Comparison

Lake Lowdown vs Great Lakes Wave

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

Head to head
About

Lake Lowdown

Access comprehensive lake information including weather, water levels, and navigation. Easily find lakes by state or proximity, and save your favorites for quick access. Plan your next lake trip or monitor water conditions with this convenient tool.

Highlights
  • Lake weather and forecasts
  • Water level data
  • Navigation and map locations
  • List lakes by state or proximity
  • Favorite lakes for quick access
  • Recreational information
Features
Read full description

Lake Lowdown delivers real-time lake levels and official National Weather Service forecasts in one streamlined experience. Explore lakes by state, proximity, or favorites. Instantly view current water levels, 12-hour trends, historical data, and live weather conditions. All sourced from trusted government providers. Each lake includes: • Current stage and recent trend data • Historical water level history • Official NWS forecasts and observations • Quick access to maps and navigation • Reference links for additional lake information Built for boaters, anglers, lake homeowners, and anyone tracking drought or flooding conditions. Fast. Accurate. Reliable. Know before you go.

About

Great Lakes Wave

Access detailed wave and water forecasts for all five Great Lakes. View real-time data on waves, wind, currents, temperature, and water levels. Explore depth maps and nautical charts for enhanced navigation.

Highlights
  • Wave forecast (6 days)
  • Water forecast (5 days)
  • Water temperature
  • Water current
  • Water level
  • Depth maps
  • Nautical charts
Features
Read full description

Great Lakes - Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake America and Lake Superior. Great Lakes Map App provides Wave map forecast , Water map forecast for the five lakes. Wave map forecast contains Wave, Wind well, Swell and Wind. Water map contains Water temperature, Water current, Water Level. In addition, you can also view the depth maps and nautical chart map of great lakes in the APP 【Pro】 1. Wave forecast for 6 days. 2. Water forecast for 5 days. 3. Water forecast for all listed depths. Purchase Notes: 1. The account will be automatically renewed and deducted the corresponding fee 1 day before the expiration. 2. If you need to cancel the renewal, please cancel in your personal iTunes account at least 1 day in advance. 3. After purchase, users can manage or turn off automatic renewal in personal account settings. Terms of Services : https://www.astronomyobserver.net/h5/greatlakes/user Privacy policy: https://www.astronomyobserver.net/h5/greatlakes/privacy

Screenshots

Lake Lowdown4 screens
Great Lakes Wave4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Lake Lowdown at none against Great Lakes Wave's 3. Lake Lowdown also leads on update cadence (every 3 months vs every 11 months). On price, ads, device support 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. Great Lakes Wave sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Lake Lowdown asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lake Lowdown ships an update every 3 months, Great Lakes Wave every 11 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Lake Lowdown versus Great Lakes Wave: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLake LowdownGreat Lakes Wave
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.4 (18 ratings) — better
Positive reviews21.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings—18 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 11 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.616.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB20 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBob Jack雪平 王

Customer experience

Lake Lowdown

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive21.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative78.6%

Great Lakes Wave

All ratings17 ratings
Positive88.2%
Neutral0.0%
Negative11.8%

In-app purchases

None

Lake Lowdown

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Great Lakes Wave

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Pro$2.991 Month
  • Annual Pro$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Pro$49.99

Questions

Is Lake Lowdown free?
Lake Lowdown is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Great Lakes Wave free?
Great Lakes Wave is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Lake Lowdown or Great Lakes Wave have ads?
Neither Lake Lowdown nor Great Lakes Wave shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lake Lowdown or Great Lakes Wave?
Lake Lowdown ships an update every 3 months, and Great Lakes Wave every 11 months. Most recently, Lake Lowdown was updated on September 26, 2026 and Great Lakes Wave on October 25, 2026.

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