Comparison

River Thames Guide vs Experience Henley

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
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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 for selected locations •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 (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 one of 20 location on the river 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 page 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.

About

Experience Henley

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Discover exclusive local offers, find out what’s on, explore trails, and stay in the know with all the Experience Henley news all in one place. This app helps you live like a local and be a true Henley-on-Thames insider. Whether you’re a resident or just in town for the weekend, with the Experience Henley Card within the app you’ll unlock discounts at pubs, cafés, boutiques, beauty, markets, homeware, and even places to stay. It’s just like having your very own VIP card for Henley. Inside the app, you'll discover: VIP discounts with the Experience Henley Card Save at restaurants, cafés, boutiques, beauty & more Be first to know about events, festivals, pop-ups Get the latest Henley news & lifestyle stories Explore curated local trails To claim offers, find offer. Tap check in. Show membership card to claim. Now with News, Events Tours and Trails - Experience Henley more!

Screenshots

River Thames Guide4 screens
Experience Henley4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Experience Henley at 11.0 against River Thames Guide's 16.6. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

River Thames Guide ships an update every 6 weeks, Experience Henley every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 23, 2026 and May 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
River Thames Guide versus Experience Henley: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRiver Thames GuideExperience Henley
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS16.611.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size286 MB96 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperJeff MaynardSonoma Solutions Ltd

In-app purchases

None

River Thames Guide

No in-app purchases

None

Experience Henley

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is River Thames Guide free?
River Thames Guide is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Experience Henley free?
Experience Henley is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do River Thames Guide or Experience Henley have ads?
Neither River Thames Guide nor Experience Henley shows ads.
Which is updated more often, River Thames Guide or Experience Henley?
River Thames Guide ships an update every 6 weeks, and Experience Henley every 3 weeks. Most recently, River Thames Guide was updated on August 23, 2026 and Experience Henley on May 16, 2026.

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