# NW Ferry vs myORCA

The clearest difference is review sentiment: NW Ferry at 68% against myORCA's 15%. NW Ferry also leads on rating (4.7 vs 2.5) and ads (none vs shown). myORCA's advantage is price (Free vs $1.99) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months). On in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

myORCA 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 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NW Ferry has 2.2K ratings behind it against 384, 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 15% of myORCA's.

NW Ferry ships an update every 6 months, myORCA every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 22, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | NW Ferry | myORCA |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.7 (2.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nw-ferry/id427430871/reviews)** | [2.5 (384 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/myorca/id1606459618/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.2K** | 384 |
| Positive reviews | **67.6% of reviews** | 15.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#199** | — |
| Size | 10 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Durbinware](https://appshunter.io/developer/371905346) | [Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority](https://appshunter.io/developer/1606459620) |

## What reviewers say

### NW Ferry

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

**Currently charting:** #199 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


### myORCA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/myorca/id1606459618)

Manage your Puget Sound transit card for buses, trains, and ferries. Load fares, check balances, and purchase passes on the go. Connect your existing card or order a new one to simplify your commute.

**Highlights:** Load fares instantly, Check card balance, Manage multiple cards, Purchase daily/monthly passes, Set up autoloads, Connect existing ORCA card

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💻 Convenient to manage card on the go
- ⚡ Instant card reloading
- 🔍 Ability to view transaction history

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 No Apple Wallet/Pay integration
- 🔑 Frequent log-out issues
- 🐛 Buggy payment method management
- 📱 Limited functionality compared to website

**Reported bugs**

- Login credentials not recognized
- Payment method addition/removal not working
- Recent activity data displaying incorrectly

**Requested features**

- Add Apple Wallet/Pay support
- Implement Face ID/Touch ID login
- Improve app stability and reliability
- Expand functionality to match website


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NW Ferry free?

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

### Is myORCA free?

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

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

NW Ferry is rated higher. NW Ferry averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.2K ratings, while myORCA averages 2.5 from 384 ratings.

### Do NW Ferry or myORCA have ads?

myORCA shows ads; NW Ferry does not.

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

NW Ferry ships an update every 6 months, and myORCA every 2 months. Most recently, NW Ferry was updated on October 22, 2026 and myORCA on October 22, 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.*