# Waterway Guide vs Ditch

The clearest difference is rating: Waterway Guide at 4.7 against Ditch's 4.0. Waterway Guide also leads on ratings volume (2.9K vs 23) and chart position (#185 vs unranked). Ditch's advantage is review sentiment (64% vs 52%). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Waterway Guide sells 43 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year and Ditch sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $24.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Waterway Guide holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Waterway Guide has 2.9K ratings behind it against 23, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 52% of Waterway Guide's written reviews are positive against 64% of Ditch's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Waterway Guide ships an update every 2 weeks, Ditch monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Waterway Guide | Ditch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (2.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/waterway-guide/id1551794976/reviews)** | [4.0 (23 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ditch-boat-navigation/id1667064532/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.9K** | 23 |
| Positive reviews | 52.4% of reviews | **64.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#185** | — |
| Size | 52 MB | 72 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Waterway Guide](https://appshunter.io/developer/958617198) | [Extent Devices LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1665685027) |

## What reviewers say

### Waterway Guide

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/waterway-guide/id1551794976)

**Currently charting:** #185 Top Grossing · Navigation (US App Store)

This app provides a comprehensive boating resource with a verified database of marinas, anchorages, and navigation alerts. Users can access real-time hazard information, plan trips with a digital handbook, and utilize detailed content optimized for mobile devices. Engage with a community of boaters through comments and reviews.

**Highlights:** Verified points of interest database, Real-time navigation alerts, Community comments and reviews, Skipper's Handbook for trip planning, Offline content access, Marina filtering by amenities

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (43)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Chesapeake Bay Ch.3 | $4.99 | per year |
| Atlantic ICW Ch.2 | $4.99 | per year |
| Atlantic ICW Ch.6 | $4.99 | per year |
| Southern Ch.6 | $4.99 | per year |
| Southern Bridges & Locks | $4.99 | per year |
| Bahamas Cruising Guide | $4.99 | per year |
| Florida Keys Ch.3 | $4.99 | per year |
| Gulf IWW Ch.4 | $4.99 | per year |
| Atlantic ICW Ch.10 | $4.99 | per year |
| Gulf IWW Ch.1 | $4.99 | per year |
| Western Gulf Coast Ch.4 | $4.99 | per year |
| Atlantic ICW Ch.4 | $4.99 | per year |
| Southern Ch.4 | $4.99 | per year |
| Western Gulf Coast Ch.3 | $4.99 | per year |
| Atlantic ICW East Coast Inlets | $4.99 | per year |
| Northern Ch.12 | $4.99 | per year |
| Great Lakes Vol.2 Ch.7 | $4.99 | per year |
| Northern Ch.11 | $4.99 | per year |
| Great Lakes Vol.1 Ch.7 | $4.99 | per year |
| Atlantic ICW Ch.9 | $4.99 | per year |
| Great Lakes Vol.1 Ch.2 | $4.99 | per year |
| Northern Ch.1 | $14.99 | per year |
| Great Lakes Vol.2 Ch.8 | $14.99 | per year |
| Great Lakes Vol.2 Ch.6 | $14.99 | per year |
| Southern Ch.13 | $14.99 | per year |
| Southern Ch.10 | $14.99 | per year |
| Southern Ch.12 | $14.99 | per year |
| Southern Ch.3 | $14.99 | per year |
| Southern Ch.11 | $14.99 | per year |
| Anchorages Along the ICW | $20.99 | per year |
| Bahamas Bound | $20.99 | per year |
| ICW Cruising Guide by Bob423 | $29.99 | per year |
| Northern Edition | $49.99 | per year |
| 1st Ed. Bahamas Land and Sea | $49.99 | per year |
| Chesapeake Bay Edition | $54.99 | per year |
| Atlantic ICW Edition | $54.99 | per year |
| Southern Edition | $54.99 | per year |
| Bahamas Edition | $54.99 | per year |
| Western Gulf Coast Edition | $54.99 | per year |
| Florida Keys Edition | $54.99 | per year |
| Great Lakes Volume 1 Edition | $54.99 | per year |
| Great Lakes Volume 2 Edition | $54.99 | per year |
| Cuba Edition | $59.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent integration with Aqua Map
- 👍 Useful resource for boating
- 👍 Great information and details
- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 👍 Invaluable for planning trips

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
- 🐛 Inconsistent and unreliable
- 🐛 Difficult to navigate and use
- 🐛 Outdated information and images
- 🐛 Subscription and access issues

**Reported bugs**

- App not working with latest iOS version
- Subscription purchases not working properly
- Unable to access purchased content
- Frequent crashes and errors

**Requested features**

- Provide vertical bridge clearances
- Improve offline functionality
- Enhance search and filtering options
- Implement dark mode


### Ditch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ditch-boat-navigation/id1667064532)

Enhance your boating experience with intelligent routing and accurate arrival time predictions. Visualize historical vessel traffic and customize charts for a personalized view of waterways, ensuring safer and more confident journeys on the water.

**Highlights:** AI-powered smart routing, Accurate ETA predictions, Historical AIS data visualization, Customizable marine charts, Live navigation view, Up-to-date waterway information

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ditch Student Subscription | $24.99 | per year |
| Ditch Annual iOS Subscription | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Waterway Guide free?

Waterway Guide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Ditch free?

Ditch is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Waterway Guide or Ditch?

Waterway Guide is rated higher. Waterway Guide averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.9K ratings, while Ditch averages 4.0 from 23 ratings.

### Do Waterway Guide or Ditch have ads?

Neither Waterway Guide nor Ditch shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Waterway Guide or Ditch?

Waterway Guide ships an update every 2 weeks, and Ditch monthly. Most recently, Waterway Guide was updated on October 27, 2026 and Ditch on October 24, 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.*