Comparison

CFSWater vs River Rat

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

Head to head
About

CFSWater

Provides real-time and scheduled water release and power generation data for specific Army Corps of Engineer tailwaters. Includes current weather information for affected areas. Data is subject to change and may not always match estimated schedules.

Highlights
  • Water release reporting
  • Power generation data
  • Weather information
  • Army Corps of Engineer tailwaters
  • Scheduled and current data
Features
Read full description

This app reports scheduled and current water release and power generations along with weather information for the following Army Corp of Engineer tail waters. Bullshoals, AR Tablerock, MO Norfork, AR Greers Ferry, AR Beaver, AR Note: These reported water levels are subject to change and may not honor estimated schedules.

About

River Rat

Features
Read full description

Montana rivers don't wait. River Rat gives paddlers, fly fishers, and rafters a clean read on 39 rivers across Montana and Idaho – before you load the truck. Know if it's runnable, not just the CFS number. Live readings are automatically classified: too low, bony, ideal, pushy, too high. You see the verdict, not just the number. Plan a trip, not just a day. Save your rivers. Open the Trip Planner, pick a date, and see which runs will be in shape. The weekend digest gives you the one-line read before you open anything. Hatches: type, timing, and fly patterns. Active, approaching, and fading windows by species – salmonflies, PMDs, caddis, and more – with fly patterns and timing notes built around water temperature, not calendar guesses. What's in the detail view: • Real-time water temperature + fish thermal stress alerts (67°F stress, 70°F danger) • Water clarity signal with 24-hour trend • Gage height • Rapids and hazards with class ratings • 7-day weather: air temp highs/lows and precip probability Set alerts. Stop babysitting gauges. Set a threshold – "notify me when the Blackfoot hits ideal" – and let it fire when conditions land. No polling required. Everything saves locally. 39 rivers across Montana and Idaho. Built for the people who actually run them. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

CFSWater3 screens
River Rat4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CFSWater at none against River Rat's 2. CFSWater also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.1). River Rat's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 13 months). On price, ads and device support 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. River Rat sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. CFSWater asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CFSWater ships an update every 13 months, River Rat every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
CFSWater versus River Rat: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCFSWaterRiver Rat
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (7 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings7 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 13 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB53 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKeyhole Software LLCEvil Twin Enterprises, LLC

In-app purchases

None

CFSWater

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

River Rat

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Annual7 Days trial$39.991 Year

Questions

Is CFSWater free?
CFSWater is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is River Rat free?
River Rat is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do CFSWater or River Rat have ads?
Neither CFSWater nor River Rat shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CFSWater or River Rat?
CFSWater ships an update every 13 months, and River Rat every 10 days. Most recently, CFSWater was updated on October 9, 2026 and River Rat on October 21, 2026.

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