RCR SOS vs Open Canal Map UK
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
RCR SOS
Instantly request assistance for breakdowns, emergencies, or repairs with a single tap. The app sends your precise GPS location to help engineers find you quickly. It works even without an internet connection, using SMS for requests with a valid signal.
- One-click assistance request
- GPS location sharing
- SMS request option
- Breakdown and emergency alerts
- Repair request functionality
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RCR SOS provides you with a fast and easy way to get help and assistance when you need it, from breakdowns to emergencies and requests for repairs. Just one click of the button will alert us and we will contact you to confirm your situation. When sending a request for assistance, the app sends your GPS co-ordinates to River Canal Rescue. This allows the engineer to find your boat in the quickest possible time. An internet connection is not required, requests can be also be sent via SMS message with a valid signal.
Open Canal Map UK
Navigate the UK's waterways with a comprehensive map of canals and rivers. Discover points of interest like locks, services, and commercial amenities. Contribute to the community by adding new locations and keeping the map up-to-date.
- UK canal and river mapping
- Points of interest (locks, bridges, services)
- User contributions and updates
- Boater services (water, pumpouts)
- Commercial services for cruisers
- Automatic map updates
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UK canal and river map created using both public data and user contributions. Points of interest are overlaid on maps of the UK's navigable canals and rivers, and include entries for navigation (locks, bridges, junctions, turning points), boater services (water points, toilet pumpouts, etc.), and commercial services especially relevant to continuous or long-term cruising (e.g. laundry services) The map is generated with help fellow boaters and we welcome your adding missing items to the map. Over 700 items have been added based on user submissions so far, including convenience stores, laundry services, as well as a list of high quality mooring spots, and some hidden gems like private marinas or mooring locations where public access is allowed to waste disposal other boater services. New user contributions are added periodically, and the map will auto update automatically when new points of interest are added Happy boating...
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: RCR SOS at none against Open Canal Map UK's 1. Open Canal Map UK's advantage is review sentiment (59% vs 25%) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 32 months). On price, ads, monetization model and device support 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. Open Canal Map UK sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. RCR SOS asks for nothing beyond the download.
RCR SOS ships an update every 32 months, Open Canal Map UK every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | RCR SOS | Open Canal Map UK |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 4.4 (11 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 25.0% of reviews | 59.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 11 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 32 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 106 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | River Canal Rescue | Tom Sapey |
Customer experience
RCR SOS
Open Canal Map UK
Bugs and requests
RCR SOS
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Open Canal Map UK
Reported bugs
11 issues- Location not found after update
- Tow path closure location incorrect
- Locks have disappeared from the Thames map
- App icon changed, graphics horrid
- Stopped working on iPad
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- New update no longer works on phone
- Maps do not load
- Report option greyed out
- Text unreadably small on iPhone
- Blurry Google map overlay
- Mapping difficult and unusable after update
Requested features
18 requests- Add ETA feature
- Include widths, depths, and air height of canals
- Option to change text size
- Option to switch off blurry Google map overlay
- Add map legends
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- Facility to add personal notes
- Incorporate a route planner
- Add pubs and eateries as POI
- Allow users to contribute pubs, shops etc.
- Add a donation button
- Show distance from point to point
- Add photos for points of interest
- Ability to report errors
- Update Droitwich canals
- Add mile markers instead of km
- Include historical map year
- Search function for locations
- Allow users to comment on premises
In-app purchases
RCR SOS
No in-app purchases
Open Canal Map UK
- Remove Adverts Permently$4.99
