Comparison

KnowWake vs Float Lanier

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

Float Lanier

Navigate Lake Lanier with this dedicated boating app. Discover marinas, launches, and restaurants, and customize your own points of interest. Record your trips, share your live location, and view the lake in 3D.

Highlights
  • Navigate to marinas, launches, and restaurants
  • Save and customize favorite spots
  • Record and save boat tracks
  • Share live location with others
  • 3D map mode with terrain and depth
  • View lake news, water level, and weather
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Lake Lanier's boating app. Learn your way around Lake Lanier. Navigate to marinas, boat launches, restaurants, and more. Save your favorite spots and share them with friends. Favorites - Save your favorite marinas, boat launches, restaurants, and other points of interest for easy access later. With favorites you can quickly orient to your preferred spots without searching every time. Places - Create and customize your own places on the map. Whether it’s a quiet cove for relaxation, a prime wake surfing area, or a popular hangout spot, places allows you to mark and personalize locations important to you. Tracks - Record your day on the water and save your path. Live Sessions - Share your real-time location with a link or code. 3D Map Mode - Follow your course with terrain and depth in perspective. Locate Yourself Instantly - See your exact location on the map to orient with ease. Current - Check the latest lake news, water level and temperature, and weather forecast. Choose Your Map Style - Choose from various base maps to find the view that best suits your needs, whether it’s a standard map, satellite imagery, or a dark mode map for nighttime adventures. Map Overlays - Toggle on and off overlays to see additional information on the map. Overlays include fuel docks, boat launches, navigational markers, and more. Terms of Use - https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

KnowWake4 screens
Float Lanier4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: KnowWake at Free against Float Lanier's $2.99. KnowWake also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (250 vs 2). Float Lanier's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.1) and chart position (#168 vs unranked). On 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

KnowWake is free to download; Float Lanier costs $2.99 up front. Float Lanier sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. KnowWake asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Float Lanier 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 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

KnowWake ships an update every 11 days, Float Lanier every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
KnowWake versus Float Lanier: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKnowWakeFloat Lanier
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating4.1 (250 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews55.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings250 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 11 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterSubscription
Best chart rank—#168 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size123 MB80 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperApplication Generation, IncJason Sanford

Customer experience

KnowWake

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

Float Lanier

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

Float Lanier

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

KnowWake

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Float Lanier

Subscriptions2
  • Float+ Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Float+ Annual$19.991 Year

Questions

Is KnowWake free?
KnowWake is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Float Lanier free?
Float Lanier costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, KnowWake or Float Lanier?
Float Lanier is rated higher. KnowWake averages 4.1 out of 5 from 250 ratings, while Float Lanier averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do KnowWake or Float Lanier have ads?
Neither KnowWake nor Float Lanier shows ads.
Which is updated more often, KnowWake or Float Lanier?
KnowWake ships an update every 11 days, and Float Lanier every 2 months. Most recently, KnowWake was updated on September 28, 2026 and Float Lanier on September 30, 2026.

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