# Tide Graph vs Waterway Guide

The clearest difference is price: Waterway Guide at Free against Tide Graph's $1.99. Tide Graph's advantage is review sentiment (70% vs 51%) and device support (5 vs 2). On rating, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

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.

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.

Tide Graph ships an update every 6 weeks, Waterway Guide every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 15, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Tide Graph | Waterway Guide |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tide-graph/id288420737/reviews)** | [4.7 (2.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/waterway-guide/id1551794976/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1.6K | **2.9K** |
| Positive reviews | **69.6% of reviews** | 51.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#48** | #200 |
| Size | 30 MB | 51 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Brainware LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/288420740) | [Waterway Guide](https://appshunter.io/developer/958617198) |

## What reviewers say

### Tide Graph

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tide-graph/id288420737)

**Currently charting:** #48 Top Paid · Navigation (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2015 Tides and Currents | $0.99 | one-time |
| 2016 Tides and Currents | $0.99 | one-time |
| 2017 Tides and Currents | $0.99 | one-time |
| 2018 Tides and Currents | $0.99 | one-time |
| 2019 Tides and Currents | $0.99 | one-time |
| 2020 Tides and Currents | $0.99 | one-time |
| 2021 Tides and Currents | $0.99 | one-time |
| 2022 Tides and Currents | $0.99 | one-time |
| 2023 Tides and Currents | $0.99 | one-time |
| 2024 Tides and Currents | $0.99 | one-time |
| 2026 Tides and Currents | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🌐 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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/waterway-guide/id1551794976)

**Currently charting:** #200 Top Grossing · Navigation (US App Store)

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:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (43)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Chesapeake Bay Ch.3 | $4.99 | per year |
| Atlantic ICW Ch.2 | $4.99 | per year |
| Atlantic ICW Ch.6 | $4.99 | per year |
| Southern Ch.6 | $4.99 | per year |
| Southern Bridges & Locks | $4.99 | per year |
| Bahamas Cruising Guide | $4.99 | per year |
| Florida Keys Ch.3 | $4.99 | per year |
| Gulf IWW Ch.4 | $4.99 | per year |
| Atlantic ICW Ch.10 | $4.99 | per year |
| Gulf IWW Ch.1 | $4.99 | per year |
| Western Gulf Coast Ch.4 | $4.99 | per year |
| Atlantic ICW Ch.4 | $4.99 | per year |
| Southern Ch.4 | $4.99 | per year |
| Western Gulf Coast Ch.3 | $4.99 | per year |
| Atlantic ICW East Coast Inlets | $4.99 | per year |
| Northern Ch.12 | $4.99 | per year |
| Great Lakes Vol.2 Ch.7 | $4.99 | per year |
| Northern Ch.11 | $4.99 | per year |
| Great Lakes Vol.1 Ch.7 | $4.99 | per year |
| Atlantic ICW Ch.9 | $4.99 | per year |
| Great Lakes Vol.1 Ch.2 | $4.99 | per year |
| Northern Ch.1 | $14.99 | per year |
| Great Lakes Vol.2 Ch.8 | $14.99 | per year |
| Great Lakes Vol.2 Ch.6 | $14.99 | per year |
| Southern Ch.13 | $14.99 | per year |
| Southern Ch.10 | $14.99 | per year |
| Southern Ch.12 | $14.99 | per year |
| Southern Ch.3 | $14.99 | per year |
| Southern Ch.11 | $14.99 | per year |
| Anchorages Along the ICW | $20.99 | per year |
| Bahamas Bound | $20.99 | per year |
| ICW Cruising Guide by Bob423 | $29.99 | per year |
| Northern Edition | $49.99 | per year |
| 1st Ed. Bahamas Land and Sea | $49.99 | per year |
| Chesapeake Bay Edition | $54.99 | per year |
| Atlantic ICW Edition | $54.99 | per year |
| Southern Edition | $54.99 | per year |
| Bahamas Edition | $54.99 | per year |
| Western Gulf Coast Edition | $54.99 | per year |
| Florida Keys Edition | $54.99 | per year |
| Great Lakes Volume 1 Edition | $54.99 | per year |
| Great Lakes Volume 2 Edition | $54.99 | per year |
| Cuba Edition | $59.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- Provide vertical bridge clearances
- Improve offline functionality
- Enhance search and filtering options
- Implement dark mode


## Frequently asked 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 3 weeks. Most recently, Tide Graph was updated on October 15, 2026 and Waterway Guide on October 15, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Tide Graph or Waterway Guide?

Tide Graph currently peaks at #48 in the App Store charts, and Waterway Guide at #200. 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.*