Comparison

MTB Project vs American Whitewater

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Offline trail maps
  • GPS route information
  • Elevation profiles
  • Featured ride suggestions
  • High-resolution topographical maps
  • Location tracking on trails
Features
Read full description

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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • Whitewater resource conservation
  • River restoration initiatives
  • Safe whitewater recreation opportunities
  • Advocacy for river preservation
  • Connects users with ecological data
Features
Read full description

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

MTB Project4 screens
American Whitewater4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
MTB Project versus American Whitewater: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMTB ProjectAmerican Whitewater
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (4.5K ratings) — better3.4 (24 ratings)
Positive reviews32.5% of reviews — better22.4% of reviews
Number of ratings4.5K — better24
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size86 MB60 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperAdventure Projects Inc.AMERICAN WHITEWATER

Customer experience

MTB Project

All ratings4,448 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral3.4%
Negative7.7%
Written reviews231 reviews
Positive32.5%
Neutral14.3%
Negative53.2%

American Whitewater

All ratings14 ratings
Positive35.7%
Neutral14.3%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews107 reviews
Positive22.4%
Neutral6.5%
Negative71.0%

User reviews

MTB Project

From 4.5K App Store ratings

What 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 ratings

What 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 more
  • 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 more
  • 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

None

MTB Project

No in-app purchases

None

American Whitewater

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MTB Project free?
MTB Project is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is American Whitewater free?
American Whitewater is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, MTB Project or American Whitewater?
MTB Project is rated higher. MTB Project averages 4.6 out of 5 from 4.5K ratings, while American Whitewater averages 3.4 from 24 ratings.
Do MTB Project or American Whitewater have ads?
Neither MTB Project nor American Whitewater shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MTB Project or American Whitewater?
MTB Project ships an update every 5 weeks, and American Whitewater every 2 months. Most recently, MTB Project was updated on November 1, 2026 and American Whitewater on November 2, 2026.

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