MTB Project vs American Whitewater
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
MTB Project
Discover and navigate mountain biking trails with offline maps and detailed GPS route information. Find featured rides, explore local expert insights, and track your location on high-resolution topographical maps. Perfect for planning your next adventure, even without cell service.
- Offline trail maps
- GPS route information
- Elevation profiles
- Featured ride suggestions
- High-resolution topographical maps
- Location tracking on trails
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MTB Project is your comprehensive mountain biking guide to the trails you want to ride - with offline maps, full GPS route info, elevation profiles, interactive features, photos, and more. Like a guidebook, we suggest the best featured rides to explore—either near your current location or in an area you search for. Local experts show you the highlights, challenging features, and insights you need to plan a great ride. • Find more than 77,000 miles of trail to shred with your crew. • New rides and trails are constantly added to our incredibly detailed mountain bike trail and ride database. • Your exact location is shown on the trail. • Downloaded trails work offline for when you’re off the grid. (No cell reception required!) • Enjoy high-resolution photos and detailed topographical trail maps. • We’ll sync with your to-do list and check ins on MTBProject.com. By using GPS, we can show your location on trails and vertical profiles. Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.
American Whitewater
This app connects human-powered recreational river users with ecological data to conserve and restore whitewater resources. It serves as a primary advocate for preserving whitewater rivers across the United States, promoting safe enjoyment.
- Whitewater resource conservation
- River restoration initiatives
- Safe whitewater recreation opportunities
- Advocacy for river preservation
- Connects users with ecological data
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Founded in 1954, American Whitewater is a national non-profit organization (Non-profit # 23-7083760) with a mission “to conserve and restore America's whitewater resources and to enhance opportunities to enjoy them safely.” American Whitewater is a membership organization representing a broad diversity of individual whitewater enthusiasts, river conservationists, and more than 100 local paddling club affiliates across America. The organization is the primary advocate for the preservation and protection of whitewater rivers throughout the United States, and connects the interests of human-powered recreational river users with ecological and science-based data to achieve the goals within its mission.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: MTB Project at 4.6 against American Whitewater's 3.4. MTB Project also leads on ratings volume (4.5K vs 24) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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.
MTB Project holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MTB Project has 4.5K ratings behind it against 24, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 32% of MTB Project's written reviews are positive against 22% of American Whitewater's.
MTB Project ships an update every 5 weeks, American Whitewater every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | MTB Project | American Whitewater |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (4.5K ratings) — better | 3.4 (24 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 32.5% of reviews — better | 22.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4.5K — better | 24 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 86 MB | 60 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Adventure Projects Inc. | AMERICAN WHITEWATER |
Customer experience
MTB Project
American Whitewater
User reviews
MTB Project
From 4.5K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Great resource for finding trails
- 📍 Accurate trail information
- 🗺️ Detailed maps and elevation profiles
- 🤝 Community-driven content
- 🔍 Helpful for discovering new trails
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Outdated or missing trail information
- 🔒 Login/account issues
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and use
- 🔋 Unreliable GPS and tracking
American Whitewater
From 24 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🗺️ Map view displaying all runs simultaneously
- 📊 Accurate river gauge information and levels
- 🎨 Modern, visually appealing redesign
- 📱 Responsive app that updates reliably
- 🌈 Color-coded difficulty ratings
Room to improve
- ❌ Removal of favorites/bookmarks feature
- 🔍 Eliminated filtering by difficulty, flow, and distance
- 😕 Loss of saved runs and user preferences
- ⏱️ Requires clicking individual rivers to view levels
- 🗂️ Incomplete state river lists with scrolling issues
Bugs and requests
MTB Project
Reported bugs
4 issues- Crashes when zooming or panning the map
- Elevation and distance data inaccuracies
- Inability to save or export recorded rides
- Inconsistent user interface and navigation
Requested features
5 requests- Add more trails, especially in non-US regions
- Improve app stability and performance
- Allow offline access to maps and trail data
- Add more customization and personalization options
- Integrate with other fitness/tracking apps
American Whitewater
Reported bugs
13 issues- Rivers not populating on map or in lists
- Incorrect water level readings
- App crashes on launch (iPhone 11 and other devices)
- Login functionality broken or non-functional
- Favorites data lost during updates
Show 8 moreShow fewer
- Flow data inconsistency between app and website
- Gauge information displays in mixed units (CFS vs feet)
- App stalls during flow updates
- Incomplete river lists when browsing by state
- Share button crashes the app
- App won't load or displays 'update in progress' indefinitely
- Password manager integration issues
- Weekly automatic logouts
Requested features
13 requests- Restore favorites/bookmarked rivers functionality
- Restore filtering by difficulty class, distance, and runnable status
- Add ability to save custom river sections
- Implement flow-based alerts and notifications
- Add toggle between CFS and feet measurements
Show 8 moreShow fewer
- Restore quick-view list format with flow indicators
- Include rapid descriptions and hazard information
- Add user location zoom button on map
- Implement custom notes attachment to runs
- Add configurable flow alerts for premium members
- Restore login functionality and account persistence
- Improve search persistence across navigation
- Display rapids and descriptions in app (not just website)
In-app purchases
MTB Project
No in-app purchases
American Whitewater
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is MTB Project free?
Is American Whitewater free?
Which has better reviews, MTB Project or American Whitewater?
Do MTB Project or American Whitewater have ads?
Which is updated more often, MTB Project or American Whitewater?
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