# Ocean Watch vs Shore TideChart

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Ocean Watch at none against Shore TideChart's 2. Ocean Watch also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (2.7K vs 15). Shore TideChart's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 8 months) and review sentiment (92% vs 74%). On price, rating and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shore TideChart sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Ocean Watch asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Ocean Watch against 4.7 for Shore TideChart. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ocean Watch has 2.7K ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 74% of Ocean Watch's written reviews are positive against 92% of Shore TideChart's.

Ocean Watch ships an update every 8 months, Shore TideChart every 9 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ocean Watch | Shore TideChart |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (2.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ocean-watch/id865207409/reviews)** | [4.7 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shore-tidechart/id6742362878/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.7K** | 15 |
| Positive reviews | 73.6% of reviews | **91.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 281 MB | 221 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **12.2** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Blue Bright Labs LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/865207412) | [Matthew Petrosky](https://appshunter.io/developer/1511039111) |

## 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

**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


### 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 Ocean Watch free?

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

### Is Shore TideChart free?

Shore TideChart is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Ocean Watch or Shore TideChart?

Ocean Watch is rated higher. Ocean Watch averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2.7K ratings, while Shore TideChart averages 4.7 from 15 ratings.

### Do Ocean Watch or Shore TideChart have ads?

Shore TideChart shows ads; Ocean Watch does not.

### Which is updated more often, Ocean Watch or Shore TideChart?

Ocean Watch ships an update every 8 months, and Shore TideChart every 9 days. Most recently, Ocean Watch was updated on October 24, 2026 and Shore TideChart on October 24, 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.*