The SPOT App vs Waterway Guide
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
The SPOT App
This app displays messages and GPS locations from satellite devices, allowing users to track progress and monitor assets beyond cellular coverage. It offers various map views, message filtering, and customizable display options for a comprehensive overview of device activity.
- Display messages with GPS locations on maps
- Filter messages by date, type, or device
- Zoom to most recent message
- Select GPS coordinate display format
- Auto-delete messages within the app
- Set message check frequency
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SPOT satellite devices provide GPS location-based messaging, emergency, and coordination with Search and Rescue and anti-theft alerting and tracking beyond the boundaries of cellular. The SPOT satellite technology, powered by Globalstar, has initiated over 7,000 rescues around the globe. The SPOT App allows you to view messages sent from your SPOT device, track progress, or monitor assets. Features: • Display SPOT messages with GPS locations on a standard map, a satellite map, or hybrid map • Filter your SPOT messages by date range, message type, or device type • Easily zoom to the most recent SPOT message • Select preferred GPS coordinate display format • Option to auto-delete SPOT messages by time or quantity within the app. Auto-deleted messages are removed from the app but remain in your SPOT Mapping account for 3 years • Set the frequency to check for new SPOT messages *The SPOT App requires a SPOT account with an active SPOT satellite device and a Wi-Fi or data connection to view your SPOT messages. To learn more, visit FindMeSPOT.com.
Waterway Guide
This app provides a comprehensive boating resource with a verified database of marinas, anchorages, and navigation alerts. Users can access real-time hazard information, plan trips with a digital handbook, and utilize detailed content optimized for mobile devices. Engage with a community of boaters through comments and reviews.
- Verified points of interest database
- Real-time navigation alerts
- Community comments and reviews
- Skipper's Handbook for trip planning
- Offline content access
- Marina filtering by amenities
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Optimized for your mobile devices with Waterway Guide's detailed and verified points of interest database. Includes over 1.3 million data points on marinas, anchorages, navigation alerts, free docks, bridges and locks displayed on the embedded map or satellite view. Benefit from the experience of 75 years of publishing and hundreds of thousands of active boaters through verified comments and reviews. Share your comments, add points of interest, earn rewards and engage with others from within the app. Stay informed with the latest hazards to navigation reported real time from USCG, government agencies, local experts and boaters everywhere. Plan your time on the water with Waterway Guide's Skipper's Handbook, which is included with the free app download. Access Waterway Guide's library of books as individual chapters or entire guides for the information and details you need for navigation. Content is optimized for mobile devices and can be bookmarked for availability offline. Easily find marinas that fit your needs. Filter our entire database of marinas based on amenities and your preferences. Same functionality as Waterway Guide’s Marinas App. EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Waterway Guide at 4.7 against The SPOT App's 2.0. Waterway Guide also leads on review sentiment (52% vs 13%) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months). The SPOT App's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Waterway Guide sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year. The SPOT App asks for nothing beyond the download.
Waterway Guide holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Waterway Guide has 2.9K ratings behind it against 160, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 13% of The SPOT App's written reviews are positive against 52% of Waterway Guide's.
The SPOT App ships an update every 3 months, Waterway Guide every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | The SPOT App | Waterway Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.0 (160 ratings) | 4.7 (2.9K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 12.6% of reviews | 52.4% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 160 | 2.9K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | #188 — better |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 22 MB | 52 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | SPOT LLC | Waterway Guide |
Customer experience
The SPOT App
Waterway Guide
User reviews
The SPOT App
From 160 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Helpful for tracking location
- 🚀 Accurate GPS tracking
- 💡 Useful for emergency situations
Room to improve
- 🐛 Notifications don't work
- 🔍 Limited functionality
- 🔋 Battery issues
- 🤔 Confusing user interface
- 🚫 Doesn't work with newer devices
Waterway Guide
From 2.9K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Excellent integration with Aqua Map
- 👍 Useful resource for boating
- 👍 Great information and details
- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 👍 Invaluable for planning trips
Room to improve
- 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
- 🐛 Inconsistent and unreliable
- 🐛 Difficult to navigate and use
- 🐛 Outdated information and images
- 🐛 Subscription and access issues
Bugs and requests
The SPOT App
Reported bugs
4 issues- App crashes frequently
- Inconsistent data display
- Tracking points randomly disappear
- Login issues
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to update custom messages
- Geofencing capabilities
- Improved map view with color-coded pins
- Notifications for device status changes
Waterway Guide
Reported bugs
4 issues- App not working with latest iOS version
- Subscription purchases not working properly
- Unable to access purchased content
- Frequent crashes and errors
Requested features
4 requests- Provide vertical bridge clearances
- Improve offline functionality
- Enhance search and filtering options
- Implement dark mode
In-app purchases
The SPOT App
No in-app purchases
Waterway Guide
- Great Lakes Vol.2 Ch.8$14.991 Year
- Anchorages Along the ICW$20.991 Year
- ICW Cruising Guide by Bob423$29.991 Year
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- Northern Edition$49.991 Year
- 1st Ed. Bahamas Land and Sea$49.991 Year
- Chesapeake Bay Edition$54.991 Year
- Atlantic ICW Edition$54.991 Year
- Southern Edition$54.991 Year
- Western Gulf Coast Edition$54.991 Year
- Florida Keys Edition$54.991 Year
