Comparison

KnowWake vs C

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

C

Access up-to-date nautical charts for global exploration and planning. Save points of interest and routes, record tracks, and view marine weather. Upgrade for offline maps, GPS, and advanced features like shaded relief and AIS.

Highlights
  • Free chart viewer
  • Autorouting
  • Personal waypoints
  • Track recording
  • Marine weather forecasts
  • Offline map downloads
  • High-resolution bathymetry
Features
Read full description

The C-MAP® App is the perfect companion for recreational boaters and water-lovers. Available on Mobile, Tablet or PC, you’ll always be able to access the most up to date C-MAP charts, wherever in the world you are. With full features, allowing you to explore, plan and save Points of Interest and Routes from wherever you are, the C-MAP App is the perfect aid to navigation for savvy boaters. The C-MAP App Includes: - FREE Chart Viewer - Autorouting™ – find the best route to your favourite places - Personal Waypoints - Track Recording - Thousands of pre-loaded Points of Interest - Marine Weather Forecast - Weather Along the Route - Weather Overlay - Chart Personalisation - Import & Export GPX Files – share your Routes, Tracks or Waypoints with friends - Measure Distance Tool Upgrade to Premium to unlock additional features, including: - Full GPS Functionality - Offline Map Downloads - REVEAL Shaded Relief - High-Resolution Bathymetry - Custom Depth Shading - AIS & C-MAP Traffic Try before you buy… Experience C-MAP App Premium for yourself, with a free 14-day trial (3-day trial in Denmark and Sweden). The C-MAP App updates on a continual basis, ensuring the latest, most up-to-date maps are always at your fingertips. Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. Links to Your Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable Privacy Policy: https://www.brunswick.com/dsar Terms of Service https://appchart.c-map.com/tos.html

Screenshots

KnowWake4 screens
C4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: KnowWake at none against C's 11. KnowWake also leads on update cadence (every 11 days vs every 6 weeks) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). C's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 4.1) and ratings volume (2.3K vs 250). On price, review sentiment, 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. C sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. KnowWake asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

C holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: C has 2.3K ratings behind it against 250, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 55% of KnowWake's written reviews are positive against 51% of C's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

KnowWake ships an update every 11 days, C every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
KnowWake versus C: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKnowWakeC
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (250 ratings)4.5 (2.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews55.3% of reviews — better51.0% of reviews
Number of ratings2502.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 11 days — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#108 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size123 MB169 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperApplication Generation, IncNavico Norway AS

Customer experience

KnowWake

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

C

All ratings2,347 ratings
Positive89.3%
Neutral3.1%
Negative7.6%
Written reviews512 reviews
Positive51.0%
Neutral8.6%
Negative40.4%

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)

C

From 2.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Accurate maps and charts
  • 👍 Easy to use and intuitive
  • 📍 Helpful for planning trips and routes
  • 🛳️ Useful for both professionals and beginners
  • ⚙️ Detailed features like shaded relief and weather info

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
  • ⚠️ Unreliable GPS tracking and location updates
  • 🔌 Offline maps and features not working as expected
  • 🤔 Confusing or missing functionality (e.g. route editing)
  • 💸 Expensive subscription, not worth the cost

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

C

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes when trying to save tracks or routes
  • Offline maps fail to download or disappear
  • Depth/contour data inaccurate or not displaying properly
  • Login and authentication issues preventing access

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add mast height/clearance feature
  • Improve AIS integration and functionality
  • Allow more customization of map views and data
  • Provide better customer support and communication

In-app purchases

None

KnowWake

No in-app purchases

10 purchases

C

Subscriptions10
  • Embark Advanced Weather$1.991 Month
  • Embark Offline Maps USA$2.491 Month
  • Annual Subscription14 Days trial$14.991 Year
Show 7 more
  • Annual subscription14 Days trial$14.991 Year
  • Region14 Days trial2 variants$18.991 Year
  • North America14 Days trial$23.491 Year
  • Maps Lakes South East USA14 Days trial$25.991 Year
  • Annual Subscription14 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Caribbean14 Days trial$32.991 Year
  • Maps USA East Coast & Bahamas14 Days trial$39.991 Year

Questions

Is KnowWake free?
KnowWake is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is C free?
C is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, KnowWake or C?
C is rated higher. KnowWake averages 4.1 out of 5 from 250 ratings, while C averages 4.5 from 2.3K ratings.
Do KnowWake or C have ads?
Neither KnowWake nor C shows ads.
Which is updated more often, KnowWake or C?
KnowWake ships an update every 11 days, and C every 6 weeks. Most recently, KnowWake was updated on October 7, 2026 and C on October 13, 2026.

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