Comparison

Campsite Watch vs FirstCampsite.com

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

Head to head
About

Campsite Watch

Features
Read full description

Campsite Watch monitors ReserveCalifornia for the dates and parks you care about, then pushes an alert the moment a site opens up. Stop checking the booking site a dozen times a day — Campsite Watch does it for you every few minutes, around the clock. HOW IT WORKS • Pick a state park and a date range. • Tell us the nights you need, minimum stay, required days of the week, and whether you need hookups. • We check availability every 10–30 minutes (configurable) and alert you the instant a matching site opens. WHAT YOU GET • Real-time push notifications (or email) when sites become available. • A single-tap link that drops you straight onto the reservation page. • A visual calendar heatmap of availability across your watch range. • "Unlocking soon" alerts 15 minutes before a locked site re-opens for booking. • Flexible date ranges — match ANY valid stretch in your range, not just the whole range. • Watch cloning — duplicate a weekend watch for the following month in one tap. PRIVACY & CONTROL • We store only what we need: your email, the parks you watch, and notification preferences. • Face ID unlock (optional). • Quiet hours — we won't ping you at 3 AM. • In-app account deletion (Account → Danger Zone). • Full privacy policy at campwatch.kbjoint.com/privacy. CURRENT COVERAGE Campsite Watch supports California state parks that use ReserveCalifornia (San Elijo, South Carlsbad, Silver Strand, Doheny, San Onofre, Crystal Cove, Leo Carrillo, Carpinteria, and more). Additional booking systems coming in future updates. FREE TIER • 1 active watch, email alerts, 60-minute check interval. PRO (coming soon) • Up to 20 active watches. • 10-minute check interval. • Advanced notifications (per-watch overrides, quiet hours). • One-click booking links. • Future: automatic booking when a match is found. Built by campers who got tired of refreshing ReserveCalifornia. If you have a state park you camp at regularly, let Campsite Watch do the watching.

About

FirstCampsite.com

This app monitors reservation systems for campsite and permit cancellations. It allows users to set date ranges or specific dates and receive alerts via email, SMS, or push notifications when openings appear. Explore campgrounds on a map and view public scan data.

Highlights
  • Campsite and permit cancellation alerts
  • Supports Recreation.gov and California State Parks
  • Customizable date ranges and specific dates
  • Email, SMS, and push notification alerts
  • Map exploration of campgrounds
  • View public scan performance data
Features
Read full description

FirstCampsite helps you find campsite and permit cancellations without repeatedly refreshing reservation pages. Search supported Recreation.gov campgrounds and permits plus California State Parks listings. Choose a date range or up to eight specific dates, then create and manage availability scans from your iPhone. Receive email, SMS, or iPhone push alerts according to your contact preferences when a matching opening appears. You can also explore campgrounds on the map and view public scan performance and demand data. New users receive their first scan free. No credit card is required for the free scan. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.firstcampsite.com/privacy

Screenshots

Campsite Watch4 screens
FirstCampsite.com2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Campsite Watch at none against FirstCampsite.com's 6. Campsite Watch also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, 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. FirstCampsite.com sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Campsite Watch asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Campsite Watch ships an update monthly, FirstCampsite.com every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Campsite Watch versus FirstCampsite.com: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCampsite WatchFirstCampsite.com
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMatthew JohnsonSEAN SIEGFRIED SZEJA

In-app purchases

None

Campsite Watch

No in-app purchases

6 purchases

FirstCampsite.com

Subscriptions3
  • Standard Membership$9.991 Month
  • Upgrade Membership$19.991 Month
  • Mega Membership$29.991 Month
One-time3
  • Pro Scan$9.99
  • Max Scan$14.99
  • Ultra Scan$19.99

Questions

Is Campsite Watch free?
Campsite Watch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is FirstCampsite.com free?
FirstCampsite.com is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Campsite Watch or FirstCampsite.com have ads?
Neither Campsite Watch nor FirstCampsite.com shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Campsite Watch or FirstCampsite.com?
Campsite Watch ships an update monthly, and FirstCampsite.com every 3 weeks. Most recently, Campsite Watch was updated on October 6, 2026 and FirstCampsite.com on October 19, 2026.

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