# Rivercast vs RiverAware

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 (#156 vs unranked). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Rivercast | RiverAware |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (11K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rivercast-river-levels-usa/id545375951/reviews) | **[5.0 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/riveraware/id6473773718/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **11K** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | 85.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 11 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#156** | — |
| Size | 27 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Juggernaut Technology, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/494748553) | [Transcend Engineering and Technology, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1771028522) |

## What reviewers say

### Rivercast

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rivercast-river-levels-usa/id545375951)

**Currently charting:** #156 Top Grossing · Weather (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Rivercast Premium Plus | $9.99 | per year |
| Rivercast Premium Lifetime | $44.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app
- 👍 Easy to navigate
- 👍 Helpful for monitoring river levels
- 👍 Useful for fishing and boating
- 👍 Accurate and up-to-date information

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Data not always up-to-date
- 🔒 Paid subscription required for full functionality
- 🔒 Can't view more than 30 hours of data without premium
- 🔒 Have to pay for each device
- 🔒 Charging for free data available elsewhere

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/riveraware/id6473773718)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Premium Annual | $19.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*