew free?
DriftCrew is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SurfTideWatch (Tide graph) or DriftCrew?
DriftCrew is rated higher. SurfTideWatch (Tide graph) averages 3.6 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while DriftCrew averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do SurfTideWatch (Tide graph) or DriftCrew have ads?
SurfTideWatch (Tide graph) shows ads; DriftCrew does not.
Which is updated more often, SurfTideWatch (Tide graph) or DriftCrew?
SurfTideWatch (Tide graph) ships an update every 3 weeks, and DriftCrew every 6 days. Most recently, SurfTideWatch (Tide graph) was updated on October 3, 2026 and DriftCrew on October 6, 2026.

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