Comparison

KnowWake vs Argo Navigation

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

Head to head
About

KnowWake

This marine navigation platform offers detailed waterway information for numerous global locations. Discover waterfront destinations, access real-time community reports on hazards and marine life, and utilize advanced navigation features for a safer and more informed boating experience.

Highlights
  • Waterfront destinations
  • Real-time waterway reports
  • Wake zone indicators
  • Marine weather forecasts
  • Anchor alarm
  • Location sharing
  • Offline mode
Features
Read full description

KnowWake is a FREE marine navigation platform packed with waterfront destinations in the United States, Canada, Caribbean, Mexico, South Africa, United Kingdom, parts of Europe, Arabian Peninsula and NOW all of Australia and New Zealand!! Salt and freshwater points of interest include 50,000+ VERIFIED: restaurants, marinas, fuel docks, yacht clubs, lodging, vessel services, dive shops, boat ramps, dive & snorkel areas, bridges, locks, popular spots, town docks, anchorages, inlets and more! KnowWake also uses real-time waterway reports from the community to see and share things like hazards, marine life, police and other important information. Features include: · Wake zones - Simplified, color-coded waterways · Marine Weather Suite - Current and forecasted marine conditions · NAVAIDS - Navigation Channel Markers, Buoys & Beacons · Anchor Alarm - Get notified if your vessel moves outside of a predetermined area · Virtual Dive Flag - Alert other vessels of swimmers in the water · Routing - Point to point waterway routing with distance to location · Depth - See depth based on current NOAA bathymetry charts · Location sharing - Share location with a single person, group or everyone · Vessel Tracks - Leave tracks along the way to see or share later · Offline mode - Use KnowWake anywhere, even with bad network service · Augmented Reality - See what's ahead including all KnowWake points of interest · Safety First - An SOS button, Safety Checklists and Float Plan generator Sharing with friends is easier than ever. Simply click the share button on any point, route or favorite location and choose who you want to share it with - This feature is perfect to retrace steps, show friends how to get somewhere or just share your adventures. Adding to the chart helps everyone. Whether posting a waterway report, adding a missing point or updating an existing one, you can help keep the chart current with local knowledge. Thank you to everyone helping keep the chart updated and we'll see you on the water soon!!

About

Argo Navigation

This app provides comprehensive navigation and planning tools for boaters, offering features like chart plotting, route planning, and weather forecasts. It aims to be user-friendly for all skill levels, from beginners to experienced cruisers, with a focus on safety and connectivity on the water.

Highlights
  • Web/Desktop planning with auto-sync
  • Autorouting for multi-stop trips
  • 7-day marine weather forecast
  • Unlimited nautical charts (NOAA/USEACE)
  • Record and save tracks
  • Real-time NMEA/AIS data
  • Location and route sharing with groups
Features
Read full description

Argo is a boat navigation app you can actually use for free. Not a trial. You get NOAA charts and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers depth surveys for US waters, 500,000+ marinas, anchorages and fuel docks, hazards reported by other boaters, and routes you plot yourself, with ETA and fuel use. On your first trip, open the map to see how deep it is and read what other boaters say about the anchorage before you drop the hook. A hundred trips in, you're checking how old the Army Corps survey is before you run a shoaling inlet, or laying out a few route options and picking one underway. Think of Argo as the boating buddy who knows every good dock bar and never asks for gas money. FREE FOR EVERY BOATER Navigate • Up-to-date NOAA charts plus Army Corps (USACE) surveys you can filter by survey date • Shoal areas, dredged channels, restricted areas and recommended tracks on the coast and inland rivers • See your GPS position and speed on the chart • Search buoys, beacons, lights, wrecks and mile markers • Record your track and use Return to follow it back • Depth shading presets, including two built for bright sun glare Plan • Search 500,000+ places, from boat ramps and moorings to non-ethanol fuel and dock bars • Read reviews from boaters who've been there • Plot your own route on the map and see distance, ETA and fuel use • A trip log of everywhere you've been Connect • See other Argo boaters on the water and share your live location with family ashore • Join your boat club, marina or rally group • Share routes, places and trips, and post photos and video • Report hazards and see the ones other boaters have reported • Keep fishing spots private or share them with your group One account works on every phone and tablet you own, free. ARGO PREMIUM, WHEN YOU WANT MORE Smarter routes • Autoroute plans around shallow water, hazards and restricted areas based on your boat's draft, height and safety buffer • Run inside or outside, or set Autoroute to stay in the marked channel • Save several routes to your chart, start a track, and choose between them underway • Have a sailboat and a powerboat? Save both, each with its own draft and height Marine weather and tides • 7-day marine forecast: weather, wind, wave height and period, tides and currents • Wind, rain and lightning overlays on your chart • 6,000+ tide and current stations on your chart, with predictions as far ahead as you want • Tide variance right next to your depth gauge On the water • Offline charts download automatically around your location and home port, for when you lose signal • Connect over NMEA (Wi-Fi gateway) for depth, speed and heading from your electronics, plus AIS targets • Custom depth shading and contours, so shallow water and fishing drop-offs stand out • Distance, time, bearing and course to your next turn, always in view Logbook and planning tools • Import and export GPX routes and tracks between Argo and your chartplotter • Download a PDF trip report to document sea time toward your captain's license Coverage: US coastal waters, the ICW, inland lakes and rivers, Canada and the Caribbean. WHO'S BEHIND ARGO Argo is family-owned. Our founder, Captain Jeff, grew up boating on the Chesapeake Bay. He built Argo so the local knowledge usually shared between friends at the dock is on the map for everyone. Many of our features started as boater requests. Send yours to support@argonav.io. Argo is a navigation aid. Always check official charts and conditions, and use your own judgment on the water. Plan. Navigate. Connect. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.argonav.io/privacy/

