Comparison

RiverApp vs Going Blue

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

Head to head
About

RiverApp

Access real-time water levels, flows, and temperatures for rivers worldwide. Ideal for sports enthusiasts and professionals, it offers detailed maps, navigability information, and customizable alerts for over 40,000 hydrometric stations.

Highlights
  • Real-time water levels and flows
  • Water temperatures
  • Hydrometric station maps
  • Customizable alerts
  • Whitewater course navigability
  • User-added hazards and courses
Features
Read full description

Get quick access to the latest river levels, flows and conditions across the US and more than 20 other countries worldwide. RiverApp gives you access to one of the world’s most comprehensive hydrometric datasets, with data from over 40,000 monitoring stations. Whether you kayak, canoe, packraft, paddleboard, fly fish, surf rivers, manage irrigation, operate hydropower infrastructure or monitor flood risk, RiverApp helps you stay informed with reliable, easy-to-read river data. FREE FEATURES ‣ Current water levels and flows for over 20,000 rivers ‣ Water temperature data where available ‣ Detailed maps of hydrometric stations and whitewater sections ‣ Custom alerts for each station when a defined level or flow is reached ‣ Favourite stations and whitewater sections for quick access to the latest readings and conditions FREE FEATURES FOR WHITEWATER SPORTS ‣ More than 4,000 referenced whitewater sections ‣ Section conditions based on current water level or flow ‣ Detailed section maps with quick access to put-in and take-out points ‣ Hazards, rapids and other points of interest, including photos where available ‣ Information on difficulty, length and average gradient ‣ Community-based addition and editing of whitewater sections RIVERAPP PREMIUM Unlock additional tools for deeper river monitoring and trip planning: ‣ Historical water level and flow data going back several years ‣ Forecasts for selected stations ‣ Satellite map layers from multiple providers, with comparison tools ‣ Customizable Home Screen Widgets to keep your favourite river gauges visible at a glance ‣ Monthly streamflow statistics to understand seasonal variations and plan river trips at the right time and place DATA SOURCES RiverApp brings together data from over 100 official and public hydrometric sources worldwide, including, among others: NVE California Data Exchange Center Government of Canada — Wateroffice USGS NOAA PEGELONLINE — www.pegelonline.wsv.de HVZ Baden-Württemberg HDN Bayern Kanton Bern Ennskraftwerke Land Kärnten Land Niederösterreich Regione Piemonte HVZ Rheinland-Pfalz Český hydrometeorologický ústav HVZ Sachsen-Anhalt Land Salzburg Scottish Environment Protection Agency Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute Agencija Republike Slovenije za okolje HWZ Steiermark BAFU HNZ Thüringen Land Tirol Shoothill Vigicrues Serveur de données hydrométriques temps réel du bassin Rhône-Méditerranée Land Vorarlberg Bureau of Meteorology — Australia DISCLAIMER RiverApp is an independent application and is not affiliated with the listed organizations unless explicitly stated. RiverApp and the listed data providers shall not be held liable for any errors, omissions, delays or interruptions in the information provided, nor for any loss, injury or damage of any kind resulting from its use. End-user license agreement: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Going Blue

This weather app provides detailed forecasts via satellite messengers, ideal for remote expeditions. It compresses extensive weather data into single messages, accessible through SMS, Garmin inReach, or iPhone satellite messaging.

Highlights
  • Satellite messenger compatibility
  • Custom data compression codec
  • SMS, Garmin inReach, iPhone messaging support
  • Hourly and 13-day forecasts
  • Multiple weather variables
  • Over 30 forecast models
  • Forecast comparison
Features
Read full description

Going Blue is an expedition weather app designed specifically for low-bandwidth satellite connections. It is built for skiers, alpinists, backpackers, kayakers, sailors, hunters, and anyone else who needs detailed weather forecasts in remote places. Going Blue works with direct-to-cell satellite internet, SMS, Garmin inReach, iPhone satellite messaging, and ZOLEO. How it works 1. Build a forecast request in the app. Choose the location, model, and variables that you care about. 2. Send the forecast request to Going Blue via the internet, SMS, Garmin inReach, ZOLEO, or iPhone satellite messaging. 3. Receive an encoded message from Going Blue. Paste it into the app to see a detailed forecast. Features - Satellite ready: Get forecasts anywhere in the world, without cell reception. Works with direct-to-cell satellite internet (Starlink Direct to Cell, T-Satellite), Garmin inReach, ZOLEO, and iPhone satellite messaging. - Hundreds of data points per message: Uses custom compression optimized for weather data to fit a detailed weather forecast into a single message. - 30+ weather models: Forecasts from high-resolution models like HRRR (3km), HRDPS (2.5km), ICON-D2 (2km), and MET Norway (1km). Automatically chooses the best model for your location. - Detailed cloud cover: See up to 10 levels in the atmosphere to differentiate between high clouds, valley fog, and whiteout conditions. - Mountain forecasts: Pressure-level winds and freezing level for high-altitude mountaineering. - Air quality: Plan around wildfire smoke and other pollution with AQI forecasts. - Model agreement: See how well the forecast agrees with models from NOAA, ECMWF, ECCC, and DWD. - Avalanche forecasts: Full avalanche forecasts from Avalanche Canada. - Works offline: All forecasts are saved on your device for comparing multiple models and past forecasts while offline. - Private: Going Blue requires no account and does not store your name, email, or phone number. Terms of Use: https://going.blue/terms

Screenshots

RiverApp4 screens
Going Blue4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Going Blue at free against RiverApp's free with in-app purchases. Going Blue also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8). RiverApp's advantage is ratings volume (5.6K vs 4) and chart position (#106 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. RiverApp sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Going Blue sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Going Blue holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RiverApp has 5.6K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RiverApp ships an update every 2 weeks, Going Blue every 8 days. Both last shipped on November 13, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
RiverApp versus Going Blue: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRiverAppGoing Blue
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (5.6K ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews79.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings5.6K — better4
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#106 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size56 MB111 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFlorian BessiereLane Aasen

Customer experience

RiverApp

All ratings5,560 ratings
Positive96.2%
Neutral2.2%
Negative1.7%
Written reviews291 reviews
Positive79.7%
Neutral5.2%
Negative15.1%

Going Blue

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

RiverApp

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Map feature not working due to internet connection issues
  • Horizontal lines and color indicators disappearing from graphs
  • Inconsistent or unreliable data updates

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more river coverage, especially in underserved regions
  • Improve forecast and prediction capabilities
  • Implement a journaling or note-taking feature
  • Allow for customizable alerts and notifications
  • Add support for additional measurement units (e.g., millimeters)

Going Blue

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

RiverApp

Subscriptions2
  • Premium - 1 month subscription$0.991 Month
  • Premium - 1 year subscription$6.991 Year
One-time1
  • RiverApp Premium$29.99
2 purchases

Going Blue

Subscriptions2
  • Going Blue Expedition (1 month)$9.991 Month
  • Going Blue Expedition (annual)$19.991 Year

Questions

Is RiverApp free?
RiverApp is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Going Blue free?
Going Blue is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, RiverApp or Going Blue?
Going Blue is rated higher. RiverApp averages 4.8 out of 5 from 5.6K ratings, while Going Blue averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do RiverApp or Going Blue have ads?
Neither RiverApp nor Going Blue shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RiverApp or Going Blue?
RiverApp ships an update every 2 weeks, and Going Blue every 8 days. Most recently, RiverApp was updated on November 13, 2026 and Going Blue on November 13, 2026.

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