Ocean Watch vs Chasing Tides
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 3,300+ tide stations
- Stunning graphics and visualizations
- Offline tide predictions
- Interactive almanac
- Integrated station map
- Custom notes and images
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• 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.
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.
- Live tide curves
- Next tide at a glance
- Multi-day tide view
- Sunrise and sunset indicators
- Best fishing times
- Automatic location detection
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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
Verdict
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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
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.
| Parameter | Ocean Watch | Chasing Tides |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (2.5K ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 73.3% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2.5K — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 — better | 26.2 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 281 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Blue Bright Labs LLC | Ron Taylor |
Customer experience
Ocean Watch
Chasing Tides
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
Ocean Watch
No in-app purchases
Chasing Tides
No in-app purchases









