Waterway Guide vs RampTracker
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Waterway Guide
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.
- 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
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Optimized for your mobile devices with Waterway Guide's detailed and verified points of interest database. Includes over 1.3 million data points on marinas, anchorages, navigation alerts, free docks, bridges and locks displayed on the embedded map or satellite view. Benefit from the experience of 75 years of publishing and hundreds of thousands of active boaters through verified comments and reviews. Share your comments, add points of interest, earn rewards and engage with others from within the app. Stay informed with the latest hazards to navigation reported real time from USCG, government agencies, local experts and boaters everywhere. Plan your time on the water with Waterway Guide's Skipper's Handbook, which is included with the free app download. Access Waterway Guide's library of books as individual chapters or entire guides for the information and details you need for navigation. Content is optimized for mobile devices and can be bookmarked for availability offline. Easily find marinas that fit your needs. Filter our entire database of marinas based on amenities and your preferences. Same functionality as Waterway Guide’s Marinas App. EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
RampTracker
Discover and check live conditions for over 36,000 public boat ramps across the US and Canada. Get GPS coordinates, directions, and facility details for every listing. Plan your trips with integrated tide, wind, and weather forecasts.
- Extensive boat ramp directory (36,000+ US/Canada)
- GPS coordinates and directions
- Facility details
- Tides, wind, and weather forecasts
- Live community reports
- Explore new launch locations
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RampTracker: The Ultimate Boat Ramp Directory & Live Tracker Why guess what awaits you at the water's edge? RampTracker is the most comprehensive boat ramp directory in the palm of your hand, now covering **over 36,000 public boat ramps across the US and Canada**. Whether you're looking for a new place to launch or checking your local favorite, RampTracker provides instant access to thousands of ramps even if no one has reported on them yet. It's the essential toolkit for every boater, angler, and jet-skier. **Key Features:** * Explore New Waters: Over 36,000 ramps across all 50 US states and Canada**—find your next favorite spot instantly. * Complete Ramp Info: Every listing includes GPS coordinates, directions, and details about the facility. * Travel-Ready: Planning a fishing trip across state lines or the border? Find every public ramp at your destination effortlessly. * Tides, Wind & Weather: Forecast data built into every ramp so you can plan your launch with confidence. * Powered by Boaters: Submit reports and see real-time updates from the community as it grows. From Florida to Alaska, and British Columbia to Newfoundland, you're covered. Stop driving blindly and start knowing before you tow. RampTracker is a passion project and is completely free for the boating community! — Alejandro Palau
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: RampTracker at 100% against Waterway Guide's 51%. RampTracker also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 43) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 weeks). Waterway Guide's advantage is ratings volume (2.9K vs 2) and chart position (#141 vs unranked). 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
Both are free to download. Waterway Guide sells 43 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. RampTracker asks for nothing beyond the download.
RampTracker 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 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 51% of Waterway Guide's written reviews are positive against 100% of RampTracker's.
Waterway Guide ships an update every 3 weeks, RampTracker every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Waterway Guide | RampTracker |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (2.9K ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 51.2% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2.9K — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #141 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 51 MB | 49 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Waterway Guide | ALEJANDRO PALAU GONZALEZ |
Customer experience
Waterway Guide
RampTracker
Bugs and requests
Waterway Guide
Reported bugs
4 issues- App not working with latest iOS version
- Subscription purchases not working properly
- Unable to access purchased content
- Frequent crashes and errors
Requested features
4 requests- Provide vertical bridge clearances
- Improve offline functionality
- Enhance search and filtering options
- Implement dark mode
RampTracker
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Waterway Guide
- Chesapeake Bay Ch.3$4.991 Year
- Atlantic ICW Ch.2$4.991 Year
- Atlantic ICW Ch.6$4.991 Year
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- Southern Ch.6$4.991 Year
- Southern Bridges & Locks$4.991 Year
- Bahamas Cruising Guide$4.991 Year
- Florida Keys Ch.3$4.991 Year
- Gulf IWW Ch.4$4.991 Year
- Atlantic ICW Ch.10$4.991 Year
- Gulf IWW Ch.1$4.991 Year
- Western Gulf Coast Ch.4$4.991 Year
- Atlantic ICW Ch.4$4.991 Year
- Southern Ch.4$4.991 Year
- Western Gulf Coast Ch.3$4.991 Year
- Atlantic ICW East Coast Inlets$4.991 Year
- Northern Ch.12$4.991 Year
- Great Lakes Vol.2 Ch.7$4.991 Year
- Northern Ch.11$4.991 Year
- Great Lakes Vol.1 Ch.7$4.991 Year
- Atlantic ICW Ch.9$4.991 Year
- Great Lakes Vol.1 Ch.2$4.991 Year
- Northern Ch.1$14.991 Year
- Great Lakes Vol.2 Ch.8$14.991 Year
- Great Lakes Vol.2 Ch.6$14.991 Year
- Southern Ch.13$14.991 Year
- Southern Ch.10$14.991 Year
- Southern Ch.12$14.991 Year
- Southern Ch.3$14.991 Year
- Southern Ch.11$14.991 Year
- Anchorages Along the ICW$20.991 Year
- Bahamas Bound$20.991 Year
- ICW Cruising Guide by Bob423$29.991 Year
- Northern Edition$49.991 Year
- 1st Ed. Bahamas Land and Sea$49.991 Year
- Chesapeake Bay Edition$54.991 Year
- Atlantic ICW Edition$54.991 Year
- Southern Edition$54.991 Year
- Bahamas Edition$54.991 Year
- Western Gulf Coast Edition$54.991 Year
- Florida Keys Edition$54.991 Year
- Great Lakes Volume 1 Edition$54.991 Year
- Great Lakes Volume 2 Edition$54.991 Year
- Cuba Edition$59.991 Year
RampTracker
No in-app purchases
