# SeaHelp vs Waterway Guide

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SeaHelp at 100% against Waterway Guide's 52%. SeaHelp also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 43) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.6). Waterway Guide's advantage is ratings volume (2.9K vs 34) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Waterway Guide sells 43 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. SeaHelp asks for nothing beyond the download.

Waterway Guide holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Waterway Guide has 2.9K ratings behind it against 34, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 100% of SeaHelp's written reviews are positive against 52% of Waterway Guide's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

SeaHelp ships an update every 2 months, Waterway Guide every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SeaHelp | Waterway Guide |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (34 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seahelp/id387967419/reviews) | **[4.7 (2.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/waterway-guide/id1551794976/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 34 | **2.9K** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 52.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#172** |
| Size | 15 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sea-Help GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/909091275) | [Waterway Guide](https://appshunter.io/developer/958617198) |

## What reviewers say

### SeaHelp

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seahelp/id387967419)

This app provides immediate professional assistance for boaters in distress in specific European coastal areas. It sends your location and contact details to a central operations center, which then contacts you to arrange support. Membership offers priority treatment during emergencies.

**Highlights:** Emergency help button via SMS, Automatic GPS coordinate transfer, Direct contact from operations center, Membership for priority treatment, Access to SeaHelp website, Downloadable SeaMagazine

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none


### Waterway Guide

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/waterway-guide/id1551794976)

**Currently charting:** #172 Top Grossing · Navigation (US App Store)

This app provides a comprehensive boating resource with a verified database of marinas, anchorages, and navigation alerts. Users can access real-time hazard information, plan trips with a digital handbook, and utilize detailed content optimized for mobile devices. Engage with a community of boaters through comments and reviews.

**Highlights:** Verified points of interest database, Real-time navigation alerts, Community comments and reviews, Skipper's Handbook for trip planning, Offline content access, Marina filtering by amenities

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (43)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Chesapeake Bay Ch.3 | $4.99 | per year |
| Atlantic ICW Ch.2 | $4.99 | per year |
| Atlantic ICW Ch.6 | $4.99 | per year |
| Southern Ch.6 | $4.99 | per year |
| Southern Bridges & Locks | $4.99 | per year |
| Bahamas Cruising Guide | $4.99 | per year |
| Florida Keys Ch.3 | $4.99 | per year |
| Gulf IWW Ch.4 | $4.99 | per year |
| Atlantic ICW Ch.10 | $4.99 | per year |
| Gulf IWW Ch.1 | $4.99 | per year |
| Western Gulf Coast Ch.4 | $4.99 | per year |
| Atlantic ICW Ch.4 | $4.99 | per year |
| Southern Ch.4 | $4.99 | per year |
| Western Gulf Coast Ch.3 | $4.99 | per year |
| Atlantic ICW East Coast Inlets | $4.99 | per year |
| Northern Ch.12 | $4.99 | per year |
| Great Lakes Vol.2 Ch.7 | $4.99 | per year |
| Northern Ch.11 | $4.99 | per year |
| Great Lakes Vol.1 Ch.7 | $4.99 | per year |
| Atlantic ICW Ch.9 | $4.99 | per year |
| Great Lakes Vol.1 Ch.2 | $4.99 | per year |
| Northern Ch.1 | $14.99 | per year |
| Great Lakes Vol.2 Ch.8 | $14.99 | per year |
| Great Lakes Vol.2 Ch.6 | $14.99 | per year |
| Southern Ch.13 | $14.99 | per year |
| Southern Ch.10 | $14.99 | per year |
| Southern Ch.12 | $14.99 | per year |
| Southern Ch.3 | $14.99 | per year |
| Southern Ch.11 | $14.99 | per year |
| Anchorages Along the ICW | $20.99 | per year |
| Bahamas Bound | $20.99 | per year |
| ICW Cruising Guide by Bob423 | $29.99 | per year |
| Northern Edition | $49.99 | per year |
| 1st Ed. Bahamas Land and Sea | $49.99 | per year |
| Chesapeake Bay Edition | $54.99 | per year |
| Atlantic ICW Edition | $54.99 | per year |
| Southern Edition | $54.99 | per year |
| Bahamas Edition | $54.99 | per year |
| Western Gulf Coast Edition | $54.99 | per year |
| Florida Keys Edition | $54.99 | per year |
| Great Lakes Volume 1 Edition | $54.99 | per year |
| Great Lakes Volume 2 Edition | $54.99 | per year |
| Cuba Edition | $59.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent integration with Aqua Map
- 👍 Useful resource for boating
- 👍 Great information and details
- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 👍 Invaluable for planning trips

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
- 🐛 Inconsistent and unreliable
- 🐛 Difficult to navigate and use
- 🐛 Outdated information and images
- 🐛 Subscription and access issues

**Reported bugs**

- App not working with latest iOS version
- Subscription purchases not working properly
- Unable to access purchased content
- Frequent crashes and errors

**Requested features**

- Provide vertical bridge clearances
- Improve offline functionality
- Enhance search and filtering options
- Implement dark mode


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SeaHelp free?

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

### Is Waterway Guide free?

Waterway Guide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, SeaHelp or Waterway Guide?

Waterway Guide is rated higher. SeaHelp averages 4.4 out of 5 from 34 ratings, while Waterway Guide averages 4.7 from 2.9K ratings.

### Do SeaHelp or Waterway Guide have ads?

Neither SeaHelp nor Waterway Guide shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SeaHelp or Waterway Guide?

SeaHelp ships an update every 2 months, and Waterway Guide every 2 weeks. Most recently, SeaHelp was updated on October 8, 2026 and Waterway Guide on October 23, 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.*