Comparison

Rivercast vs RiverAware

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

Head to head
About

Rivercast

Monitor river levels, flow rates, and flood warnings with real-time data and forecasts. Get custom alerts for your favorite waterways and visualize trends with interactive graphs. Essential for anyone living, working, or recreating near water.

Highlights
  • Official flood warnings and alerts
  • River stage height and flow rate
  • Color-coded river status indicators
  • Customizable push notification alerts
  • Interactive map of river gauges
  • Detailed historical and forecast data
  • Home and Lock Screen widgets
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Whether you're a boater, property owner, fisherman, paddler, whitewater rafter, or someone who works or lives near the water, Rivercast® makes it easy to see exactly what's happening on the rivers that matter to you. Rivercast includes: • Over 12,000 active gauges across USA • Official flood warnings and alerts from the National Weather Service • River stage height in feet • River flow rate in CFS (when available) • Color indicators showing when a river is normal, rising, or flooding • Current observations and recent history • Custom river level alerts when a river reaches your chosen level (Premium feature) • NOAA river forecasts (when available) • Interactive Map showing all nearby river gauges • Search by waterway name, state, or NOAA 5-digit station ID • Interactive Graphs with pinch-to-zoom and pan • Add your own reference lines to graphs for landmarks or safety levels • Favorites list for quick access to your key locations • Share graphs via iMessage, Email, Facebook, and more • Full Dark Mode support • Companion Apple Watch app to monitor your favorites (Premium feature) • Home Screen, Lock Screen, and StandBy Mode Widgets to monitor your favorites Rivercast’s map not only shows where gauges are located, but color-codes them to indicate whether each station is at normal levels, approaching flood stage, or above flood stage. Tap any location to view the latest observations or open an interactive graph for detailed trends. Pinch or drag to zoom and pan, or tap and hold for precise readings using the crosshair tool. Customize your hydrographs with personal level markers for bridges, sandbars, rocks, or safe navigation levels. Add favorite gauges for quick monitoring anytime. Rivercast uses official NOAA observation and forecast data and requires an internet connection for data access. Data is displayed in feet or cubic feet per second (CFS) when available, always shown in your local time. A trusted tool for boaters, fishermen, property owners, paddlers, scientists, and marine professionals who need clear, reliable river information. River gauges reported are USA only. We take our accuracy seriously! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Some Frequently Asked Questions: Where does Rivercast get its data? This app uses NOAA sources for its raw data for our custom graphing and mapping solutions. Some locations available only from other agencies (such as USGS) may not appear in this app. Why does Rivercast sometimes show slightly different flow data (CFS) than USGS? CFS is a calculated estimate derived from stage height. NOAA and USGS may sometimes use different data models, so results can vary slightly—usually within a few percent. Stage height should always be identical between NOAA and USGS, and designated flood stages are usually based on height in feet. Why does Rivercast only show observations, but not forecasts, for my river? NOAA provides forecasts for many, but not all, monitored rivers. Some forecasts are seasonal or only issued during high-water events. My river gauge was there yesterday, but it’s gone today. Why? River gauges occasionally have technical issues transmitting data or may even be washed out during flooding. Some are also seasonal. NOAA typically restores data within a few days or weeks. Can you add location XYZ to your app? We wish we could! If NOAA doesn’t report data for that location, we unfortunately can’t include it. Rivercast displays all stations that NOAA provides for public use. For more information, visit www.RivercastApp.com Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula Disclaimer: Rivercast is not affiliated with or endorsed by NOAA, USGS, or any other government entity. Rivercast

About

RiverAware

Access real-time river levels, flood alerts, and accurate forecasts from over 13,000 stations nationwide. Monitor your favorite rivers, receive custom notifications, and stay informed with severe weather news.

Highlights
  • Real-time river and coastal station data
  • Interactive map with color-coded pins
  • Up to 3 months of water-level history
  • Customizable river alerts
  • National Weather Service flood forecasts
  • Official weather alerts and newsfeed
  • Easy sharing of data and map snapshots
Read full description

Explore 13,000+ river and coastal stations in real time with accurate data, reliable forecasts, and nationwide flood alerts. Key Features of RiverAware: • Interactive Map: Search and explore rivers with color-coded pins showing live conditions. • River Data at a Glance: Access up to 3 months of water-level history in clear, simple graphs. • Watch List: Track the rivers that matter most to you. • Custom Alerts: Get notified when rivers reach your chosen height or flood stage. • Flood Forecasts: See what’s coming with accurate predictions from the National Weather Service (NWS). • Official Weather Alerts: Stay informed with current nationwide flood and storm warnings. • Severe Weather Newsfeed: Follow live flood news and weather updates right inside the app. • Easy Sharing: Send live graphs and map snapshots directly from the app. Upgrade to RiverAware Premium for access to all new features, plus more: * Unlimited alerts * Unlimited Watch List stations * All available flood forecasts Whether you’re planning outdoor adventures, monitoring your property, or working in emergency response, RiverAware helps you stay prepared and make informed decisions. Download RiverAware today to help you make confident decisions with real-time river and flood alerts.

Screenshots

Rivercast4 screens
RiverAware4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: RiverAware at none against Rivercast's shown. RiverAware also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and review sentiment (100% vs 85%). Rivercast's advantage is ratings volume (11K vs 9) and chart position (#157 vs unranked). On price, in-app purchases, 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

Both are free to download. Rivercast sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year and RiverAware sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

RiverAware holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Rivercast has 11K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of Rivercast's written reviews are positive against 100% of RiverAware's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Rivercast ships an update every 11 days, RiverAware every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Rivercast versus RiverAware: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRivercastRiverAware
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (11K ratings)5.0 (9 ratings) — better
Positive reviews85.2% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings11K — better9
Update frequencyEvery 11 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
Best chart rank#157 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS18.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB52 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJuggernaut Technology, Inc.Transcend Engineering and Technology, LLC

Customer experience

Rivercast

All ratings11,347 ratings
Positive93.8%
Neutral3.9%
Negative2.3%
Written reviews122 reviews
Positive85.2%
Neutral2.5%
Negative12.3%

RiverAware

All ratings8 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Rivercast

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Forecast data not always available
  • Occasional crashes or freezes
  • Issues with updating the app or reinstating premium subscription

Requested features

5 requests
  • Notification alerts when water levels reach certain thresholds
  • Ability to view longer historical data
  • Integration with weather data and forecasts
  • Water temperature information
  • More river/stream coverage, especially for smaller waterways

RiverAware

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Rivercast

Subscriptions1
  • Rivercast Premium Plus$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • Rivercast Premium Lifetime$44.99
2 purchases

RiverAware

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Premium Annual$19.991 Year

Questions

Is Rivercast free?
Rivercast is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is RiverAware free?
RiverAware is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Rivercast or RiverAware?
RiverAware is rated higher. Rivercast averages 4.7 out of 5 from 11K ratings, while RiverAware averages 5.0 from 9 ratings.
Do Rivercast or RiverAware have ads?
Rivercast shows ads; RiverAware does not.
Which is updated more often, Rivercast or RiverAware?
Rivercast ships an update every 11 days, and RiverAware every 3 weeks. Most recently, Rivercast was updated on October 28, 2026 and RiverAware on October 24, 2026.

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