WSDOT vs FerryWatch
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
WSDOT
Access real-time traffic conditions, ferry schedules, and mountain pass reports for Washington State. Stay informed about travel alerts, toll rates, and border wait times to plan your journeys efficiently.
- Statewide traffic map
- Live traffic cameras
- Ferry schedules and locations
- Mountain pass conditions
- Toll rates
- Border wait times
- Train schedules
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Washington State Traveler information provided by The Washington State Department of Transportation. Features • Traffic Map with statewide traffic cameras and travel alerts. • Ferry schedules, alerts, and real-time ferry locations. • Mountain pass conditions and weather reports. • Washington State toll rates. • Northbound Canadian Border Waits. • Amtrak Cascades Train Schedules.
FerryWatch
This app helps travelers by providing real-time information on Washington State Ferry sailings. It allows users to track favorite routes, view upcoming departures, and check the availability of drive-up spaces on vessels, simplifying travel planning around Puget Sound.
- Real-time ferry sailing information
- Favorite route tracking
- Next departing ferry alerts
- Drive-up space availability
- Companion Apple Watch app
- Location-based departure finder
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Travelers rely on the Washington State Ferries to travel to the many destinations around Puget Sound. The FerryWatch app tells you when the next sailing is going to be, making the decision on whether to hustle through the terminal much easier. No need to navigate through a full list of ferries every time you want to check on a sailing. FerryWatch lets you add favorite routes to your ‘Watch List’ and finds the next departing ferry closest to your location. It also lets you know how many drive up spaces are still available on that vessel, so you know whether your vehicle will be able to board. The companion Apple Watch app provides a quick glance at your favorite route to find out whether you are going to make the boat. No need to stop and open the app on your phone as you rush to the terminal. Whether you are rushing downtown for a morning meeting or heading to Bainbridge Island for a winery tour, the FerryWatch app can make the trip across the Sound a little less stressful.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: FerryWatch at 4.0 against WSDOT's 2.9. FerryWatch also leads on review sentiment (50% vs 24%). WSDOT's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (monthly vs every 9 months). On price, in-app purchases, 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
FerryWatch holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 2.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: WSDOT has 280 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 24% of WSDOT's written reviews are positive against 50% of FerryWatch's.
WSDOT ships an update monthly, FerryWatch every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | WSDOT | FerryWatch |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.9 (280 ratings) | 4.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 24.3% of reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 280 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 9 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 54 MB | 9 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Washington State Department of Transportation | Dogfish Technologies, LLC |
Customer experience
WSDOT
FerryWatch
Bugs and requests
WSDOT
Reported bugs
3 issues- Frequent crashes and freezes
- Inaccurate and outdated traffic and ferry information
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
Requested features
4 requests- Add support for Apple CarPlay
- Improve ferry ticket purchasing and management
- Provide more detailed and real-time pass and road condition updates
- Add ability to report potholes and other road issues
FerryWatch
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
WSDOT
No in-app purchases
FerryWatch
No in-app purchases








