# Ocean Watch vs NOAA Tides

The clearest difference is monetization model: NOAA Tides at free against Ocean Watch's paid. NOAA Tides also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 9 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Ocean Watch's advantage is ratings volume (2.7K vs 1) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

NOAA Tides 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 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Ocean Watch ships an update every 9 months, NOAA Tides daily. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ocean Watch | NOAA Tides |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (2.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ocean-watch/id865207409/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noaa-tides/id6756382132/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.7K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 73.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#166** |
| Size | 137 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Blue Bright Labs LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/865207412) | [Vince Becquiot](https://appshunter.io/developer/1856156855) |

## 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


### NOAA Tides

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noaa-tides/id6756382132)

**Currently charting:** #166 Top Free · Weather (US App Store)

Get accurate tide predictions and real-time marine conditions for the US coast. This app provides beautiful charts, live weather, and wave data to help you plan your time on the water.

**Highlights:** Precise NOAA tide predictions, Live marine conditions, Tide times for US coast, Beautiful charts, Live weather data, Wave data

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ocean Watch free?

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

### Is NOAA Tides free?

NOAA Tides is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

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

NOAA Tides is rated higher. Ocean Watch averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2.7K ratings, while NOAA Tides averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

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

Neither Ocean Watch nor NOAA Tides shows ads.

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

Ocean Watch ships an update every 9 months, and NOAA Tides daily. Most recently, Ocean Watch was updated on October 29, 2026 and NOAA Tides on October 30, 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.*