River Thames Guide vs Sail Padstow
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
River Thames Guide
This comprehensive guide and planner helps you navigate and explore the River Thames and Wey Navigation. It offers an offline interactive map, a journey planner with distance and lock information, and details on bridges, weather, and river conditions.
- Interactive offline river map
- Journey planner with distance and lock counts
- Detailed lock and bridge information
- Current river conditions and weather forecasts
- Boating advice and emergency guidance
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The complete planner and guide for travel and leisure on the River Thames (from its source to the Thames Barrier) and the Wey Navigation including where you can go, how you get there and what’s on the way - includes these key features: Thames Map and Guide: •Interactive River Map: self-contained - no internet connection needed •Journey Planner: time (at 5, 3 , 1 mph), distance and number of locks between any two of 102 River Thames points (45 on Wey) •Locks: need to know detail on every lock •Bridges: headway in metres and feet •River draught (depth of water) •Weather and other conditions for each lock •Current river conditions (non-tidal and tidal) Boating Advice: •Rules for the River •Preventing Problems •Emergency Help and Guidance (RNLI approved) INTERACTIVE RIVER MAP: pinch or squeeze to zoom to the required level of detail. Add any combination of locks, moorings, boatyards, fuel, marinas, pubs, restaurants, lodgings, sanitation, fishing, emergency RVP and/or bridges; tapping any icon pops up further details including phone number, post code, maximum stay etc (where available). The interactive map is built-in to the App so you do not need an Internet connection to see where you are and facilities near you; tap the boat icon (top left of map) for location, speed & heading (when under way on rive). (PLEASE NOTE: this means a large download - please be patient, it’s worth it!). JOURNEY PLANNER: select a starting point and destination from the supplied list of 102 landmarks (including locks, marinas, moorings, bridges and places of interest (from Lechlade to the Thames Barrier) and immediately see the sailing distance, direction (up or downstream), sailing time (at 5 mph, 3 mph and 1 mph) and the number of locks to transit to complete your journey; Wey navigation planner features 45 locations. LOCK FEATURES: every Thames lock is listed in order from Cricklade Bridge to Teddington with distance to next lock both up and downstream. Touch any lock to see much more information including: telephone number; post code; lock type; width, drop and length; lock keeper’s hours; facilities available (such as WC, water, pump out etc). From the lock detail just tap to highlight this lock in the middle of the interactive map. Portage Maps for Sonning to Teddington locks. BRIDGE HEADWAY: every bridge listed in order with headway in feet and metres; bridge headways are colour coded for ease of use and instant check to see if you need to lower any masts. All the above features are built-in so are available even without an Internet connection. WEATHER: select any lock for an up-to-date weather forecast for today and tomorrow (includes temperature, winds, humidity, visibility, sunrise and sunset). Requires an Internet connection. The weather popup includes the current nautical twilight (the correct time to strike your ensign). CURRENT RIVER CONDITIONS: for safer river use always verify the current official conditions before setting off; non-tidal conditions are provided by the Environment Agency (the River Thames authority) and categorised as Red, Yellow or Green – tap to view an explanation of the colours. Tidal conditions are provided by the Port of London Authority. Requires an Internet connection. Includes current and planned river closures and river restrictions. IN CASE OF EMERGENCY: River Thames Guide includes an SOS section with information, endorsed by the RNLI, on how to deal with various problems including: Man Overboard; Boat Sinking; Boat on Fire; Boat Drifting. NOTE: these sections should be studied before embarking so that you can react properly to any emergency. Better still: take an appropriate course before using the river. HELP: every page contains tips on using River Thames Guide to help plan your journey, find somewhere to eat or stay, using the map, and more.
Sail Padstow
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The “Sail Apps” allows you to access essential information and services focused on the marine sector in UK Harbours, Ports and Marinas. It is an invaluable source of marine information for all who enjoy recreational boating. With all the information in one App, there’s no need to look elsewhere as it’s all in one easy to use location, featuring: “Everything Marine” your guide to marine services providers, Tidal Information, Locks and tidal restrictions within the location, up to date local weather and much more. We aim to provide you with all the information you need in one place, made by Mariners for Mariners who know what’s required for you to get the most out of your visit to other locations.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: River Thames Guide at every 6 weeks against Sail Padstow's every 3 months. Sail Padstow's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
River Thames Guide ships an update every 6 weeks, Sail Padstow every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | River Thames Guide | Sail Padstow |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 294 MB | 50 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Jeff Maynard | My Home Port Limited |
In-app purchases
River Thames Guide
No in-app purchases
Sail Padstow
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is River Thames Guide free?
Is Sail Padstow free?
Do River Thames Guide or Sail Padstow have ads?
Which is updated more often, River Thames Guide or Sail Padstow?
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