Screenshots

KnowWake4 screens
Argo Navigation4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Argo Navigation at 4.9 against KnowWake's 4.1. Argo Navigation also leads on review sentiment (84% vs 55%) and ratings volume (6.2K vs 250). KnowWake's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). 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. Argo Navigation sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. KnowWake asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Argo Navigation holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Argo Navigation has 6.2K ratings behind it against 250, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of KnowWake's written reviews are positive against 84% of Argo Navigation's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

KnowWake ships an update every 11 days, Argo Navigation every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
KnowWake versus Argo Navigation: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKnowWakeArgo Navigation
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (250 ratings)4.9 (6.2K ratings) — better
Positive reviews55.3% of reviews84.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2506.2K — better
Update frequencyEvery 11 daysEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#66 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size123 MB138 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperApplication Generation, IncARGO TECHNOLOGIES, LLC

Customer experience

KnowWake

All ratings250 ratings
Positive74.0%
Neutral4.0%
Negative22.0%
Written reviews103 reviews
Positive55.3%
Neutral4.9%
Negative39.8%

Argo Navigation

All ratings6,197 ratings
Positive97.9%
Neutral0.7%
Negative1.3%
Written reviews219 reviews
Positive84.5%
Neutral2.3%
Negative13.2%

User reviews

KnowWake

From 250 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🗺️ Comprehensive wake zone and speed restriction information
  • 👍 User-friendly and intuitive interface
  • 🆓 Free app with valuable features
  • 📍 Accurate location data for marinas, restaurants, and fuel docks
  • 🚤 Essential tool for boaters and water sports enthusiasts

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing issues
  • ⏱️ App becomes unstable after 30 seconds of use
  • 🔌 Constant stability problems across multiple iOS versions
  • ❌ Routing functionality frequently fails
  • 🗺️ Limited coverage for certain regions (Great Lakes, some Florida lakes)

Argo Navigation

From 6.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Accurate navigation
  • 💡 Helpful social features
  • 🔋 Good battery life
  • 🔒 Reliable app performance

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional app crashes
  • 🗺️ Limited map coverage in some areas
  • 🔍 Difficulty finding certain locations

Bugs and requests

KnowWake

Reported bugs

14 issues
  • App crashes immediately upon opening
  • App freezes after 30 seconds of use
  • Login/registration fails or times out indefinitely
  • Routing returns error messages and crashes
  • Tapping on location icons does nothing or crashes app
Show 9 more
  • Filtering options don't work (removed items still appear)
  • Depth chart feature returns 'error tap on water area' message
  • Freshwater/saltwater detection incorrect
  • NOAA overlay charts work once then fail
  • Vessel picture change causes symbol display issues
  • Buoy recognition inconsistent (only recognizes one random buoy)
  • Contact form CAPTCHA rejects valid input
  • App won't load or appear in app list after download
  • Force closing and random shutdowns

Requested features

12 requests
  • Improved stability and crash prevention
  • Course-up/heading-up map orientation option
  • Depth layer integration for navigation safety
  • NOAA raster charts availability
  • Better routing algorithm with estimated time and distance
Show 7 more
  • Ability to save multiple vessel profiles
  • Layer on/off toggle functionality
  • Bridge information with contact details and height specifications
  • Water amenities for canal boaters (water points, Elsan disposal, pump out sites)
  • Improved filtering system that actually works
  • Better icon explanations or legend
  • Expanded lake coverage in central Florida and other regions

Argo Navigation

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Login/account creation issues
  • Slow map loading times

Requested features

3 requests
  • Improved offline map capabilities
  • Integration with marine weather data
  • Enhanced route planning tools

In-app purchases

None

KnowWake

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Argo Navigation

Subscriptions4
  • Monthly Canada Charts14 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Argo Premium Monthly14 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • Argo Canada Charts14 Days trial$9.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Argo Premium14 Days trial$39.991 Year

Questions

Is KnowWake free?
KnowWake is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Argo Navigation free?
Argo Navigation is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, KnowWake or Argo Navigation?
Argo Navigation is rated higher. KnowWake averages 4.1 out of 5 from 250 ratings, while Argo Navigation averages 4.9 from 6.2K ratings.
Do KnowWake or Argo Navigation have ads?
Neither KnowWake nor Argo Navigation shows ads.
Which is updated more often, KnowWake or Argo Navigation?
KnowWake ships an update every 11 days, and Argo Navigation every 4 days. Most recently, KnowWake was updated on October 13, 2026 and Argo Navigation on October 16, 2026.

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