Comparison

Knots 3D vs NOAC Patch Guide

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

Head to head
About

Knots 3D

Master over 220 essential knots with detailed 3D animations and offline access. This app is perfect for learning rope work for activities like fishing, climbing, and boating, offering interactive tutorials and customizable organization features.

Highlights
  • 225+ knots in 12+ categories
  • Offline access, no internet required
  • Interactive 3D knot animations
  • Rotate and scrub through knot tying
  • Customizable knot categories
  • Add personal notes and keywords
  • ABOK number cross-reference
Features
Read full description

Learn to tie over 240 knots for fishing, climbing, boating, sailing, camping, scouting and other ropework. Knots 3D is the original 3D knot-tying app, first released in 2011 and rated 4.9 by tens of thousands of users worldwide. Choose a knot app with care, as your safety may depend on it. Watch each knot tie itself in 3D, slow it down, and turn it around until it makes sense. Browse by category or type, search by name, common synonym or Ashley Book of Knots (ABoK) number, or describe what you need the knot to do. Save your favorite knots for quick review. Features: - 241 knots in over a dozen categories, with new knots added regularly - No ads, no subscriptions and no in-app purchases. Ever! - Completely OFFLINE and self-contained. No additional downloads or internet access required! - Watch knots tie themselves and pause or adjust the speed of the animation at any time - Rotate knots in 360-degree, 3D views to study them from any angle with a swipe of a finger - "Scrub" over the knot with a finger to advance or rewind the animation - Mirror (left-hand) mode, zoom, and rotate the view to match how you hold the rope - Describe a task in your own words, like "tie a boat to a dock", to find the right knots for the job - High-res graphics with photorealistic rope textures - Dark mode and light mode - List, Card and Icon view options - Create your own custom categories to group knots, such as "Mastered", "Practice" or "Top Ten" - Add personal notes, links and your own search keywords to any knot - Share a knot link by text message, email, social media and more - ABoK numbers for cross-reference to The Ashley Book of Knots Includes the knots people look for most: Bowline, Clove Hitch, Figure Eight, Trucker's Hitch, Square Knot, Sheet Bend, Prusik, Taut Line Hitch, Cleat Hitch, Palomar Knot, Uni Knot, Double Fisherman's Knot, Alpine Butterfly, Monkey's Fist, Munter Hitch and many more. Every knot comes with a description of what it is for and a list of common uses. Most also include the other names the knot goes by, strength and reliability notes, structure, related knots, ABoK numbers and history. Available in 25 languages: Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Ukrainian and Vietnamese Categories: - Essential Knots - Arborist - Boating - Camping - Caving - Climbing - Decorative - Diving - Fire & Rescue - Fishing - Military - Neckties - Pioneering - Rope Care - Scouting - Theatre & Film Types: - Bends - Binding - Coils - Friction Hitches - Hitches - Lashings - Loops - Mats - Multi-Loop - Quick Release - Stoppers - Whippings The complete list of knots: https://knots3d.com/en/complete-list Missing a knot? Suggest one from inside the app. Knots 3D is a learning reference. Learn from a skilled instructor if you plan to use ropes or knots in a situation where failure could cause property damage, injury, or death.

About

NOAC Patch Guide

This app provides a comprehensive catalog of National Order of the Arrow Conference (NOAC) patches. Users can manage their personal collections, track desired patches, and connect with other collectors through community channels.

Highlights
  • Comprehensive NOAC patch catalog
  • Personal collection management
  • Wishlist tracking
  • Community channels for collectors
  • User-friendly interface
Features
Read full description

Your home base for Order of the Arrow patch collecting, always in your pocket. NOAC Patch Guide is the companion app for OA patch collectors. Browse patches by year and by lodge, track your collection and wishlist, and connect with fellow collectors in person. Built for Scouts and Scouters. BROWSE BY YEAR AND LODGE • Decades of NOAC patches, gathered in one place • Explore by year or by lodge (239 lodges and counting) • Rich lodge detail: totem, founding year, region, section, council, and merge history • Favorite a lodge to get notified when new patches are added TRACK YOUR COLLECTION • Mark what you've collected and what's on your wishlist • See your progress at a glance, like "142 of 1,205 collected." • Filter by year or lodge to find exactly what you need CONNECT, SAFELY AND IN PERSON • Meet a collector at an event? Share your wishlist or collection with a quick scan • See what others are hunting and help each other finish your sets • No messaging and no contact info, ever. You share a read-only list in person • Your public identity is always a fun scout persona and avatar, never a real name or photo HELP BUILD THE GUIDE • Spot a patch we're missing? Photograph it and submit in seconds • Crowdsourced and always growing EARN AS YOU COLLECT • Unlock badges for milestones, completions, and contributions • Make it yours with collectible avatars, frames, and app icons BUILT FOR THE EVENT • Works offline, so you can browse and track even when the venue Wi-Fi can't keep up • Designed for Scouts: wholesome, safe, and contact-free by design Whether you're chasing your first flap or completing a decades-long collection, NOAC Patch Guide helps you discover, track, and share the patches you love. NOAC Patch Guide is an independent app for collectors. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Scouting America or the Order of the Arrow.

Screenshots

Knots 3D4 screens
NOAC Patch Guide4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: NOAC Patch Guide at Free against Knots 3D's $5.99. NOAC Patch Guide also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 weeks). Knots 3D's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (13K vs 1). On rating, ads, monetization model 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

NOAC Patch Guide is free to download; Knots 3D costs $5.99 up front. NOAC Patch Guide sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Knots 3D asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Knots 3D against 5.0 for NOAC Patch Guide. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Knots 3D has 13K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Knots 3D ships an update every 2 weeks, NOAC Patch Guide every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Knots 3D versus NOAC Patch Guide: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKnots 3DNOAC Patch Guide
Price$5.99Free — better
Rating4.9 (13K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews97.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings13K — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#2 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS16.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size520 MB66 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNynixAdam McDaniel

Customer experience

Knots 3D

All ratings12,839 ratings
Positive98.3%
Neutral0.9%
Negative0.8%
Written reviews634 reviews
Positive97.8%
Neutral0.9%
Negative1.3%

NOAC Patch Guide

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Knots 3D

Reported bugs

1 issue
  • Favorites list disappearing after updates

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add more splices and advanced knots
  • Implement step-by-step instructions and ability to pause/rewind animations
  • Add a continuous loop option for the knot animations
  • Introduce a game mode or practice feature

NOAC Patch Guide

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Knots 3D

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

NOAC Patch Guide

One-time1
  • Collector Pack$1.99

Questions

Is Knots 3D free?
Knots 3D costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is NOAC Patch Guide free?
NOAC Patch Guide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Knots 3D or NOAC Patch Guide?
NOAC Patch Guide is rated higher. Knots 3D averages 4.9 out of 5 from 13K ratings, while NOAC Patch Guide averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Knots 3D or NOAC Patch Guide have ads?
Neither Knots 3D nor NOAC Patch Guide shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Knots 3D or NOAC Patch Guide?
Knots 3D ships an update every 2 weeks, and NOAC Patch Guide every 3 days. Most recently, Knots 3D was updated on October 19, 2026 and NOAC Patch Guide on October 1, 2026.

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