# TideApp vs Tide Guide

The clearest difference is monetization model: TideApp at free against Tide Guide's freemium. TideApp also leads on iOS requirement (16.4 vs 26.0). Tide Guide's advantage is ratings volume (10K vs 21) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. TideApp sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Tide Guide sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for TideApp against 4.7 for Tide Guide. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Tide Guide has 10K ratings behind it against 21, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 40% of TideApp's written reviews are positive against 55% of Tide Guide's.

TideApp ships an update every 2 weeks, Tide Guide every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | TideApp | Tide Guide |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (21 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tideapp/id288399415/reviews) | **[4.7 (10K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tide-guide-charts-and-tables/id1406371071/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 21 | **10K** |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews | **54.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | #195 | **#45** |
| Size | 49 MB | 275 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Forrest Grant](https://appshunter.io/developer/6804692355) | [Condor Digital](https://appshunter.io/developer/1202294150) |

## What reviewers say

### TideApp

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tideapp/id288399415)

**Currently charting:** #195 Top Grossing · Weather (US App Store)

Access real-time tidal charts and data for over 4,000 locations globally. Plan trips with future tide information and view daily highs, lows, and sun/moon cycles.

**Highlights:** Global tidal charts, Daily tide highs and lows, Sun and moon cycles, Future tide graphs, Trip planning tool, Updated interface

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| TideApp Pro Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| TideApp Pro Annual | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Used to be great
- 👍 Phenomenal for timing slack tides
- 👍 Useful for planning activities
- 👍 Good free app
- 👍 Comprehensive location listings

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😞 App is dead
- 😞 Stopped working
- 😞 Startup ad issues
- 😞 Now terrible
- 😞 Full screen ads

**Reported bugs**

- Startup ad forces browser launch
- Cannot get past opening ad
- Full screen ads that can't be closed
- Ads fill entire screen
- Full screen adds one after the other

**Requested features**

- Make a version I can buy and go ad free
- Bring back scrolling through chart waveform
- Bring back future date chart view
- Bring back ability to scroll waveform
- Add tide time offset feature


### Tide Guide

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tide-guide-charts-and-tables/id1406371071)

**Currently charting:** #45 Top Grossing · Weather, #71 Top Free · Weather (US App Store)

Access detailed tide and marine weather forecasts worldwide. Visualize conditions with beautiful charts and customize your experience with widgets and Live Activities. Plan your next outdoor adventure with confidence.

**Highlights:** Worldwide tide and marine weather data, Full-screen dynamic charts, Monthly and yearly tide tables, Home and Lock Screen widgets, Live Activities for current conditions, Siri and Shortcuts integration, Lunar phase calendar

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tide Guide Pro (1 Month) | $3.99 | per month |
| Tide Guide Pro (1 Month) | $3.99 | per month |
| Tide Guide Pro | $4.99 | per month |
| Tide Guide Pro (1 Month) | $4.99 | per month |
| Tide Guide Pro (12 Months) | $19.99 | per year |
| Tide Guide Pro (12 Months) | $19.99 | per year |
| Tide Guide Pro (12 Months) | $29.99 | per year |
| Tide Guide Pro (12 Months) | $29.99 | per year |
| Tide Guide Pro | $40.00 | per year |
| Tide Guide Pro (Lifetime) | $150.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate data
- 👍 Informative and varied data presentations
- 👍 Intuitive UI
- 👍 Integration with Apple Watch
- 👍 Beautiful UI and design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent freezing or crashing
- 🐛 Widgets and complications not always reliable or synced
- 🐛 Slow loading times and refresh rates
- 🐛 Incompatibility issues with certain locations (e.g. Canada, Australia)
- 💰 Expensive subscription or lifetime pricing

**Reported bugs**

- Keyboard not appearing in location search
- Tide data inaccuracies compared to other sources
- Widgets and complications disappearing or not updating
- App crashing when switching between locations or opening certain features

**Requested features**

- Ability to view more than a few days at a time
- Display of current and historical tide heights
- Integration of swell height and direction data
- Offsets for tide times and heights
- Map view for selecting locations


## Frequently asked questions

### Is TideApp free?

TideApp is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Tide Guide free?

Tide Guide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, TideApp or Tide Guide?

Tide Guide is rated higher. TideApp averages 4.7 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while Tide Guide averages 4.7 from 10K ratings.

### Do TideApp or Tide Guide have ads?

Neither TideApp nor Tide Guide shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, TideApp or Tide Guide?

TideApp ships an update every 2 weeks, and Tide Guide every 3 days. Most recently, TideApp was updated on October 31, 2026 and Tide Guide on November 7, 2026.

### Which is more popular, TideApp or Tide Guide?

TideApp currently peaks at #195 in the App Store charts, and Tide Guide at #45. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*