Comparison

Ocean Watch vs Chasing Tides

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

Head to head
About

Ocean Watch

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
Read full description

• Over 3,300 stations on every coast of the US and beyond. (Note: limited support for stations beyond the US and Caribbean) • Stunning images, graphics and innovative visualizations to make sense of the information you care most about. • Tide predictions anywhere anytime. Sophisticated prediction algorithms and decades of data, all included so you don’t need a data connection. • Interactive Almanac so you can see the future and make your plans. • Integrated Station Map to get the big picture. • Updated design across Watch / iPhone / iPad and Mac • Best-in-class widgets and complications • Make it personal with custom notes and images.

About

Chasing Tides

Plan your coastal activities with accurate tide data, sunrise/sunset times, and fishing insights. Visualize tide curves, see upcoming changes, and receive helpful recommendations for a smarter day on the water.

Highlights
  • Live tide curves
  • Next tide at a glance
  • Multi-day tide view
  • Sunrise and sunset indicators
  • Best fishing times
  • Automatic location detection
Features
Read full description

Chasing Tides helps you plan smarter days on the water with accurate tide data, clear visualizations, and practical insights tailored to your location. Whether you’re fishing, boating, or just spending time along the coast, Chasing Tides gives you the information you need at a glance, without clutter or guesswork. Features • Live tide curves Visualize how the tide moves throughout the day with smooth, interactive charts. • Next tide at a glance See whether the next change is high or low tide, when it happens, and how high the water will be. • Multi-day tide view Scroll through today, tomorrow, and upcoming days to plan ahead. • Sunrise and sunset indicators Quickly see daylight transitions directly on the tide curve. • Best fishing times Major and minor fishing windows are highlighted to help you time your trip. • Tide tips and recommendations Helpful guidance on what to do, and what to avoid, based on current tide conditions. • Automatic location detection Find the nearest tide station automatically, with no manual searching required. • Clean, distraction-free design Built to be readable outdoors and easy to use on the water. Designed for coastal life Chasing Tides is designed for anglers, boaters, and anyone who depends on the tide. It focuses on clarity, accuracy, and real-world usefulness, not ads or unnecessary features. Data sources Tide data is provided by NOAA tide stations and updated regularly to ensure accuracy. Chasing Tides is free to use and respects your privacy.

Screenshots

Ocean Watch4 screens
Chasing Tides4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Chasing Tides at free against Ocean Watch's paid. Chasing Tides also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Ocean Watch's advantage is ratings volume (2.5K vs 1) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Chasing 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 2.5K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Ocean Watch versus Chasing Tides: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOcean WatchChasing Tides
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (2.5K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews73.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings2.5K — better1
Update frequencyEvery 8 months—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.0 — better26.2
Further details — not scored
Size281 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBlue Bright Labs LLCRon Taylor

Customer experience

Ocean Watch

All ratings2,483 ratings
Positive95.2%
Neutral2.4%
Negative2.4%
Written reviews105 reviews
Positive73.3%
Neutral12.4%
Negative14.3%

Chasing Tides

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Ocean Watch

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • 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

5 requests
  • 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

Chasing Tides

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Ocean Watch

No in-app purchases

None

Chasing Tides

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Ocean Watch free?
Ocean Watch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Chasing Tides free?
Chasing Tides is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Ocean Watch or Chasing Tides?
Chasing Tides is rated higher. Ocean Watch averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2.5K ratings, while Chasing Tides averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Ocean Watch or Chasing Tides have ads?
Neither Ocean Watch nor Chasing Tides shows ads.

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