Comparison

NOAA CBIBS vs Tide Buoy

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

Head to head
About

NOAA CBIBS

Access real-time weather and water data collected by smart buoys in the Chesapeake Bay. This information supports the use and management of a healthy bay, improving safety, economy, and environmental protection.

Highlights
  • Real-time weather data
  • Real-time water data
  • Chesapeake Bay information
  • Supports bay management
  • Improves safety and environment
Features
Read full description

NOAA Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System (CBIBS) buoys collect and transmit real-time meteorological and oceanographic data. CBIBS buoys stationed up and down the Chesapeake Bay update information on air and water temperature, wind speed and direction, wave height, and more. The app also includes quick and easy links to NOAA marine forecasts and tide information. CBIBS, which is operated and maintained by the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office, supports the use and management of a healthy Chesapeake Bay by providing data and information needed to improve safety, enhance the economy, and protect the environment. Data are also available at www.buoybay.noaa.gov.

About

Tide Buoy

Quickly access tide charts, surf conditions, and marine weather for your current location. Designed for surfers, anglers, and boaters, it provides clear visual data for coastal activities.

Highlights
  • Clear tide charts
  • Nearby tide station data
  • Surf and marine conditions
  • Save favorite spots
  • Visual tide curve
  • Coastal water data
Features
Read full description

Tide Buoy makes it easy to check tide charts, surf conditions, marine weather, and coastal water data without digging through cluttered apps or confusing charts. Open the app and quickly see the tide curve, nearby tide station data, and ocean conditions for your current location, which matter most for your next surf session, fishing trip, beach day, or boat outing. Built for surfers, anglers, boaters, beachgoers, and coastal travelers, Tide Buoy gives you a fast, visual way to understand what the water is doing right now and what it is about to do next. With Tide Buoy you can: - View clear tide charts at a glance - Check nearby tide stations automatically - Track incoming and outgoing tide movement - Review surf, buoy, and marine conditions in one place - Save favorite coastal spots - Plan surf sessions, fishing windows, boating days, and beach trips faster - Use a simple, clean tide app built for speed Tide Buoy is designed for quick coastal decisions. Whether you are checking dawn patrol, planning a fishing run, timing a beach walk, or watching the tide before a boat outing, Tide Buoy helps you make better ocean decisions with less friction. Tide and buoy data is sourced from public NOAA services, including CO-OPS tide stations and NDBC buoy observations. Premium Subscription: - Tide Buoy Premium - 1-year auto-renewing subscription - Premium features include future tide lookahead, saved spots, map-based spot picking, and expanded surf and buoy views. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://tidebuoy.com/privacy

Screenshots

NOAA CBIBS4 screens
Tide Buoy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Tide Buoy at 100% against NOAA CBIBS's 46%. Tide Buoy also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and update cadence (weekly vs every 9 months). NOAA CBIBS's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). On price and iOS requirement 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

Both are free to download. Tide Buoy sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per year. NOAA CBIBS asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Tide Buoy holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 8 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 46% of NOAA CBIBS's written reviews are positive against 100% of Tide Buoy's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NOAA CBIBS ships an update every 9 months, Tide Buoy weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
NOAA CBIBS versus Tide Buoy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNOAA CBIBSTide Buoy
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (2 ratings)5.0 (8 ratings) — better
Positive reviews46.2% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings28 — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.518.5
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChesapeake ConservancyWILLIAM BRADFORD BOOTH

Customer experience

NOAA CBIBS

All ratings8 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews26 reviews
Positive46.2%
Neutral7.7%
Negative46.2%

Tide Buoy

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

NOAA CBIBS

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Tide Buoy

Subscriptions1
  • Tide Buoy Premium (Yearly)$2.991 Year
One-time3
  • Tide Buoy Support Tip $1$0.99
  • Tide Buoy Support Tip $5$4.99
  • Tide Buoy Support Tip $10$9.99

Questions

Is NOAA CBIBS free?
NOAA CBIBS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Tide Buoy free?
Tide Buoy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, NOAA CBIBS or Tide Buoy?
Tide Buoy is rated higher. NOAA CBIBS averages 4.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Tide Buoy averages 5.0 from 8 ratings.
Do NOAA CBIBS or Tide Buoy have ads?
Tide Buoy shows ads; NOAA CBIBS does not.
Which is updated more often, NOAA CBIBS or Tide Buoy?
NOAA CBIBS ships an update every 9 months, and Tide Buoy weekly. Most recently, NOAA CBIBS was updated on October 23, 2026 and Tide Buoy on October 24, 2026.

Other comparisons