Comparison

Boat Beacon vs Tide Graph Pro

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

Head to head
About

Boat Beacon

This marine navigation app provides real-time AIS data for collision avoidance and position sharing. It offers over-the-horizon warnings, background operation, and a user-friendly interface for boaters.

Highlights
  • Collision warnings with CPA calculations
  • Real-time AIS ship tracking
  • Background operation for continuous alerts
  • Position sharing with other users
  • Augmented Reality view (IAP)
  • Man Overboard and Anchor Watch alarms (IAP)
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Boat Beacon is an internet AIS receiver and transmitter for your iPhone and iPad. It is the only AIS ship tracking app to provide Collision Warnings, share your boat’s position & use real-time AIS data. Connected to the largest network of AIS shore receivers world-wide covering most major ports, harbours and popular coastal areas. “An outstanding app, with great potential. Both interesting to use and very user friendly. This could be a life saver and especially of interest to small boat users. Everyone who goes on the water should have this on and use it!” ***** Sun Dream, App Store Review Boat Beacon is designed for boaters & provides continuous Bearing, Range & Closest Point of Approach (CPA) calculations and alarms in addition to standard AIS information even when in the background. Boat Beacon does not require any external AIS transponder or receiver equipment. Key Features ------------ Over-the-horizon collision avoidance (30 miles radius) using continuous CPA calculations - highlights boats that are on a potential collision course and alerts you with an alarm. Continually transmits and receives position information via the internet and calculates and alarms CPA even when the app is in the background. Shares your position with Internet AIS Systems & apps & other Boat Beacon users in real time. Real time ship map view with North up & Heading up modes so you can look in the direction of the ships on the map to locate them. Nav display showing own boat's speed, course, heading and position. SART Alarm Man Overboard tracking, Anchor watch & Theft alarms (IAP). Apple Watch App included Siri voice commands Apple Critical Alerts support Export tracks Boat-to-Boat & Group Messaging. Local AIS & GPS via Wifi. Boat Beacon InApp Add-ons (IAP):- - LiveView - Augmented Reality view with ships, compass & horizon overlaid. Works with FLIROne IR cameras as well to see ships & people in the dark & fog - "AIS Sharing" to other apps like Navionics & iNavX - US, UK and IE Marine raster charts. - MOB and Anchor Watch. Let Friends and Family see where you are and where you're headed to with our free Boat Watch app or on web-based AIS systems like MarineTraffic which have free web viewers available. Arm all the crews in a race with Boat Beacon and have real time updates on the race positions on the water and back in the club house. Keep a watch and in touch with other boats in your flotilla when sailing in a group. Boat Beacon requires internet access to work. Most popular coastal areas have cellular data access extending 12 or more miles out to sea. Subscriptions The "AIS Sharing " subscription is monthly ($5.99) or yearly ($16.49), and will automatically renew at the end of the subscription period unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase, and will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. Subscriptions may be managed by the iTunes account holder and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to Account Settings after purchase. 
No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period. Terms of Use: http://seanav.net/termsofuse.php Privacy Policy: http://seanav.net/privacy.php Support: help@pocketmariner.com Your position can be shared and seen on all our apps without using an MMSI number. To be seen on Global AIS systems like MarineTraffic you need an MMSI number. In the US you can obtain one by visiting http://www.boatus.com/mmsi or email us for a free internet MMSI number. Please note that continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. NOT FOR NAVIGATION Boat Beacon should only be used for basic navigation reference and should not be solely relied upon to determine precise locations, proximity, distance, or direction. You will not be visible to other ships on VHF only AIS systems.

About

Tide Graph Pro

Access up-to-date and historical tide and water current predictions for over 9000 US locations offline. Visualize data with daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly graphs, and receive customizable alerts for high and low tides.

