Comparison

Tide Graph vs Waterway Guide

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

Head to head
About

Tide Graph

This app provides interactive tide graphs with over 10 billion predictions for US coastal stations. It also displays sunrise, sunset, moonrise, moonset, and moon phases. Save locations and graphs for easy access.

Highlights
  • Interactive tide graphs
  • Sunrise, sunset, moonrise, moonset tracking
  • Moon phase display
  • Save recent locations
  • GPS location finder
  • Save graphs for later
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

- Provided over 10 billion predictions - Supports iOS 11+, Watch OS 4.3+, iPhone 7+ Tide Graph uses the harmonic predictions from thousands of US coastal stations and presents them in a fun and interactive graph. And now, in version 2.0 you also get an intuitive graph that shows sunrise, sunset, moonrise, moonset, and moon phase at a glance. Save recent locations, find locations using GPS location, and save graphs for later. Tides have a great influence on the lives of boaters, fishermen, surfers, coastal communities, marine life, and vacationers just to name a few. Directly or indirectly, the great flow of our massive ocean bodies of water impact the daily lives of everyone on this planet. The cyclical movement of the Earth's tides are caused by a combination of the gravitational forces of the sun and moon as well as the shape of the costal region. Unlike simple tide clocks that you can buy in novelty stores, more accurate tide predictions use special data gathered by instruments located at each tide station. The data from these measurements are used to determine the harmonic components which then feed into the mathematical algorithms which predict tides for the future. The end results are tested for accuracy and adjustments are made as necessary. Tide Graph has US owned Tide Stations Only. An internet connection is required to get the latest tide graph. - See TideGraph.com for a complete list of stations.

About

Waterway Guide

This app provides a comprehensive boating resource with a verified database of marinas, anchorages, and navigation alerts. Users can access real-time hazard information, plan trips with a digital handbook, and utilize detailed content optimized for mobile devices. Engage with a community of boaters through comments and reviews.

Highlights
  • Verified points of interest database
  • Real-time navigation alerts
  • Community comments and reviews
  • Skipper's Handbook for trip planning
  • Offline content access
  • Marina filtering by amenities
Features
Read full description

Optimized for your mobile devices with Waterway Guide's detailed and verified points of interest database. Includes over 1.3 million data points on marinas, anchorages, navigation alerts, free docks, bridges and locks displayed on the embedded map or satellite view. Benefit from the experience of 75 years of publishing and hundreds of thousands of active boaters through verified comments and reviews. Share your comments, add points of interest, earn rewards and engage with others from within the app. Stay informed with the latest hazards to navigation reported real time from USCG, government agencies, local experts and boaters everywhere. Plan your time on the water with Waterway Guide's Skipper's Handbook, which is included with the free app download. Access Waterway Guide's library of books as individual chapters or entire guides for the information and details you need for navigation. Content is optimized for mobile devices and can be bookmarked for availability offline. Easily find marinas that fit your needs. Filter our entire database of marinas based on amenities and your preferences. Same functionality as Waterway Guide’s Marinas App. EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Tide Graph4 screens
Waterway Guide4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Waterway Guide at Free against Tide Graph's $1.99. Waterway Guide also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 weeks). Tide Graph's advantage is review sentiment (70% vs 51%) and chart position (#32 vs #191). On rating, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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

Waterway Guide is free to download; Tide Graph costs $1.99 up front. Tide Graph sells 11 one-off in-app purchases and Waterway Guide sells 43 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Tide Graph against 4.7 for Waterway Guide. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.6K and 2.9K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 70% of Tide Graph's written reviews are positive against 51% of Waterway Guide's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Tide Graph ships an update every 6 weeks, Waterway Guide every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on September 30, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Tide Graph versus Waterway Guide: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTide GraphWaterway Guide
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (1.6K ratings) — better4.7 (2.9K ratings)
Positive reviews70.3% of reviews — better51.2% of reviews
Number of ratings1.6K2.9K — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#32 — better#191
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS11.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size29 MB39 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBrainware LLCWaterway Guide

Customer experience

Tide Graph

All ratings1,552 ratings
Positive95.4%
Neutral2.1%
Negative2.6%
Written reviews91 reviews
Positive70.3%
Neutral8.8%
Negative20.9%

Waterway Guide

All ratings2,897 ratings
Positive94.1%
Neutral2.4%
Negative3.5%
Written reviews41 reviews
Positive51.2%
Neutral14.6%
Negative34.1%

User reviews

Tide Graph

From 1.6K App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⭐ Accurate tide data
  • 📊 Excellent visual representation of tides
  • 🗓️ Detailed tide information including moon phases
  • 🔍 Reliable for many locations
  • 💰 Good value for the price

Room to improve

  • 🌐 Requires internet connection to function
  • 🗺️ Limited to US and Alaska locations only
  • 🔍 Difficult to find desired location
  • 🕰️ Slow loading times in some cases
  • 🔧 Compatibility issues with newer devices

