Comparison

RiverApp vs Water Live

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

Water Live

Access real-time water data from over 1,300 monitoring sites across NSW. View stream, storage, and groundwater levels, flow rates, temperatures, rainfall, and water quality information. Easily find and save your favorite sites for quick access.

Highlights
  • Real-time water level data
  • Streamflow and storage volume tracking
  • Water quality information
  • Rainfall data
  • Site search by name, ID, or river
  • Map-based site discovery
  • Save favorite sites
  • Customizable watch levels
Features
Read full description

WaterNSW is the bulk water supplier and system operator in NSW. We seek to improve availability of water that is essential for water users and the communities throughout the state. WaterLive provides you with access to real-time information from our automatic digital devices from over 1,300 water monitoring sites throughout the state. Information includes stream, storage or groundwater levels, streamflows, storage volumes, water temperatures, rainfall and various types of water quality data. You can find sites by searching for the site name, ID or its river or basin, or by using the map. You can save sites as “favourites” to easily access your favourite sites and view a summary of the data. The "watches" function allows you to quickly see whether the water level at a site has exceeded a set level for example. Try it now!

Screenshots

RiverApp4 screens
Water Live4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: RiverApp at 79% against Water Live's 11%. RiverApp also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 months) and chart position (#114 vs unranked). Water Live's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads and device support 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. Water Live asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RiverApp ships an update every 3 weeks, Water Live every 6 months. Both last shipped on October 26, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
RiverApp versus Water Live: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRiverAppWater Live
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (5.5K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews79.3% of reviews — better10.5% of reviews
Number of ratings5.5K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 6 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#114 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.08.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size56 MB30 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFlorian BessiereWATER NSW

Customer experience

RiverApp

All ratings5,489 ratings
Positive96.2%
Neutral2.1%
Negative1.7%
Written reviews290 reviews
Positive79.3%
Neutral5.5%
Negative15.2%

Water Live

Written reviews19 reviews
Positive10.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative89.5%

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)

Water Live

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
None

Water Live

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is RiverApp free?
RiverApp is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Water Live free?
Water Live is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do RiverApp or Water Live have ads?
Neither RiverApp nor Water Live shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RiverApp or Water Live?
RiverApp ships an update every 3 weeks, and Water Live every 6 months. Most recently, RiverApp was updated on October 26, 2026 and Water Live on October 26, 2026.

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