# Big River Watch vs FfWHR Explore

The clearest difference is update cadence: FfWHR Explore at every 5 weeks against Big River Watch's every 4 months. FfWHR Explore also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 14.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Big River Watch ships an update every 4 months, FfWHR Explore every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Big River Watch | FfWHR Explore |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 32 MB | 206 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The Rivers Trust (UK)](https://appshunter.io/developer/1704314996) | [Heritage Interactive Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/892762203) |

## What reviewers say

### Big River Watch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/big-river-watch/id6463412601)

Participate in citizen science by observing your local river and reporting on wildlife, water quality, and pollution. Your submissions contribute to a valuable dataset supporting river restoration efforts across the UK and Ireland. The app includes identification guides for wildlife and pollution.

**Highlights:** Citizen science river surveys, Record wildlife and pollution, Upload river photographs, Wildlife and pollution ID guides, Offline survey submission, Contribute to river restoration data

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### FfWHR Explore

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ffwhr-explore/id6466814708)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Big River Watch free?

Big River Watch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is FfWHR Explore free?

FfWHR Explore is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Big River Watch or FfWHR Explore have ads?

Neither Big River Watch nor FfWHR Explore shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Big River Watch or FfWHR Explore?

Big River Watch ships an update every 4 months, and FfWHR Explore every 5 weeks. Most recently, Big River Watch was updated on September 24, 2026 and FfWHR Explore on October 3, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*