Comparison

Rivers.run vs RiverAware

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Rivers.run

Access real-time river data including water levels, temperature, and skill level estimates. Discover nearby rivers using GPS, search by various criteria, and utilize interactive maps for navigation. Includes weather overlays for rain tracking.

Highlights
  • Water levels and temperature
  • Crowdsourced skill level estimates
  • GPS river discovery
  • Search by water level, skill, name
  • Interactive river maps
  • Weather overlays for rain
  • Offline access to downloaded data
Features
Read full description

Real-time river levels and crowdsourced paddling beta for whitewater paddlers. Rivers.run covers 10,000+ rivers and creeks across the US, Canada, and the UK & Ireland. Match live gauge data with hard-won local knowledge: flow color-coding, rapid-by-rapid descriptions, access points, and difficulty ratings, all in one place. Flow data comes straight from government gauges — USGS, Environment Canada, and the UK & Ireland — alongside NOAA forecasts. River descriptions, access points, and runnable levels are crowdsourced by the paddling community. KEY FEATURES Live Flows & Forecasts See current levels from USGS, Environment Canada, UK, and Ireland gauges, with simple low/runnable/high color coding. Dig into 28-day history graphs and NOAA forecasts to plan ahead. Switch freely between imperial and metric (CFS/CMS, ft/m, °F/°C). Interactive Map & Weather Radar Discover nearby rivers, view live weather radar (US), and tap any run for gauge readings, access points, and rapid descriptions. Offline Navigation (USA-only) Easy, free state-by-state map downloads keep you oriented when your signal disappears. Find put-ins and take-outs, get directions, and follow your live GPS location with no cell service at all — your favorites, lists, and saved flows come along too. Powerful Search & Filtering Find your next trip by water level, difficulty class, distance, region, custom tags, and more — then sort by what's running right now. Flow Alerts That Find Rare Runs Star the runs you care about and get an alert the moment they come into your preferred range — perfect for creeks that only run a few days a year. Prefer the big picture? Switch to a daily email digest of conditions, delivered at a time you choose. Custom Lists & Sync Build river lists by region, difficulty, or trip plan, and sync them across all your devices. Apple Watch Sync your lists to the companion Apple Watch app and check levels from the trailhead. Community-Driven Can't find your local creek? Disagree with a runnable level? The map is crowdsourced: anyone can suggest edits, new access points, or a fresh run write-up, and our moderators review every change to keep it accurate. Built for Everyone Dark mode and a colorblind-friendly palette come standard. Rivers.run is free, open-source, and built by paddlers for paddlers. River flows change and conditions can vary rapidly. Always exercise caution, wear appropriate safety gear, and verify local conditions before paddling. Need help or have feedback? Reach out to support@rivers.run Privacy Policy: https://rivers.run/privacy Terms of Service: https://rivers.run/terms

About

RiverAware

Access real-time river levels, flood alerts, and accurate forecasts from over 13,000 stations nationwide. Monitor your favorite rivers, receive custom notifications, and stay informed with severe weather news.

Highlights
  • Real-time river and coastal station data
  • Interactive map with color-coded pins
  • Up to 3 months of water-level history
  • Customizable river alerts
  • National Weather Service flood forecasts
  • Official weather alerts and newsfeed
  • Easy sharing of data and map snapshots
Currently charting
Read full description

Explore 13,000+ river and coastal stations in real time with accurate data, reliable forecasts, and nationwide flood alerts. Key Features of RiverAware: • Interactive Map: Search and explore rivers with color-coded pins showing live conditions. • River Data at a Glance: Access up to 3 months of water-level history in clear, simple graphs. • Watch List: Track the rivers that matter most to you. • Custom Alerts: Get notified when rivers reach your chosen height or flood stage. • Flood Forecasts: See what’s coming with accurate predictions from the National Weather Service (NWS). • Official Weather Alerts: Stay informed with current nationwide flood and storm warnings. • Severe Weather Newsfeed: Follow live flood news and weather updates right inside the app. • Easy Sharing: Send live graphs and map snapshots directly from the app. Upgrade to RiverAware Premium for access to all new features, plus more: * Unlimited alerts * Unlimited Watch List stations * All available flood forecasts Whether you’re planning outdoor adventures, monitoring your property, or working in emergency response, RiverAware helps you stay prepared and make informed decisions. Download RiverAware today to help you make confident decisions with real-time river and flood alerts.

Screenshots

Rivers.run4 screens
RiverAware4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: RiverAware at 100% against Rivers.run's 55%. RiverAware also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.4) and chart position (#183 vs unranked). Rivers.run's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, update cadence, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. RiverAware sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Rivers.run asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

RiverAware holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 28 and 8 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of Rivers.run's written reviews are positive against 100% of RiverAware's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Rivers.run ships an update every 6 weeks, RiverAware every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and July 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Rivers.run versus RiverAware: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRivers.runRiverAware
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (28 ratings)5.0 (8 ratings) — better
Positive reviews54.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings28 — better8
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
Best chart rank—#183 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size44 MB52 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTucker WillenborgTranscend Engineering and Technology, LLC

Customer experience

Rivers.run

All ratings28 ratings
Positive82.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative17.9%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive54.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative45.5%

RiverAware

All ratings8 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Rivers.run

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

RiverAware

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Premium Annual$19.991 Year

Questions

Is Rivers.run free?
Rivers.run is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is RiverAware free?
RiverAware is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Rivers.run or RiverAware?
RiverAware is rated higher. Rivers.run averages 4.4 out of 5 from 28 ratings, while RiverAware averages 5.0 from 8 ratings.
Do Rivers.run or RiverAware have ads?
Neither Rivers.run nor RiverAware shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Rivers.run or RiverAware?
Rivers.run ships an update every 6 weeks, and RiverAware every 3 weeks. Most recently, Rivers.run was updated on September 21, 2026 and RiverAware on July 8, 2026.

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