# Canals.UK vs Memory

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Memory at none against Canals.UK's 6. Memory also leads on review sentiment (80% vs 65%) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). Canals.UK's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (53 vs 10). On price, rating, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Canals.UK sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Memory asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Canals.UK against 4.9 for Memory. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Canals.UK has 53 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 65% of Canals.UK's written reviews are positive against 80% of Memory's.

Canals.UK ships an update weekly, Memory every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Canals.UK | Memory |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (53 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/canalsuk/id1588058538/reviews) | **[4.9 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/memory-map-for-all/id1601873836/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **53** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | 65.3% of reviews | **80.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 53 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MARK MANSER](https://appshunter.io/developer/1378563905) | [Memory-Map](https://appshunter.io/developer/349996087) |

## What reviewers say

### Canals.UK

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/canalsuk/id1588058538)

This app is a comprehensive guide for navigating over 2,000 miles of UK canals. It provides detailed information on locks, bridges, facilities, and points of interest for boaters and walkers. An optional upgrade offers advanced features like route planning and boat tracking.

**Highlights:** 2000+ miles of UK canals mapped, Locks, bridges, and facilities information, Mile markers and linear canal diagrams, Canal & River Trust notices, Boat details and tracking, Route planning and points of interest

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Generous Tip | $9.99 | one-time |
| Go Pro | $17.99 | one-time |
| Enormous Tip | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Go-to app for canal needs
- 👍 Excellent features for planning
- 👍 Simple to use interface
- 👍 Pro upgrade well worth it
- 👍 Helpful for estimating travel time

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Paid version needed for planning
- 👎 Unreliable CRT notice information
- 👎 Saved plans glitching
- 👎 Distance calculation errors
- 👎 Pro version not activating

**Reported bugs**

- Saved plans glitching
- Route planner dropdown won't drop down
- Search bar won't search
- Location not working
- Purchasing Pro problems

**Requested features**

- Add 'via' points to journey plans
- Option to choose shortest/quickest routes
- Add a speed display
- More logical and relevant logging feature
- Better background map


### Memory

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/memory-map-for-all/id1601873836)

Navigate anywhere with offline maps and GPS. Access a vast library of global maps, plan routes, and track your journey without a mobile data connection. Sync data across devices for seamless planning and navigation.

**Highlights:** Offline GPS navigation, Downloadable global maps, Route planning and editing, 3D World map view, Interactive terrain elevation profiles, Cloud sync across devices, GPX file import/export

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🗺️ Excellent map quality and detail
- 📥 Offline map download capability
- 💰 One-time purchase option (no subscription)
- 🔄 Cross-device sync functionality
- 🧭 Comprehensive navigation features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App closing issues (swipe-up doesn't work properly)
- 🚗 No Apple CarPlay integration
- 🧩 Non-intuitive user interface
- 🔄 Slow feature development over years
- 📱 Dynamic Island compatibility issues

**Reported bugs**

- App won't close properly with swipe-up gesture on iPhone
- Startup error message about improper closure
- Maps fail to download on new devices
- GPS location not detected on iPad despite enabled settings
- App switching gesture interferes with map centering

**Requested features**

- Apple CarPlay support
- Map auto-rotation to direction of travel
- More custom waypoint icons (food drop, water source, campsite, etc.)
- Better route optimization with more waypoints
- Map orientation options (North-up vs. route-up)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Canals.UK free?

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

### Is Memory free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Canals.UK or Memory?

Memory is rated higher. Canals.UK averages 4.8 out of 5 from 53 ratings, while Memory averages 4.9 from 10 ratings.

### Do Canals.UK or Memory have ads?

Neither Canals.UK nor Memory shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Canals.UK or Memory?

Canals.UK ships an update weekly, and Memory every 3 months. Most recently, Canals.UK was updated on September 21, 2026 and Memory on September 22, 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.*