# Canals.UK vs Canal Maps

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Canal Maps at none against Canals.UK's 6. On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Canals.UK ships an update weekly, Canal Maps fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Canals.UK | Canal Maps |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (55 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/canalsuk/id1588058538/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **55** | — |
| Positive reviews | 65.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 53 MB | 55 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MARK MANSER](https://appshunter.io/developer/1378563905) | [DAVID ANTHONY FLOYD](https://appshunter.io/developer/6771507735) |

## 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


### Canal Maps

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/canal-maps/id6773006169)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Canals.UK free?

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

### Is Canal Maps free?

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

### Do Canals.UK or Canal Maps have ads?

Neither Canals.UK nor Canal Maps shows ads.

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

Canals.UK ships an update weekly, and Canal Maps fortnightly. Most recently, Canals.UK was updated on October 27, 2026 and Canal Maps 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.*