# NW Ferry vs FerryWatch

The clearest difference is price: FerryWatch at Free against NW Ferry's $1.99. FerryWatch also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.0). NW Ferry's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.0) and ads (none vs shown). On update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

FerryWatch is free to download; NW Ferry costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

NW Ferry holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NW Ferry has 2.2K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 68% of NW Ferry's written reviews are positive against 50% of FerryWatch's.

NW Ferry ships an update every 6 months, FerryWatch every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NW Ferry | FerryWatch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.7 (2.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nw-ferry/id427430871/reviews)** | [4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ferrywatch/id1013624915/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.2K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **67.6% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 months** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Best chart rank | **#121** | — |
| Size | 10 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Durbinware](https://appshunter.io/developer/371905346) | [Dogfish Technologies, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1197710360) |

## What reviewers say

### NW Ferry

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nw-ferry/id427430871)

**Currently charting:** #121 Top Paid · Travel (US App Store)

Plan your Washington State Ferry trips with real-time schedules, live vessel tracking, and service alerts. This app provides terminal cameras and drive-up space estimates to help you stay informed and ahead of delays.

**Highlights:** Real-time schedules & fares, Live vessel tracking, Service alerts, Terminal cameras, Drive-up space estimates, Favorites & recents, Apple Watch app & widgets

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Accurate and up-to-date
- 📊 Helpful for planning ferry trips
- 🔍 Useful camera views
- 🗓️ Essential for frequent ferry users

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unreliable data and inaccurate information
- 🔍 Missing important features like arrival times
- 💰 Paid app with limited functionality compared to free options
- 🔄 Slow to update and unresponsive to schedule changes
- 🔧 Buggy and crashes frequently

**Reported bugs**

- App won't open on Apple Watch
- Broken links to customer support
- Inconsistent display of car capacity information

**Requested features**

- Display full day's schedule instead of just upcoming ferries
- Allow customization of routes/terminals shown
- Add real-time updates for delayed/late ferries
- Integrate ticket purchasing/reservation functionality
- Improve widget and 3D Touch functionality


### FerryWatch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ferrywatch/id1013624915)

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.

**Highlights:** Real-time ferry sailing information, Favorite route tracking, Next departing ferry alerts, Drive-up space availability, Companion Apple Watch app, Location-based departure finder

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NW Ferry free?

NW Ferry costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is FerryWatch free?

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

### Which has better reviews, NW Ferry or FerryWatch?

NW Ferry is rated higher. NW Ferry averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.2K ratings, while FerryWatch averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do NW Ferry or FerryWatch have ads?

FerryWatch shows ads; NW Ferry does not.

### Which is updated more often, NW Ferry or FerryWatch?

NW Ferry ships an update every 6 months, and FerryWatch every 9 months. Most recently, NW Ferry was updated on October 19, 2026 and FerryWatch on September 18, 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.*