# Waterway Guide vs Nautical Rules

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Nautical Rules at 100% against Waterway Guide's 52%. Nautical Rules also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 43) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Waterway Guide's advantage is ratings volume (2.9K vs 12) and chart position (#182 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Waterway Guide sells 43 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. Nautical Rules asks for nothing beyond the download.

Nautical Rules holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Waterway Guide has 2.9K ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of Waterway Guide's written reviews are positive against 100% of Nautical Rules's.

Waterway Guide ships an update every 2 weeks, Nautical Rules every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Waterway Guide | Nautical Rules |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (2.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/waterway-guide/id1551794976/reviews) | **[5.0 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nautical-rules/id6756220989/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.9K** | 12 |
| Positive reviews | 52.4% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#182** | — |
| Size | 52 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.6** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Waterway Guide](https://appshunter.io/developer/958617198) | [Joseph Kim](https://appshunter.io/developer/1855404156) |

## What reviewers say

### Waterway Guide

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

**Currently charting:** #182 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


### Nautical Rules

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nautical-rules/id6756220989)

Master USCG Navigation Rules with a comprehensive question bank and smart study features. Track your progress, practice for exams, and study offline to navigate with confidence.

**Highlights:** 1,200+ practice questions, Inland and International waters coverage, Detailed explanations, Customizable tests, Offline study capability, Progress tracking dashboard, Accuracy by rule statistics

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Waterway Guide free?

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

### Is Nautical Rules free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Waterway Guide or Nautical Rules?

Nautical Rules is rated higher. Waterway Guide averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.9K ratings, while Nautical Rules averages 5.0 from 12 ratings.

### Do Waterway Guide or Nautical Rules have ads?

Neither Waterway Guide nor Nautical Rules shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Waterway Guide or Nautical Rules?

Waterway Guide ships an update every 2 weeks, and Nautical Rules every 3 weeks. Most recently, Waterway Guide was updated on October 24, 2026 and Nautical Rules 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.*