# Ocean Watch vs Tides Explorer

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Ocean Watch at none against Tides Explorer's 1. Ocean Watch also leads on ratings volume (2.7K vs 26). Tides Explorer's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 74%) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 9 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Tides Explorer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Ocean Watch asks for nothing beyond the download.

Tides Explorer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ocean Watch has 2.7K ratings behind it against 26, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 74% of Ocean Watch's written reviews are positive against 100% of Tides Explorer's.

Ocean Watch ships an update every 9 months, Tides Explorer every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ocean Watch | Tides Explorer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (2.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ocean-watch/id865207409/reviews) | **[5.0 (26 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tides-explorer/id6446066346/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.7K** | 26 |
| Positive reviews | 73.6% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 137 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.6** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Blue Bright Labs LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/865207412) | [Lonnie Millett](https://appshunter.io/developer/1620072866) |

## What reviewers say

### Ocean Watch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ocean-watch/id865207409)

Access tide predictions for over 3,300 stations across the US and Caribbean. Visualize tide data with stunning graphics and an interactive almanac. Plan your activities with offline access to predictions and custom notes.

**Highlights:** 3,300+ tide stations, Stunning graphics and visualizations, Offline tide predictions, Interactive almanac, Integrated station map, Custom notes and images

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Accurate tide information
- 🌟 Excellent app design and user experience
- ⏱️ Quick and responsive
- 🔍 Useful for planning beach activities
- 🗺️ Supports multiple locations

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 🔍 Limited coverage for some areas (e.g., Canada)
- 🔍 Inconsistent performance on Apple Watch
- 🔍 Complications not always accurate or up-to-date
- 🔍 Difficulty setting favorites or customizing the app

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when trying to open tide station details
- Tide data sometimes stuck on wrong location
- Apple Watch app not syncing or updating correctly
- Issues with the app's widget not displaying accurate information

**Requested features**

- Add water temperature and wind speed data
- Improve Apple Watch complication to show more detailed tide information
- Expand coverage to more locations, especially in Canada and other countries
- Add ability to set tide alerts or notifications
- Improve stability and reliability to reduce crashes


### Tides Explorer

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

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 |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ocean Watch free?

Ocean Watch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Tides Explorer free?

Tides Explorer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Ocean Watch or Tides Explorer?

Tides Explorer is rated higher. Ocean Watch averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2.7K ratings, while Tides Explorer averages 5.0 from 26 ratings.

### Do Ocean Watch or Tides Explorer have ads?

Neither Ocean Watch nor Tides Explorer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ocean Watch or Tides Explorer?

Ocean Watch ships an update every 9 months, and Tides Explorer every 2 months. Most recently, Ocean Watch was updated on November 6, 2026 and Tides Explorer on November 3, 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.*