Portal vs Tide

Portal

• People who focus or sleep better with nature sounds than music
• Mac users who want a moving nature scene as their desktop
• Homes with Philips Hue or Nanoleaf lights
• Families: Premium can be shared with up to five relatives

Tide

• People who work or study to rain, ocean and other nature sounds
• Anyone who wants a focus timer, sleep sounds and meditation in one app
• iPhone and Apple Watch users who want sessions synced to Apple Health

Portal

• Apple devices only: iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Vision Pro. No Android, Windows or web version is listed.
• Open Access covers 3 portals at a time; the rest of the library and smart lighting support need a Premium membership.
• The App Store listing requires iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4 or macOS 15.4 or later, and some v4 features need iOS 26.
• On the Mac, HomeKit lights are not supported and visuals cannot span more than one screen.

Tide

• Tide publishes no prices on its website; the figures here come from its US App Store listing.
• The App Store also lists Tide Membership purchases at $1.99, $4.99 and $15.99 and a $9.99 monthly Plus item without explaining them.
• Neither the site nor the store listing itemizes which sounds and features are free and which need Tide Plus.
• No Windows or web version is listed, and the Chrome extension the site links to no longer has a Chrome Web Store page.

Portal

Motion visuals

Window-like views of nature filmed with digital cinema cameras in up to 12K resolution. On the Mac they play full screen or as a moving desktop background.

Spatial audio

Nature recordings in spatial audio, up to 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos. Head-tracked playback needs AirPods (3rd generation or later), AirPods Pro, AirPods Max or Beats Fit Pro.

Timers, breathing and wake-up alarm

A Pomodoro timer, a sleep timer, meditation timers and breathing exercises are built in, along with a virtual sunrise wake-up alarm.

Smart lighting

Philips Hue lights on a Hue Bridge and Nanoleaf panels can follow the light and hue of each scene. HomeKit lights are supported on iPhone and iPad but not on the Mac.

Circadian Flow

Syncs Portal with the local time of day and plays portals that follow the changing light outside from sunrise to sunset. Whole collections can also play in sequence.

Audio mixing and offline use

Portal's sound can play under your own music, podcasts, audiobooks or guided meditations. Portals can be made available offline, and Siri, Shortcuts and widgets give quick access.

Tide

Focus timer

A Pomodoro-style timer that plays nature sounds while it runs. Timer lengths can be customized, and an immersive mode is meant to keep you off your phone.

Nature soundscapes

A library of recorded scenes such as rain, ocean and thunder, filed under Nature, Urban, Melody and other categories. A music fusion mode mixes your own music with the sounds.

Sleep and nap modes

Sleep sounds for the night and a nap mode for daytime, with light wake-up alarms and a sleep analysis report.

Guided meditation

Mindfulness courses such as Breathing and Body Scan, plus single sessions on topics like falling asleep and study pressure.

Breathing guide

Paced breathing exercises, including balanced breathing and the 4-7-8 pattern.

Tide Diary and Apple Health sync

A report of your sessions with shareable cards. The iOS app syncs data to Apple Health through HealthKit and supports Siri Shortcuts.

Portal

• Open Access$0

  Three portals, changed monthly, with no ads or time limits, plus the timers, breathing exercises and audio mixing.

• Monthly Membership$2.99

  per month, US App Store in-app purchase

  Portal Premium billed monthly: the full library of more than 100 portals on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Vision Pro, with smart lighting.

• Annual Membership$29.99

  per year, US App Store in-app purchase

  The same Premium access, billed as one payment for the full year.

• Portal Membership (Lifetime)$99.99

  one-time purchase

  Premium access for a single up-front payment. Portal's FAQ says Lifetime memberships may be available from time to time.

Tide

• Free$0

  Free download with part of the sound library. The listing does not say exactly where the free version stops.

• Tide Plus (Monthly)$11.99

  per month, US App Store in-app purchase

  Auto-renewing subscription, one of two options named in the listing. The listing does not itemize what Plus unlocks.

• Tide Plus (Annual)$59.99

  per year, US App Store in-app purchase

  The same subscription billed yearly. The in-app purchase list also shows an annual Tide Plus item at $54.99.

Portal

• Annual discount

  Annual Membership costs about 16% less than monthly

  The US App Store lists the Annual Membership at $29.99 against the Monthly Membership at $2.99, which comes to $35.88 over twelve months.

• Lifetime license

  Lifetime Membership for a one-time payment

  A Portal Membership (Lifetime) in-app purchase is listed at $99.99 on the US App Store, charged as a single up-front payment.

Tide

• Annual discount

  Annual Tide Plus costs about 58% less than monthly

  The US App Store listing gives Tide Plus as $11.99 per month or $59.99 per year, so a year paid annually costs about 58% less than twelve monthly payments.