Comparison

BayCurrents vs Tides and Currents

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

Head to head
About

BayCurrents

Visualize high-resolution surface currents in the San Francisco Bay. This app supports various maritime activities with data up to 48 hours in the future. It operates autonomously offline, using NOAA model data enhanced by radar and tidal observations.

Highlights
  • High-resolution surface current maps
  • 48-hour future forecasting
  • Offline autonomous operation
  • NOAA numerical model data
  • Supports recreational and professional maritime activities
Features
Read full description

BayCurrents is a mobile app for displaying maps of high resolution surface currents within the San Francisco Bay. The app is intended to support a wide range of maritime activities, from recreational fishing and sailing to the operation of professional transport vessels. The source for the surface current data is a numerical model operated by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The model benefits from oceanographic high-frequency radar (HFR) measurements from the Central & Northern California Ocean Observing System (CeNCOOS) HFR Network, along with other observations such as tides and wind. The resulting dataset contains current vector fields for hourly timestamps ranging from the recent past, to the present and up to 48 hours into the future. The complete vector dataset is downloaded by the app to allow autonomous offline operation. This app contains experimental data and is NOT for navigational purposes.

About

Tides and Currents

This app provides offline tidal and current predictions for the USA using harmonic analysis. It offers detailed data for numerous stations, including sunrise, sunset, and moon phases. A pro version unlocks advanced features like unlimited date access and a 7-day map forecast.

Highlights
  • Offline tidal and current data
  • 1343+ tide stations
  • 849+ current stations
  • Sunrise, sunset, moon phase data
  • Tide map forecast
  • Pro features: unlimited dates, calendar selection, widgets
Features
Read full description

Tides and Currents provide 1343 harmonic tide stations,2199 subordinate tide stations and 849 harmonic current stations, 1707 subordinate current stations of USA. This app predicts tides and currents by using harmonic analysis calculations with Harmonic Constituents which can be get from NOAA website. So the APP can provide tide and current data without network。 Since calculations are performed locally on the device, tide and current data can be viewed for any date. In addition, the APP also provides sunrise,sunset, moonrise , moonset, dusk,dawn, moon phase of every day. In addition, the app provide tide map forecast. Disclaimer: The App loads astronomical tide level and tidal current data, which does not include changes in water levels and residual currents caused by meteorological or other factors. Under special circumstances, the impact of hurricanes, cold waves, floods and other factors should also be considered. Do not use Tides and Currents for navigation purpose or any other purpose that may result in personal injury or property damage. 【Pro】 1.No limit date for tides and currents 2.Select date directly with calendar 3. Month table for tides and currents 4.Unlock widget 5. Map forecast for 7 days. Purchase Notes: 1. The account will be automatically renewed and deducted the corresponding fee 1 day before the expiration. 2. If you need to cancel the renewal, please cancel in your personal iTunes account at least 1 day in advance. 3. After purchase, users can manage or turn off automatic renewal in personal account settings. Terms of Services : https://www.astronomyobserver.net/h5/tidesandcurrents/user Privacy policy: https://www.astronomyobserver.net/h5/tidesandcurrents/privacy

Screenshots

BayCurrents4 screens
Tides and Currents4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: BayCurrents at 5.0 against Tides and Currents's 4.2. BayCurrents also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3). Tides and Currents's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 10 months) and ratings volume (28 vs 5). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Tides and Currents sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. BayCurrents asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

BayCurrents holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Tides and Currents has 28 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BayCurrents ships an update every 10 months, Tides and Currents every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
BayCurrents versus Tides and Currents: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBayCurrentsTides and Currents
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (5 ratings) — better4.2 (28 ratings)
Positive reviews—20.0% of reviews
Number of ratings528 — better
Update frequencyEvery 10 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS1717.0
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMonterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute雪平 王

Customer experience

BayCurrents

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Tides and Currents

All ratings28 ratings
Positive85.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.3%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive20.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative80.0%

In-app purchases

None

BayCurrents

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Tides and Currents

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly pro$2.991 Month
  • Annual pro$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Pro$49.99

Questions

Is BayCurrents free?
BayCurrents is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Tides and Currents free?
Tides and Currents is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, BayCurrents or Tides and Currents?
BayCurrents is rated higher. BayCurrents averages 5.0 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Tides and Currents averages 4.2 from 28 ratings.
Do BayCurrents or Tides and Currents have ads?
Neither BayCurrents nor Tides and Currents shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BayCurrents or Tides and Currents?
BayCurrents ships an update every 10 months, and Tides and Currents every 2 months. Most recently, BayCurrents was updated on November 3, 2026 and Tides and Currents on November 7, 2026.

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