KnowWake vs WaterWaze
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Waterfront destinations
- Real-time waterway reports
- Wake zone indicators
- Marine weather forecasts
- Anchor alarm
- Location sharing
- Offline mode
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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!!
WaterWaze
Connect with other boaters in real-time to enhance water safety and share experiences. Discover docking spots and engage in community forums for marine enthusiasts.
- Real-time boater tracking
- Marine community forums
- Docking spot discovery
- Water safety enhancements
- Connect with other captains
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Join the largest social community of boaters and marine lovers in keeping the waterwaze safe together - see other boaters on the water in real time, connect with other Captain’s in the forums, find places to dock for a bite, and more!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: KnowWake at 55% against WaterWaze's 0%. KnowWake also leads on ratings volume (250 vs 1). WaterWaze's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.1) and update cadence (daily vs every 11 days). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
WaterWaze holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: KnowWake has 250 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 55% of KnowWake's written reviews are positive against 0% of WaterWaze's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
KnowWake ships an update every 11 days, WaterWaze daily. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | KnowWake | WaterWaze |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (250 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 55.3% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 250 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 11 days | Daily — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 123 MB | 57 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Application Generation, Inc | WorksDelight |
Customer experience
KnowWake
WaterWaze
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
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- 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
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- 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
WaterWaze
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
KnowWake
No in-app purchases
WaterWaze
No in-app purchases
