Waterway Guide vs Shore Watch
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/
Shore Watch
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Nobody on shore knows where your boat is right now. You tell someone you'll be back around five. Then the wind picks up, or the motor doesn't, and five turns into seven — and the one person who could do something about it has no idea anything is wrong. Shore Watch closes that gap. HOW IT WORKS Start a trip and put your phone away. Your Safety Circle — your wife, a friend, whoever you choose — watches your boat move in real time on a map. Screen locked, app closed, phone in a dry bag: tracking keeps running. If something goes wrong, hit SOS. Everyone in your circle gets a text, an email, and a push notification with your exact coordinates and a live tracking link. WHAT YOU GET - Live position sharing during an active trip - One-tap SOS with coordinates sent to your whole circle - Background tracking that survives a locked screen - Departure and arrival alerts so shore knows when you left and when you're back - Automatic check-in prompts if you stop moving - Signal-loss alerts if your phone drops off the network - Trip history with route, speed, and duration - Two-way messages between captain and watchers during an emergency BUILT FOR REAL BOATING This was built by a boater in South Florida, tested off Black Point Marina, and broken on purpose until it stopped breaking. The hard part was never the map — it was making the boring parts hold when your phone is in a pocket six hours into a run. Shore Watch is not a replacement for a VHF radio, an EPIRB, or filing a float plan. It's the layer between "I'll text you when I'm back" and calling the Coast Guard. LOCATION AND PRIVACY Shore Watch uses your location only during a trip you start, and shares it only with the people you add to your Safety Circle. Background location is required so tracking continues when your screen is off — that's the entire point. End the trip and sharing stops. Free while in early access.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shore Watch at none against Waterway Guide's 10. Shore Watch also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 weeks). Waterway Guide's advantage is chart position (#184 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 10 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year. Shore Watch asks for nothing beyond the download.
Waterway Guide ships an update every 2 weeks, Shore Watch every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Waterway Guide | Shore Watch |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (2.9K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 52.4% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2.9K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | #184 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 52 MB | 47 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Waterway Guide | Boat Video Productions LLC |
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
Shore Watch
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Waterway Guide
- Great Lakes Vol.2 Ch.8$14.991 Year
- Anchorages Along the ICW$20.991 Year
- ICW Cruising Guide by Bob423$29.991 Year
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- 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
- Western Gulf Coast Edition$54.991 Year
- Florida Keys Edition$54.991 Year
Shore Watch
No in-app purchases









