Comparison

RiverApp vs OpenSnow

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

OpenSnow

Get the most accurate snow forecasts, detailed snow reports, and severe weather maps. Access 15-day forecasts, local expert insights, and offline 3D maps for snow depth, avalanche risk, and more. Track storms with advanced radar and AI-powered weather systems.

Highlights
  • 15-Day Snow Forecast
  • Local Expert Snow Reports
  • 3D & Offline Weather Maps
  • AI-Powered Weather System
  • Severe Weather Tracking
  • Mountain Webcams
  • Snow Depth & Avalanche Risk Maps
Features
Read full description

OpenSnow is your trusted source for the most accurate snow forecast, snow report, and severe weather maps. "Weather forecasting for the mountains takes extra focus, analysis, and precision, which is exactly what OpenSnow provides. The app is incredible, even for super weather nerds like myself." – Cody Townsend, Pro Skier 15-Day Snow Forecasts Finding the location that has the best conditions can feel overwhelming. With OpenSnow, deciding where to go is easy. View the latest 15-day snow forecast, snow report, conditions history, and mountain webcams for your favorite locations in just a few seconds. Local Daily Snow Experts Instead of spending hours sifting through weather data, get the inside scoop in just a few minutes. Our local experts write a new Daily Snow forecast each day in the winter for regions around the US, Canada, Europe, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. Have one of our expert local forecasters guide you to the best conditions. 3D Weather + Snow Maps We make it easy to track incoming storms with super-res radar and global precipitation, radar, and snow forecast maps. You can also view 3D maps for snow depth, avalanche risk, slope angle, active fires, air quality, wildfire smoke, public and private land ownership, and more. Download high-resolution satellite maps to view offline. PEAKS + StormNet PEAKS is our mountain weather forecast model that is up to 50% more accurate in complex terrain. StormNet is our severe weather forecast model that produces real-time, high-resolution forecasts for lightning, hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes. Combined, PEAKS + StormNet provide a first-of-its-kind, fully operational multi-component weather forecast system. Daily Features • 15-Day Hourly Forecasts • Current + Forecast Radar • Precipitation Forecast Maps • Air Quality Forecasts • Wildfire Smoke Forecast Maps • 50,000+ Weather Stations • 3D + Offline Maps • Land Boundary + Private Ownership Maps • Recent Satellite Maps Snow + Ski Features • 15-Day Snow Forecast • Powder Quality Forecast • Snow Depth Map • Season Snowfall Map • Snow Forecast Alerts • Snow Forecast Maps • Offline Ski Resort Trail Maps • Snow Forecast + Report Widgets • Historical Snow Reports Severe Weather Features (US only) • Super-Res Radar • Lightning Risk • Tornado Risk • Hail Risk • Damaging Winds Risk • Severe Weather Alerts Free Features • My Location 15-Day Forecast • Snow Forecast 15-Day Summary • Historical Weather + Snow Reports • Snow Report Alerts • Avalanche Forecasts • Mountain Webcams • Active Fires Map • Air Quality Map • Slope Angle + Slope Aspect — Free Trial — New accounts automatically receive the full OpenSnow Premium experience, with no credit card or payment information required. If you choose not to purchase OpenSnow after the free trial is over, you will be automatically downgraded to a free account and not charged. — In-App Purchase — OpenSnow Base is an auto-renewable subscription, which will renew yearly at $49.99 USD. Payment will be charged to the user's Apple account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. The account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period and identify the cost of the renewal. If the auto-renewal fails due to a payment issue, you will still be able to access the paid content for 16 days while Apple attempts to collect payment. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. Full terms and conditions can be found here: https://support.opensnow.com/legal/terms | https://support.opensnow.com/legal/privacy Sales through Apple will be governed by Apple’s refund policy. We value all of our customers and encourage you to provide feedback on your experience. Please get in touch with us by sending an email to hello@opensnow.com

Screenshots

RiverApp4 screens
OpenSnow4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is chart position: OpenSnow at #30 against RiverApp's #103. On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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 OpenSnow sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $49.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for RiverApp against 4.7 for OpenSnow. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5.4K and 9.1K respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 79% and 80% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RiverApp ships an update every 3 weeks, OpenSnow every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 10 level
RiverApp versus OpenSnow: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRiverAppOpenSnow
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (5.4K ratings) — better4.7 (9.1K ratings)
Positive reviews79.4% of reviews80.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings5.4K9.1K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 11 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#103#30 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size55 MB125 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFlorian BessiereCloudnine Weather, Inc.

Customer experience

RiverApp

All ratings5,351 ratings
Positive96.2%
Neutral2.2%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews287 reviews
Positive79.4%
Neutral5.6%
Negative15.0%

OpenSnow

All ratings9,057 ratings
Positive92.1%
Neutral1.2%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews848 reviews
Positive80.4%
Neutral3.7%
Negative15.9%

User reviews

RiverApp

From 5.4K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

OpenSnow

From 9.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Accurate snow forecasts
  • 📊 Detailed weather data and maps
  • 🗺️ Comprehensive coverage of ski resorts
  • 💻 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
  • 🤖 Reliable and consistent forecasts

Room to improve

  • 💰 Subscription model can be expensive
  • 🌐 Limited coverage outside of North America
  • 🕰️ Occasional delays in updating snow conditions
  • 🤖 Inconsistent accuracy in long-term forecasts
  • 🔒 Paywall restricts access to some features

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)

OpenSnow

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Occasional crashes or freezes on certain devices
  • Inconsistencies in the display of weather data and forecasts

Requested features

5 requests
  • Expand coverage to more international ski resorts
  • Improve offline functionality and data availability
  • Introduce more customization options for user preferences
  • Enhance integration with other outdoor activity planning apps
  • Provide more detailed snow and weather data for backcountry use

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
3 purchases

OpenSnow

Subscriptions3
  • OpenSnow Legacy$49.991 Year
  • OpenSnow Base$49.991 Year
  • OpenSnow Base Legacy$49.991 Year

Questions

Is RiverApp free?
RiverApp is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is OpenSnow free?
OpenSnow is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, RiverApp or OpenSnow?
RiverApp is rated higher. RiverApp averages 4.8 out of 5 from 5.4K ratings, while OpenSnow averages 4.7 from 9.1K ratings.
Do RiverApp or OpenSnow have ads?
Neither RiverApp nor OpenSnow shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RiverApp or OpenSnow?
RiverApp ships an update every 3 weeks, and OpenSnow every 11 days. Most recently, RiverApp was updated on October 15, 2026 and OpenSnow on October 14, 2026.
Which is more popular, RiverApp or OpenSnow?
RiverApp currently peaks at #103 in the App Store charts, and OpenSnow at #30. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

Other comparisons