# FishingBC vs SmartOut

The clearest difference is update cadence: SmartOut at every 2 weeks against FishingBC's every 6 weeks. FishingBC's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

FishingBC ships an update every 6 weeks, SmartOut every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | FishingBC | SmartOut |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (75 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fishingbc/id1202047514/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **75** | — |
| Positive reviews | 86.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 154 MB | 37 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 26.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sport Fishing Institute of BC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1202047513) | [Smartout Media Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1762958482) |

## What reviewers say

### FishingBC

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fishingbc/id1202047514)

This app serves as the official digital license and logbook for tidal fishing in British Columbia. It allows anglers to record catches, store license information, and access up-to-date regulations and weather forecasts.

**Highlights:** Digital fishing license storage, Mandatory catch recording, Official regulation updates, Species identification and logging, Location-based weather forecasts, Certified guide logbook functionality

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Comprehensive information
- 🗺️ Useful map feature
- ✅ Clear regulations
- 📱 Digital license

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inaccurate closures/openings
- 🐛 Incomplete regulations (e.g., max size)
- 🐛 Catch log portal displays productive areas
- 🐛 Unable to register account (verification email)
- 🐛 Pop-up salmon facts annoying

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to register account (verification email not received)
- Corrupted data requiring re-download
- Dead link for AI species identification
- Species ID not always accurate
- Maps are terrible/difficult to discern boundaries

**Requested features**

- Add freshwater license
- Add juvenile license and catch log data
- Ability to add multiple licenses
- Add hunting app
- Improve species identification


### SmartOut

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartout/id6636520119)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is FishingBC free?

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

### Is SmartOut free?

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

### Do FishingBC or SmartOut have ads?

Neither FishingBC nor SmartOut shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, FishingBC or SmartOut?

FishingBC ships an update every 6 weeks, and SmartOut every 2 weeks. Most recently, FishingBC was updated on October 26, 2026 and SmartOut on October 27, 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.*