CDFW License vs SeaThrough
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
CDFW License
Manage your California fishing and hunting licenses, preference points, and access permits. This official app allows you to view and store all your important wildlife documents in one convenient place.
- View fishing licenses
- View hunting licenses
- Store preference points
- Access permits
- Manage drawing applications
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CDFW License App is the official license management App for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Utilize this app to view and store all your CDFW fishing and hunting licenses, preference points, access permits, and drawing applications.
SeaThrough
This app forecasts ocean water clarity for divers and spearfishers, focusing on Southern California. It uses a map to explore coastal areas, check hourly breakdowns of conditions, and plan optimal times for visibility based on tide, swell, and wind.
- Map-based spot discovery
- Hour-by-hour clarity forecast
- Tide direction and timing
- Saved spots and planned dives
- Location data requests
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SeaThrough provides ocean conditions and an estimated water-clarity forecast for divers and spearos, currently optimized for Southern California. Use the map to explore coastal areas, drop pins, and quickly see the best time windows for visibility. Check a spot’s hourly breakdown to plan around changing conditions. SeaThrough combines key signals like tide movement, swell, and wind into a simple, glanceable forecast so you can spend less time researching and more time in the water. Features: • Map-based spot discovery with pinning and favorites • Hour-by-hour clarity forecast and visibility range • Tide direction and timing insights • Quick planning with saved spots and planned dives If a location’s data isn’t available yet, you can request it in-app. Requested locations will be prioritized and added in future releases. Note: Forecasts are estimates for informational purposes only. Always verify conditions locally and prioritize safety.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: SeaThrough at 5.0 against CDFW License's 2.8. SeaThrough also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 months). CDFW License's advantage is ratings volume (98 vs 4) and chart position (#210 vs unranked). 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.
SeaThrough holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CDFW License has 98 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.
CDFW License ships an update every 5 months, SeaThrough fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | CDFW License | SeaThrough |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.8 (98 ratings) | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 35.4% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 98 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #210 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 69 MB | 22 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | RA Outdoors, LLC, d/b/a Aspira | MARTUN DAVOYAN |
Customer experience
CDFW License
SeaThrough
Bugs and requests
CDFW License
Reported bugs
6 issues- Error 403 when trying to buy
- Cannot associate ID info (DL, passport)
- App autofilled random password
- Login fails in app but works on website
- App says no active licenses when user has them
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- Invalid email/password error
Requested features
15 requests- Add Apple Wallet support
- Consolidate info dumps for efficiency
- Allow account creation directly in app
- Retain login credentials
- Add lobster reporting functionality
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- Specify location and harvest method
- Tailored regulations with fish search and ID guide
- Add interactive MPA map
- Add widget for high/low tides
- Allow purchasing and renewing licenses through the app
- Add tidal charts and lunar phases
- Tag harvest via the app
- Add hunting licenses
- Add fishing regulation map
- Make report cards virtual
SeaThrough
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
CDFW License
No in-app purchases
SeaThrough
No in-app purchases
