# BayCurrents vs Tides and Currents

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | BayCurrents | Tides and Currents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/baycurrents/id1591997070/reviews)** | [4.2 (28 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tides-and-currents-usa/id6464309360/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **28** |
| Positive reviews | — | 20.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 10 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 3 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute](https://appshunter.io/developer/997448509) | [雪平 王](https://appshunter.io/developer/1045915049) |

## What reviewers say

### BayCurrents

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/baycurrents/id1591997070)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Tides and Currents

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tides-and-currents-usa/id6464309360)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly pro | $2.99 | per month |
| Annual pro | $19.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Pro | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*