Highlights
  • Offline tide and water current predictions
  • Over 9000 US locations
  • Daily/Weekly/Monthly/Yearly tide graphs
  • High/Low tide alert notifications
  • Apple Watch integration
  • GPS/Map/Search tides
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Tide Graph Pro universal app provides over 9000 up to date and historical US tide and water current predictions without the need for an internet connection. The scrolling design and the optimized prediction engine was developed from the ground up based on formulas and data provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Additional Features of Pro version - Daily/Weekly/Monthly/Yearly tides graphs - Multiple Stations - High/Low tide Alert Notifications - Apple Watch Integration - Designed for iPad/iPhone and iPhoneX - Moon Chart - GPS/Map/Search Tides - Barometric Pressure calibration - Time offset calibration

Screenshots

Boat Beacon4 screens
Tide Graph Pro4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Tide Graph Pro at $5.99 against Boat Beacon's $14.99. Tide Graph Pro also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 6) and review sentiment (84% vs 61%). On ads, chart position, device support 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

Boat Beacon costs $14.99 and Tide Graph Pro $5.99 up front. Boat Beacon sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Tide Graph Pro asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Tide Graph Pro holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 868 and 3.6K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of Boat Beacon's written reviews are positive against 84% of Tide Graph Pro's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Boat Beacon ships an update every 2 months, Tide Graph Pro every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 17, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Boat Beacon versus Tide Graph Pro: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBoat BeaconTide Graph Pro
Price$14.99$5.99 — better
Rating4.6 (868 ratings)4.8 (3.6K ratings) — better
Positive reviews61.1% of reviews83.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings8683.6K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank#70 — better#99
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.614.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size152 MB34 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPocket Mariner Ltd.Brainware LLC

Customer experience

Boat Beacon

All ratings868 ratings
Positive92.1%
Neutral2.3%
Negative5.6%
Written reviews185 reviews
Positive61.1%
Neutral9.7%
Negative29.2%

Tide Graph Pro

All ratings3,637 ratings
Positive96.6%
Neutral1.7%
Negative1.8%
Written reviews98 reviews
Positive83.7%
Neutral5.1%
Negative11.2%

User reviews

Boat Beacon

From 868 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Works great
  • 🚀 Excellent app
  • 🔒 Fantastic app
  • 💡 Useful navigation aid
  • 👍 Handy app

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes constantly
  • 🐛 Unreliable
  • 🐛 Doesn't work
  • 🐛 Useless
  • 🐛 Clunky UI

Tide Graph Pro

From 3.6K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Accurate tide predictions
  • 💡 Helpful moon phase and sun rise/set info
  • 🤙 Essential tool for water activities
  • 👌 Great visual layout and interface

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
  • 🔍 Limited tide station coverage in some areas
  • 🤔 Discrepancies between free and paid versions
  • 📱 Apple Watch app issues

Bugs and requests

Boat Beacon

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Crashes when panning or changing settings
  • Phantom ships not disappearing
  • Inaccurate position data
  • Compatibility issues with older devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add marine charts
  • Improve search functionality
  • Offline mode
  • Integrate with other navigation apps

Tide Graph Pro

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes on startup for some users
  • Saved locations disappearing after updates
  • Apple Watch app not refreshing properly

Requested features

4 requests
  • Current and current predictions
  • Ability to quickly jump to current time
  • More customization options
  • Expanded coverage for additional regions

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Boat Beacon

Subscriptions2
  • AIS Share$5.991 Month
  • AIS Share$16.491 Year
One-time4
  • Anchor Watch and Man Overboard$4.99
  • Live View Upgrade$7.99
  • NOAA US Marine Charts$9.99
Show 1 more
  • UK & IE Marine Charts$12.99
None

Tide Graph Pro

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Boat Beacon free?
Boat Beacon costs $14.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Tide Graph Pro free?
Tide Graph Pro costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Boat Beacon or Tide Graph Pro?
Tide Graph Pro is rated higher. Boat Beacon averages 4.6 out of 5 from 868 ratings, while Tide Graph Pro averages 4.8 from 3.6K ratings.
Do Boat Beacon or Tide Graph Pro have ads?
Neither Boat Beacon nor Tide Graph Pro shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Boat Beacon or Tide Graph Pro?
Boat Beacon ships an update every 2 months, and Tide Graph Pro every 3 weeks. Most recently, Boat Beacon was updated on October 17, 2026 and Tide Graph Pro on October 17, 2026.
Which is more popular, Boat Beacon or Tide Graph Pro?
Boat Beacon currently peaks at #70 in the App Store charts, and Tide Graph Pro at #99. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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