Comparison

PredictCurrent vs BackyardBuoys

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

Head to head
About

PredictCurrent

Navigate coastal waters with detailed tidal and ocean current maps. Access 10-day forecasts for currents, wind, waves, and sea temperatures. Essential for safe marine planning and exploration.

Highlights
  • Ultra-high-resolution 100m tidal current maps
  • 400m and 4km global coastline coverage
  • 10-day animated forecasts for currents, wind, and waves
  • Hourly tide chart data
  • Wind-against-current interaction analysis
  • Sea temperature tracking
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Navigate coastal adventures with precision using real-time tidal current data from PredictWind. PredictCurrent delivers ultra-high-resolution 100m tidal current maps, plus 400m and 4km maps covering 90% of global coastlines. It also includes full ocean current coverage, empowering fishermen, sailors, and coastal explorers with essential tools for current tracking, tide planning, and marine navigation. Developed by PredictWind’s expert oceanographers, trusted globally for industry-leading forecasting, PredictCurrent supports confident and safe coastal navigation for boating, fishing, sailing, and kayaking. Why PredictCurrent - Unrivalled Precision: Ultra-high-resolution 100m tidal current maps provide unmatched detail for coastal tide planning, ideal for fishing, sailing, or paddle sports. Also includes 400m and 4km resolution maps. - Trusted Expertise: Built by PredictWind, pioneers in marine and ocean current forecasting, delivering professional-grade data. - Comprehensive Tracking: Monitor tidal currents, ocean currents, winds, waves, and sea temperatures with animated maps and hourly tide chart data for 10 days. - Coastal Navigation: Join fishermen, sailors, kayakers, and coastal explorers worldwide who rely on PredictWind’s marine weather and current data for informed navigation. Key Features - Ultra-High-Resolution 100m Tidal Current Maps: Visualise intricate nearshore water current movements with clarity, ideal for coastal navigation, route planning, and safety. - High-Resolution 400m & 4km Maps: Access tide and ocean current coverage for 90% of global coastlines, seamlessly integrated with live ocean current data. - Advanced Dashboard: Analyse wind-against-current interactions, wave heights, tide cycles, and directions using accurate ECMWF wind forecasts. - Animated 10-Day Forecasts: View dynamic tidal currents, ocean currents, wind, waves, and sea temperature forecasts on interactive marine maps. - Detailed Data Tables: Access hourly data on current speed and direction, plus alerts for wind-against-current situations. Tailored for fisherman, sailors, kayakers, and coastal adventurers, PredictCurrent offers essential tools for safe marine planning—backed by PredictWind’s proven ocean data and current tracking accuracy. Start with a 14-day free trial. Access ultra-high-resolution tidal current data, tide charts, ocean current forecasts, wind, waves, and sea temperature tools for your next coastal journey. Terms & Conditions: https://www.predictcurrent.com/terms-and-conditions Privacy Policy: https://www.predictcurrent.com/privacy-policy

About

BackyardBuoys

This application provides coastal communities with easy mobile access to near real-time wave data and visualizations. It leverages scalable marine technology for community-managed ocean buoys, enhancing blue economy and hazard protection.

Highlights
  • Real-time wave data access
  • Data visualizations
  • Community-managed buoys
  • Blue economy enhancement
  • Hazard protection
  • Mobile data access
Features
Read full description

The Backyard Buoys project enables coastal communities to gather and use wave data, enhancing their blue economy and hazard protection. Leveraging low-cost and scalable marine technology, Backyard Buoys offers a system for community-managed ocean buoys and web apps that simplify data access. The Backyard Buoys app provides easy, mobile access to near real-time wave data and visualizations.

Screenshots

PredictCurrent4 screens
BackyardBuoys4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: BackyardBuoys at 5.0 against PredictCurrent's 4.5. BackyardBuoys also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 5) and update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). PredictCurrent's advantage is ratings volume (255 vs 5) and chart position (#63 vs unranked). On price, ads, 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

Both are free to download. PredictCurrent sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $15.00 per month. BackyardBuoys asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

BackyardBuoys holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PredictCurrent has 255 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PredictCurrent ships an update monthly, BackyardBuoys fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
PredictCurrent versus BackyardBuoys: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPredictCurrentBackyardBuoys
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (255 ratings)5.0 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews56.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings255 — better5
Update frequencyMonthlyFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#63 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size50 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPredictWind LimitedBackyardBuoys

Customer experience

PredictCurrent

All ratings255 ratings
Positive85.9%
Neutral2.7%
Negative11.4%
Written reviews76 reviews
Positive56.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative43.4%

BackyardBuoys

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

PredictCurrent

Reported bugs

8 issues
  • Unable to add location error messages despite valid coordinates
  • Location setup fails to respond or complete
  • Password not saved correctly in database, preventing login
  • Account creation fails with character handling errors
  • App crashes when setting locations
Show 3 more
  • Free trial access inconsistent across devices
  • iPad version blocks access to charts despite iPhone trial access
  • Data unavailable errors at valid deep water locations

Requested features

9 requests
  • Extended forecast data for full 24-hour next day coverage
  • Smaller time increment stepping (sub-hourly) for racing
  • Exact tide turn time information beyond hourly data
  • Legend/symbol guide for app indicators
  • Improved coastal and estuarine modeling
Show 4 more
  • Better 100m resolution coverage beyond UK Solent region
  • Cross-platform synchronization between iPhone and iPad
  • Offline access to saved locations
  • Multi-language support (German, French, etc.)

BackyardBuoys

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

5 purchases

PredictCurrent

Subscriptions5
  • PredictCurrent Pro 1-Month14 Days trial$15.001 Month
  • PredictCurrent Pro 3-Monthly14 Days trial$29.003 Months
  • PredictCurrent Pro 3-Monthly3 Days trial$29.003 Months
Show 2 more
  • PredictCurrent Pro 3-Monthly7 Days trial$29.003 Months
  • PredictCurrent Pro Annual14 Days trial$99.001 Year
None

BackyardBuoys

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PredictCurrent free?
PredictCurrent is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is BackyardBuoys free?
BackyardBuoys is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, PredictCurrent or BackyardBuoys?
BackyardBuoys is rated higher. PredictCurrent averages 4.5 out of 5 from 255 ratings, while BackyardBuoys averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.
Do PredictCurrent or BackyardBuoys have ads?
Neither PredictCurrent nor BackyardBuoys shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PredictCurrent or BackyardBuoys?
PredictCurrent ships an update monthly, and BackyardBuoys fortnightly. Most recently, PredictCurrent was updated on October 16, 2026 and BackyardBuoys on October 17, 2026.

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