# RiverApp vs Going Blue

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.

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | RiverApp | Going Blue |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (5.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/riverapp-river-levels/id667012473/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/going-blue/id6798411927/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5.6K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 79.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#106** | — |
| Size | 56 MB | 111 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Florian Bessiere](https://appshunter.io/developer/667012476) | [Lane Aasen](https://appshunter.io/developer/6798411929) |

## What reviewers say

### RiverApp

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/riverapp-river-levels/id667012473)

**Currently charting:** #106 Top Grossing · Weather, #131 Top Free · Weather (US App Store)

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:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium - 1 month subscription | $0.99 | per month |
| Premium - 1 year subscription | $6.99 | per year |
| RiverApp Premium | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🗺️ Comprehensive coverage of rivers
- 📊 Useful data and visualizations
- 🔔 Helpful alerts and notifications
- 💰 Affordable premium upgrade

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional inaccurate or outdated information
- 🔍 Missing some important river gauges
- 💬 Lack of communication from developers
- 🗺️ Incorrect geographic information for some areas

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/going-blue/id6798411927)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Going Blue Expedition (1 month) | $9.99 | per month |
| Going Blue Expedition (annual) | $19.99 | per year |


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