# Tides Explorer vs Shore TideChart

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Tides Explorer | Shore TideChart |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $5.00 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[5.0 (25 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tides-explorer/id6446066346/reviews)** | [4.7 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shore-tidechart/id6742362878/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **25** | 13 |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 91.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#60** | — |
| Size | 23 MB | 221 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **12.2** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lonnie Millett](https://appshunter.io/developer/1620072866) | [Matthew Petrosky](https://appshunter.io/developer/1511039111) |

## What reviewers say

### Tides Explorer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tides-explorer/id6446066346)

**Currently charting:** #60 Top Paid · Weather (US App Store)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lifetime purchase | $3.00 | one-time |


### Shore TideChart

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shore-tidechart/id6742362878)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium - Marine & Hourly Data | $1.99 | per month |
| Annual Premium - Detailed Data | $9.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*