Comparison

SeaState vs Actual Currents

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

Head to head
About

SeaState

This marine weather app provides detailed forecasts for oceans worldwide, including swell height, wind, tides, and currents. It features a unique side-by-side comparison of conditions at two locations and an AI-powered briefing for go/no-go decisions.

Highlights
  • Worldwide marine weather forecasts
  • Side-by-side condition comparison
  • 24-hour wave height graphs
  • Redesigned wind page with compass rose
  • AI Captain's Brief for go/no-go advice
  • Passage planning with ETA
  • Safety Hub with emergency contacts and float plans
Features
Read full description

No guessing games, no scrolling through ten weather apps. Swipe the 7-day outlook for peak wind and wave height at a glance, then drill into hourly wind a full week out with gusts, true direction and Beaufort scale. The official NWS marine zone forecast comes straight from the source, written in plain English, free for every user. No subscription wall between you and the forecast that actually matters. See the whole picture on the chart. Toggle official NOAA ENC charts over Apple Maps for depth soundings, buoys and hazards at three detail levels, cached for when you lose signal offshore. Animated wind and current particle layers show you what's actually moving out there. Drag the time scrubber through the next 48 hours and watch conditions shift before you leave the dock. Tide stations are now plotted right on the chart. Tap any station for a 24-hour tide curve with the next high and low, so you can time the cut or the flat right. Have an AIS receiver aboard? Connect your boat's NMEA Wi-Fi gateway to see live depth, wind, water temperature and nearby vessel traffic on the chart, working offshore with no cell signal. Dropping the hook? Anchor Watch guards your position with a drag alarm and two-fix false-alarm protection, backed by Live Activity, Dynamic Island and Apple Watch alerts. Sleep easier. For the fishing crowd, sea surface temperature and current layers help you find the edges and breaks where fish stack up. SeaState is built for offshore anglers, cruisers, sailors, surfers and captains who want a straight answer, not a maybe. Download it and know before you go. SEASTATE PRO Unlock the full experience with SeaState Pro, available as monthly ($4.99) or yearly ($39.99) auto-renewing subscriptions, or a one-time lifetime purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple ID account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSY_MSMhZzNRZdRyUTLIYg2dysB6Yoo6szTZNGo12tEjolM4JxnRZflKeW21fHNcxzNn92tfcueboMY/pub

About

Actual Currents

Visualize real-time tidal currents with animated particles and a detailed heatmap on an interactive nautical map. Plan your trips with confidence by scrubbing through time to see how currents change throughout the day, with options for global ocean currents and wind overlays.

Highlights
  • Animated tidal current visualization
  • Real-time wind overlay
  • Interactive nautical map
  • Time scrubber for predictions
  • Route planning with current analysis
  • Global ocean currents view
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Actual Currents brings tidal currents to life with real-time animated particle visualization on a nautical-grade interactive map. See the actual flow of water in your area — not just tide times, but the speed and direction of tidal currents rendered as thousands of flowing particles over a detailed heatmap. Plan your trip with confidence by scrubbing through time to see how currents change throughout the day. FEATURES • Animated tidal current visualization with speed-colored particles and GPU-accelerated heatmap • Time scrubber — view current predictions for any time, past or future • Globe view with global ocean currents when zoomed out • Real-time wind overlay with global weather data • ENC nautical chart data with navigation aids, depth soundings, and depth contours • Satellite, bathymetry, and nautical basemap options • Route planning with current-aware analysis • Trip logging with GPS drift tracking • Location search to jump to any harbor or waterway COVERAGE • US Atlantic coast — Maine to Florida • US Pacific coast — Washington to California • Gulf of Mexico • Global ocean surface currents BUILT FOR BOATERS Whether you're sailing, fishing, kayaking, or navigating commercially, understanding tidal currents is critical for safety and efficiency. Actual Currents gives you an intuitive, visual understanding of water movement that tide tables alone can't provide. SUBSCRIPTION TIERS • Basic (free) — Real-time currents within ±3 hours of now • Pro ($4.99/mo) — Full historical and forecast access • Unlimited ($39.99/yr) — Full historical and forecast access with 7-day free trial Terms of Use: https://www.actualcurrents.com/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://www.actualcurrents.com/privacy.html

Screenshots

SeaState4 screens
Actual Currents4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: SeaState at 5.0 against Actual Currents's 4.7. Actual Currents's advantage is chart position (#156 vs unranked) and ratings volume (21 vs 3). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. SeaState sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Actual Currents sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SeaState holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Actual Currents has 21 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of SeaState's written reviews are positive against 60% of Actual Currents's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SeaState ships an update every 2 weeks, Actual Currents fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
SeaState versus Actual Currents: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSeaStateActual Currents
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better4.7 (21 ratings)
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews60.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings321 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#156 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS18.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size20 MB22 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTom CurryLuka Catipovic

Customer experience

SeaState

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Actual Currents

All ratings20 ratings
Positive90.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative10.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative40.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

SeaState

Subscriptions2
  • SeaState Pro Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • SeaState Pro Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • SeaState Pro Lifetime$99.99
3 purchases

Actual Currents

Subscriptions3
  • Pro monthly$2.991 Month
  • Unlimited monthly$4.991 Month
  • Unlimited Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year

Questions

Is SeaState free?
SeaState is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Actual Currents free?
Actual Currents is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SeaState or Actual Currents?
SeaState is rated higher. SeaState averages 5.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Actual Currents averages 4.7 from 21 ratings.
Do SeaState or Actual Currents have ads?
Neither SeaState nor Actual Currents shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SeaState or Actual Currents?
SeaState ships an update every 2 weeks, and Actual Currents fortnightly. Most recently, SeaState was updated on October 31, 2026 and Actual Currents on October 31, 2026.

Other comparisons