# Aurora Forecast. vs Tide Charts

The clearest difference is monetization model: Tide Charts at free with in-app purchases against Aurora Forecast.'s subscription. Tide Charts also leads on review sentiment (69% vs 32%) and ratings volume (114K vs 4.9K). Aurora Forecast.'s advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, rating, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Aurora Forecast. sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Tide Charts sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Tide Charts holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Tide Charts has 114K ratings behind it against 4.9K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 32% of Aurora Forecast.'s written reviews are positive against 69% of Tide Charts's.

Aurora Forecast. ships an update weekly, Tide Charts every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Aurora Forecast. | Tide Charts |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (4.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aurora-forecast/id539875792/reviews) | **[4.8 (114K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tide-charts/id957143504/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4.9K | **114K** |
| Positive reviews | 32.0% of reviews | **68.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | #104 | **#27** |
| Size | 22 MB | 104 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [TINAC Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/539875795) | [7th Gear](https://appshunter.io/developer/321178305) |

## What reviewers say

### Aurora Forecast.

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aurora-forecast/id539875792)

**Currently charting:** #104 Top Grossing · Weather, #193 Top Free · Weather (US App Store)

This app acts as an intelligent guide for aurora hunting, leveraging AI and local weather data to provide personalized "Go/No-Go" verdicts. It offers real-time updates, interactive maps, and customizable notifications to help you find the Northern Lights.

**Highlights:** AI Aurora Analyst with personalized Go/No-Go verdicts, Real-time Kp-index updates via widgets, Apple Watch complications for wrist tracking, Interactive aurora probability map, 3D globe with real-time aurora visualization, Customizable push notifications for storms

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Alerts (Monthly) | $2.99 | per month |
| Aurora Ultimate Pro (Monthly) | $4.99 | per month |
| Aurora Alerts(Yearly) | $12.99 | per year |
| Aurora Ultimate Pro (Yearly) | $19.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🌟 Excellent app with nice graphs
- 🌟 Accurate with current solar activity and short-term forecast
- 🌟 Fantastic amount of information about the sun and aurora
- 🌟 Alerts help plan for aurora viewing
- 🌟 Comprehensive data and visuals

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes or freezes
- ⚠️ Inaccurate forecasts and predictions
- ⚠️ Notifications not working as expected
- ⚠️ Difficult to interpret data and graphs
- ⚠️ Biased towards Northern Hemisphere

**Reported bugs**

- Forecast data not updating
- App crashing on startup
- Incorrect location data
- Alerts not working as intended

**Requested features**

- Add support for Southern Hemisphere aurora
- Improve location-based forecasting and alerts
- Provide more user-friendly explanations of data and graphs
- Allow customization of notification settings
- Expand coverage to include more regions


### Tide Charts

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tide-charts/id957143504)

**Currently charting:** #27 Top Free · Weather (US App Store)

Access worldwide tidal estimates, lunar data, and weather forecasts. Plan outdoor adventures with ease using current radar and offline predictions. Supports Apple Watch and includes a Today Extension for quick access.

**Highlights:** Worldwide tidal estimates, Lunar data, Weather forecast, Current radar, Offline predictions, Favorite station management, Apple Watch support

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Clear tide information
- 👍 Useful for planning activities
- 💡 Comprehensive data including weather and moon phases
- 🤖 Accurate and reliable
- 🌟 Great app for Apple Watch

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inaccurate tide data in some locations
- 🙈 Intrusive and unskippable ads
- 🤯 Ads crashing the app
- 🤔 Confusing UI and navigation
- 🤖 Unreliable Apple Watch complications

**Reported bugs**

- Tide data off by several hours
- Tide graph not displaying correctly
- App crashing on ad dismissal
- Apple Watch complications freezing

**Requested features**

- Ability to set custom locations
- Improved accuracy and data sources
- Option to purchase ad-free version
- Landscape mode support
- More detailed tide height information


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Aurora Forecast. free?

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

### Is Tide Charts free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Aurora Forecast. or Tide Charts?

Tide Charts is rated higher. Aurora Forecast. averages 4.6 out of 5 from 4.9K ratings, while Tide Charts averages 4.8 from 114K ratings.

### Do Aurora Forecast. or Tide Charts have ads?

Tide Charts shows ads; Aurora Forecast. does not.

### Which is updated more often, Aurora Forecast. or Tide Charts?

Aurora Forecast. ships an update weekly, and Tide Charts every 3 weeks. Most recently, Aurora Forecast. was updated on October 24, 2026 and Tide Charts on October 25, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Aurora Forecast. or Tide Charts?

Aurora Forecast. currently peaks at #104 in the App Store charts, and Tide Charts at #27. 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.*