Waterway Guide

From 2.9K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent integration with Aqua Map
  • 👍 Useful resource for boating
  • 👍 Great information and details
  • 👍 Easy to use and navigate
  • 👍 Invaluable for planning trips

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
  • 🐛 Inconsistent and unreliable
  • 🐛 Difficult to navigate and use
  • 🐛 Outdated information and images
  • 🐛 Subscription and access issues

Bugs and requests

Tide Graph

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Tide data inaccuracies reported in some locations
  • Crashes and freezes when switching between stations
  • Date/time display issues in certain cases

Requested features

5 requests
  • Offline mode for tide data
  • Ability to save favorite locations
  • Larger tide graph for better visibility
  • Option to switch between metric and imperial units
  • Automatic updates to latest tide information

Waterway Guide

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App not working with latest iOS version
  • Subscription purchases not working properly
  • Unable to access purchased content
  • Frequent crashes and errors

Requested features

4 requests
  • Provide vertical bridge clearances
  • Improve offline functionality
  • Enhance search and filtering options
  • Implement dark mode

In-app purchases

11 purchases

Tide Graph

One-time11
  • 2015 Tides and Currents$0.99
  • 2016 Tides and Currents$0.99
  • 2017 Tides and Currents$0.99
Show 8 more
  • 2018 Tides and Currents$0.99
  • 2019 Tides and Currents$0.99
  • 2020 Tides and Currents$0.99
  • 2021 Tides and Currents$0.99
  • 2022 Tides and Currents$0.99
  • 2023 Tides and Currents$0.99
  • 2024 Tides and Currents$0.99
  • 2026 Tides and Currents$0.99
43 purchases

Waterway Guide

Subscriptions43
  • Chesapeake Bay Ch.3$4.991 Year
  • Atlantic ICW Ch.2$4.991 Year
  • Atlantic ICW Ch.6$4.991 Year
Show 40 more
  • Southern Ch.6$4.991 Year
  • Southern Bridges & Locks$4.991 Year
  • Bahamas Cruising Guide$4.991 Year
  • Florida Keys Ch.3$4.991 Year
  • Gulf IWW Ch.4$4.991 Year
  • Atlantic ICW Ch.10$4.991 Year
  • Gulf IWW Ch.1$4.991 Year
  • Western Gulf Coast Ch.4$4.991 Year
  • Atlantic ICW Ch.4$4.991 Year
  • Southern Ch.4$4.991 Year
  • Western Gulf Coast Ch.3$4.991 Year
  • Atlantic ICW East Coast Inlets$4.991 Year
  • Northern Ch.12$4.991 Year
  • Great Lakes Vol.2 Ch.7$4.991 Year
  • Northern Ch.11$4.991 Year
  • Great Lakes Vol.1 Ch.7$4.991 Year
  • Atlantic ICW Ch.9$4.991 Year
  • Great Lakes Vol.1 Ch.2$4.991 Year
  • Northern Ch.1$14.991 Year
  • Great Lakes Vol.2 Ch.8$14.991 Year
  • Great Lakes Vol.2 Ch.6$14.991 Year
  • Southern Ch.13$14.991 Year
  • Southern Ch.10$14.991 Year
  • Southern Ch.12$14.991 Year
  • Southern Ch.3$14.991 Year
  • Southern Ch.11$14.991 Year
  • Anchorages Along the ICW$20.991 Year
  • Bahamas Bound$20.991 Year
  • ICW Cruising Guide by Bob423$29.991 Year
  • Northern Edition$49.991 Year
  • 1st Ed. Bahamas Land and Sea$49.991 Year
  • Chesapeake Bay Edition$54.991 Year
  • Atlantic ICW Edition$54.991 Year
  • Southern Edition$54.991 Year
  • Bahamas Edition$54.991 Year
  • Western Gulf Coast Edition$54.991 Year
  • Florida Keys Edition$54.991 Year
  • Great Lakes Volume 1 Edition$54.991 Year
  • Great Lakes Volume 2 Edition$54.991 Year
  • Cuba Edition$59.991 Year

Questions

Is Tide Graph free?
Tide Graph costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Waterway Guide free?
Waterway Guide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Tide Graph or Waterway Guide?
Tide Graph is rated higher. Tide Graph averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while Waterway Guide averages 4.7 from 2.9K ratings.
Do Tide Graph or Waterway Guide have ads?
Neither Tide Graph nor Waterway Guide shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Tide Graph or Waterway Guide?
Tide Graph ships an update every 6 weeks, and Waterway Guide every 2 weeks. Most recently, Tide Graph was updated on September 30, 2026 and Waterway Guide on September 30, 2026.
Which is more popular, Tide Graph or Waterway Guide?
Tide Graph currently peaks at #32 in the App Store charts, and Waterway Guide at #191. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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