# TideApp vs Ocean Watch

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Ocean Watch at none against TideApp's 2. Ocean Watch also leads on review sentiment (73% vs 40%) and ratings volume (2.5K vs 8). TideApp's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 8 months) and chart position (#199 vs unranked). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. TideApp sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Ocean Watch asks for nothing beyond the download.

Ocean Watch holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ocean Watch has 2.5K ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of TideApp's written reviews are positive against 73% of Ocean Watch's.

TideApp ships an update every 2 weeks, Ocean Watch every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | TideApp | Ocean Watch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tideapp/id288399415/reviews) | **[4.8 (2.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ocean-watch/id865207409/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 8 | **2.5K** |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews | **73.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 8 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#199** | — |
| Size | 49 MB | 281 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Forrest Grant](https://appshunter.io/developer/6804692355) | [Blue Bright Labs LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/865207412) |

## What reviewers say

### TideApp

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

**Currently charting:** #199 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


### Ocean Watch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ocean-watch/id865207409)

Access tide predictions for over 3,300 stations across the US and Caribbean. Visualize tide data with stunning graphics and an interactive almanac. Plan your activities with offline access to predictions and custom notes.

**Highlights:** 3,300+ tide stations, Stunning graphics and visualizations, Offline tide predictions, Interactive almanac, Integrated station map, Custom notes and images

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Accurate tide information
- 🌟 Excellent app design and user experience
- ⏱️ Quick and responsive
- 🔍 Useful for planning beach activities
- 🗺️ Supports multiple locations

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 🔍 Limited coverage for some areas (e.g., Canada)
- 🔍 Inconsistent performance on Apple Watch
- 🔍 Complications not always accurate or up-to-date
- 🔍 Difficulty setting favorites or customizing the app

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when trying to open tide station details
- Tide data sometimes stuck on wrong location
- Apple Watch app not syncing or updating correctly
- Issues with the app's widget not displaying accurate information

**Requested features**

- Add water temperature and wind speed data
- Improve Apple Watch complication to show more detailed tide information
- Expand coverage to more locations, especially in Canada and other countries
- Add ability to set tide alerts or notifications
- Improve stability and reliability to reduce crashes


## Frequently asked questions

### Is TideApp free?

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

### Is Ocean Watch free?

Ocean Watch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, TideApp or Ocean Watch?

Ocean Watch is rated higher. TideApp averages 4.5 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Ocean Watch averages 4.8 from 2.5K ratings.

### Do TideApp or Ocean Watch have ads?

Neither TideApp nor Ocean Watch shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, TideApp or Ocean Watch?

TideApp ships an update every 2 weeks, and Ocean Watch every 8 months. Most recently, TideApp was updated on October 10, 2026 and Ocean Watch on October 11, 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.*