Comparison

Hanalei vs Pacific Watch

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

Head to head
About

Hanalei

Navigate Hanalei with real-time and historical data for weather, river levels, road conditions, and local information. Plan your travel, outdoor activities, and visits safely and efficiently.

Highlights
  • River gauge monitoring
  • Flood visualization
  • Weather forecasts and advisories
  • Water quality advisories
  • Road work updates
  • Tidal predictions
  • Beach and surf conditions
  • Local eats and events
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

This app was crafted with aloha to help navigate travel to and from Hanalei with ease using real-time and historical data, all in one place. - Hanalei and North Shore River Gauge Monitoring: Stay updated with real-time river level information for safe travel and hiking. - Flood visualization: Learn and understand how the flood on interactive surface - Weather Forecast: Obtain timely forecast from the National Weather Service to ensure safe and informed travel planning. - Weather Advisories: Receive immediate National Weather Service updates to plan your journey accordingly. - Water Quality Advisories: Get real-time updates on water quality to ensure safe swimming, surfing, paddling and other water activities. - Kauai Road Work Information: Get the latest updates on road conditions and construction work to avoid delays. - Hanalei Bay: Up-to-date tidal predictions for Hanalei Bay to plan your visits or activities with the tides in mind. - Hanalei Bay Beach and Surf Conditions: Real-time wave height, wind, and surf forecasts, along with water/air temperature, humidity, UV index, and sunrise/sunset times. - Essential Contacts: Easy access to important phone numbers for assistance and inquiries. - Real-Time and Historical Data: Comprehensive insights combining current data and historical trends for informed decision-making. - DNLR Updates: Receive real-time DNLR State Park updates on park closures, permits, and conservation efforts for safe Kauai planning. - Locals Tab: Explore Kaua‘i’s North Shore with the Locals tab, showcasing local eats, nonprofits, cultural events, and outdoor adventures. - App and Widget support.

About

Pacific Watch

This app provides comprehensive situational awareness for Hawaii, aggregating over 50 official data sources. It offers real-time weather, surf conditions, emergency alerts, and infrastructure updates for residents and visitors.

Highlights
  • Weather and forecast data
  • Surf and ocean conditions
  • Real-time emergency alerts
  • Volcano and earthquake tracking
  • Power outage and traffic maps
  • Emergency preparedness guides
Features
Read full description

Pacific Watch is Hawaii's all-in-one situational awareness app. Built specifically for Hawaii residents and visitors, it aggregates 50+ official data sources into one beautifully simple dashboard so you always know what's happening across the islands. FEATURES Weather & Forecast • Current conditions from local weather stations • Hourly and 7-day forecasts from the National Weather Service • Rainfall, wind, humidity, and UV index • Live weather cameras at beaches, mountains, and city views Surf & Ocean • Surf forecasts by island and shore • Tide predictions from NOAA • Buoy observations and wave heights • High surf advisories and warnings Emergency Alerts • Real-time push notifications for tsunami warnings, hurricane alerts, flood watches, and severe weather • NWS alerts automatically filtered for your island • Customize which alerts you want to receive • Optional home address for personalized flood zone alerts Volcanoes & Earthquakes • Live volcano cameras from USGS • Kilauea eruption tracking • Recent earthquakes with magnitude and location • Tsunami zone maps Infrastructure • Hawaiian Electric and KIUC power outage maps • Live traffic cameras on major highways • Water quality and beach advisories • Air quality (AQI) and vog monitoring Emergency Preparedness • 14-day emergency supply checklist • Evacuation shelter locations • Flood hazard zones • Hurricane preparedness guides • Multi-language handbooks (English, Ilocano, Korean, Vietnamese, Cantonese) CUSTOMIZATION • Choose your island for location-specific alerts • Customize your dashboard with drag-and-drop cards • Light and dark themes • Adjustable font size for accessibility BUILT FOR HAWAII Pacific Watch is a free, independent app built by a local Hawaii developer. No ads. No data selling. Just the information you need to stay safe and informed across O'ahu, Maui, Hawai'i Island, Kaua'i, Moloka'i, and Lana'i. Data sources include: National Weather Service, USGS, NOAA, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, Hawaiian Electric, KIUC, Hawaii DOT, AirNow, and more. Support the app: If Pacific Watch helps keep you and your ohana safe, consider supporting development at pacificwatch.app. Mahalo!

Screenshots

Hanalei4 screens
Pacific Watch4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Hanalei at 216 against Pacific Watch's 5. Hanalei also leads on chart position (#39 vs unranked). Pacific Watch's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Hanalei against 5.0 for Pacific Watch. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hanalei has 216 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hanalei ships an update fortnightly, Pacific Watch every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Hanalei versus Pacific Watch: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHanaleiPacific Watch
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (216 ratings)5.0 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings216 — better5
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#39 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperZoltan HorvathDavid Do

Customer experience

Hanalei

All ratings216 ratings
Positive97.7%
Neutral0.5%
Negative1.9%
Written reviews25 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Pacific Watch

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Hanalei

No in-app purchases

None

Pacific Watch

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Hanalei free?
Hanalei is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pacific Watch free?
Pacific Watch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Hanalei or Pacific Watch?
Pacific Watch is rated higher. Hanalei averages 4.9 out of 5 from 216 ratings, while Pacific Watch averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.
Do Hanalei or Pacific Watch have ads?
Neither Hanalei nor Pacific Watch shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hanalei or Pacific Watch?
Hanalei ships an update fortnightly, and Pacific Watch every 3 weeks. Most recently, Hanalei was updated on November 1, 2026 and Pacific Watch on October 24, 2026.

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