Comparison

Tides Explorer vs Shore TideChart

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

Head to head
About

Tides Explorer

This app provides accurate tide, current, and weather predictions using official NOAA data for thousands of stations. Plan your water activities with clear charts, sun/moon information, and customizable widgets.

Highlights
  • Accurate tide and current predictions
  • Fast station search
  • Favorites for quick access
  • Interactive charts
  • Weather data at stations
  • Sun, moon, and twilight info
  • Home and Lock Screen widgets
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Tides Explorer — Accurate Tides, Currents, and Marine Weather Tides Explorer is a precision tide and current app for sailors, boaters, paddlers, and swimmers, built on official NOAA data covering over 6,000 stations across the United States and international waters. It helps you understand not just what the water will do, but when and why, using clear charts and reliable predictions you can plan around. Core Features Get accurate tide and current predictions straight from NOAA, with fast search by name or location and interactive charts for exploring and comparing stations. At supported stations, see real observed water levels laid over the prediction (Pro) — so you know what the water's actually doing, not just what it's supposed to do. Save your favorite spots for quick access (Pro), track real-time weather at supported stations — wind, air and water temperature, and barometric pressure (Pro) — and check sun, moon, and twilight times to help plan your time on the water. Plan Around What Matters to You Drag a custom reference line onto any favorite station's chart — on a current station, mark a safe velocity to catch slack water before transiting a pass — and see exactly when you're above or below it. Set alerts for high and low tides, current extremes, your reference line, or slack water itself (Pro), plus new Moon Over Water alerts for when moonrise or moonset lines up with the water near sunset or sunrise. Designed for Apple Platforms Tides Explorer includes Home and Lock Screen widgets and a full Apple Watch app with multiple complications, all optimized for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Built for the Water Ideal for sailing, boating, kayaking, swimming, fishing, and coastal exploration, Tides Explorer delivers dependable marine data without clutter, so you can plan confidently and focus on the water.

About

Shore TideChart

This app provides comprehensive tide and marine weather forecasts for surfers, boaters, and anglers. It offers 7-day tide predictions, hourly marine weather, surf and boating condition ratings, and moon phase data. An offline mode is available for essential information.

Highlights
  • 7-Day Tide Forecasts
  • Hourly Marine Weather
  • Surf Ratings
  • Boating Conditions
  • Moon Phases & Fish Activity
  • Offline Mode
Features
Read full description

Shore TideChart - Complete Surfing, Boating, and Ocean Companion One app replaces four! Shore TideChart combines everything anglers, surfers, and boaters need in a single powerful tool. KEY FEATURES: 7-Day Tide Forecasts with visual tide graphs Hourly Marine Weather with detailed conditions Surf Ratings - Real-time surf quality assessments (Poor to Epic) Boating Conditions - Safety ratings with wind/swell analysis Moon Phases & Fish Activity - Best fishing times UV Index, sunrise/sunset, water temps OFFLINE MODE for Tides, Sunset, Moon Phases when out at sea "Use My Location" - Instantly finds nearest station 50+ Locations across US coastal states UNIQUE ADVANTAGES: Unlike basic tide apps, Shore Tide Chart calculates actual surf and boating conditions using real-time swell, wind, and wave data. Know instantly if it's worth heading out. PERFECT FOR: Surfers checking dawn patrol conditions Anglers timing the bite with tides and moon Boaters assessing safety before departing Beach-goers planning perfect days SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONS: 14-day FREE trial, then choose: Monthly: $1.99 Annual: $9.99 (Save 58%!) Stop juggling multiple apps. Get complete ocean intelligence in one place. Key Features: * Tide Charts & Predictions – View real-time and future high/low tides with precise times. * Wave Heights & Swell Data – Know if the ocean is calm or surf-ready. * Wind Speed & Direction – Essential for sailing, fishing, and water sports. * Ocean Temperature – Plan for swimming, diving, and paddling. * Sunrise & Sunset Times – Know the best times to be on the water. * Favorite Locations – Save multiple tide stations for quick access. * Simple, Fast, & Accurate – No clutter, just the marine data you need. Who Is Shore Tide Chart For? Boaters & Sailors – Plan your next trip with accurate wind & tide forecasts. Surfers & Paddleboarders – Catch the perfect wave with wave height & wind direction data. Fishermen – Maximize your catch by knowing the best tide times & ocean conditions. Beachgoers & Swimmers – Stay informed about safe swimming conditions. Coverage: Tide and marine condition data is sourced from multiple places giving you a complete picture of the current forecast. Disclaimer: All forecasts and conditions are estimates only. Ocean conditions can change rapidly and unexpectedly. Always verify conditions personally and check official sources before any water activity. Not for navigation. User assumes all risk. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.shoreresolutions.com/app-development/tidechart/privacy-policy-for-shore-tide-chart/

Screenshots

Tides Explorer4 screens
Shore TideChart4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Shore TideChart at Free against Tides Explorer's $5.00. Shore TideChart also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (12.2 vs 17.6). Tides Explorer's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On ratings volume, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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

Shore TideChart is free to download; Tides Explorer costs $5.00 up front. Tides Explorer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Shore TideChart sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Tides Explorer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 25 and 13 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Tides Explorer's written reviews are positive against 92% of Shore TideChart's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Tides Explorer ships an update every 2 months, Shore TideChart every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and June 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Tides Explorer versus Shore TideChart: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTides ExplorerShore TideChart
Price$5.00Free — better
Rating5.0 (25 ratings) — better4.7 (13 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better91.7% of reviews
Number of ratings25 — better13
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#55 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS17.612.2 — better
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB221 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLonnie MillettMatthew Petrosky

Customer experience

Tides Explorer

All ratings25 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Shore TideChart

All ratings13 ratings
Positive92.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.7%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive91.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative8.3%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Tides Explorer

One-time1
  • Lifetime purchase$3.00
2 purchases

Shore TideChart

Subscriptions2
  • Premium - Marine & Hourly Data$1.991 Month
  • Annual Premium - Detailed Data$9.991 Year

Questions

Is Tides Explorer free?
Tides Explorer costs $5.00, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Shore TideChart free?
Shore TideChart is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Tides Explorer or Shore TideChart?
Tides Explorer is rated higher. Tides Explorer averages 5.0 out of 5 from 25 ratings, while Shore TideChart averages 4.7 from 13 ratings.
Do Tides Explorer or Shore TideChart have ads?
Shore TideChart shows ads; Tides Explorer does not.
Which is updated more often, Tides Explorer or Shore TideChart?
Tides Explorer ships an update every 2 months, and Shore TideChart every 9 days. Most recently, Tides Explorer was updated on September 17, 2026 and Shore TideChart on June 4, 2026.

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