Comparison

Whale Alert 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

Whale Alert

This app helps protect whales by reducing ship strikes. It allows users to report whale sightings, access real-time alerts about whale activity and regulations, and view an interactive map of whale presence. It also provides tools for identifying whale species and connecting with response teams.

Highlights
  • Interactive whale sighting map
  • Real-time whale activity alerts
  • Report live, dead, or injured whales
  • Whale identification guide
  • Connect with first responders
  • Collision risk monitoring
  • Marine rules and speed zones
Read full description

Protect Whales. Prevent Collisions. Join the Effort. Vessel strikes are a leading cause of whale injury and death around the world. With the Whale Alert app, you can help keep whales safe—whether you're a mariner, recreational boater, beachgoer, or scientist. Whale Alert turns your sightings into action. Report live, dead, or injured whales, stay informed about speed zones and regulations, and view whale activity on an interactive map. Every report contributes to a safer ocean for whales and people. Key Features: - Interactive Map: View recent whale sightings from professionals and citizen scientists, acoustic detections from buoys and gliders, and aerial survey data. - Real-Time Alerts: Get notified when you're near recent whale activity or areas of concern. - Report Sightings: Log sightings of living, dead, or injured whales and report marine hazards or vessel strikes. - Whale ID Guide: Identify whale species accurately using an in-app identification tool. - First Responder Connection: Quickly connect with response teams for distressed, stranded or dead whales.. - Collision Risk Monitoring: Understand your vessel’s risk based on location, speed, and likelihood of whale presence. - Marine Rules at a Glance: Access speed limits, seasonal protections, and region-specific whale approach guidelines. - Data-Rich Map Layers: Includes arine sanctuaries and protected areas, seasonal and dynamic management areas, U.S. marine charts, NOAA PORTS® data, and likely whale presence along the U.S. East Coast and Europe. - Multilingual Support: Available in English, French, and Spanish. Whale Alert is currently available in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. ______________________________________ Why It Matters: Whales are vulnerable to collisions with vessels of all sizes. In California, gray whales are the most commonly reported victims of vessel strikes. On the Atlantic coast, the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale faces a similar threat. In the Mediterranean, vessel strikes are the leading cause of human-caused death for fin and sperm whales. Slowing down saves lives. Whale Alert empowers you to take simple, informed actions that make a big impact. By reporting sightings and following in-app guidance, you help reduce ship strikes, inform science and policy, and protect some of the ocean’s most iconic creatures. The Whale Alert team consists of IFAW, Conserve.IO and Greenov. We are part of a global effort to reduce vessel strikes and other human activities that threaten marine mammals. Our network of partners, contributors and sponsors include NOAA Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Whale Alert — West Coast, NOAA Fisheries Service, Canadian Whale Institute, Channel Island Cetacean Research Unit, Bay of Fundy—Tidal Energy, Whale Alert Alaska—National Park Service, The Marine Mammal Center, Orca Network, Beam Reach, OceanWise, Marine Mammal Advisory Group, Ørsted and ProtectedSeas. Download Whale Alert today and help make the ocean safer for whales—one sighting at a time. _______________________________________ Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.

About

Argo Navigation

This free marine navigation app provides NOAA charts, depth surveys, and points of interest for US waters. It allows users to plot routes, share locations, and access community-reported hazards. Premium features offer advanced routing, weather forecasts, and tide predictions.

Highlights
  • NOAA charts and USACE depth surveys
  • 500,000+ marinas, anchorages, and fuel docks
  • Community-reported hazards
  • Route plotting with ETA and fuel use
  • Live location sharing
  • Offline chart downloads
  • Marine weather and tides
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

Whale Alert4 screens
Argo Navigation4 screens

Verdict

The call

Whale Alert and Argo Navigation both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 85% of Argo Navigation's written reviews are positive against 44% of Whale Alert's. Argo Navigation also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (6.2K vs 675). Whale Alert's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4). On price, rating, 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. Whale Alert asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Argo Navigation holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Argo Navigation has 6.2K ratings behind it against 675, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 44% of Whale Alert's written reviews are positive against 85% of Argo Navigation's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Whale Alert ships an update every 3 months, Argo Navigation every 4 days. Both last shipped on November 11, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Whale Alert versus Argo Navigation: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWhale AlertArgo Navigation
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (675 ratings)4.9 (6.2K ratings) — better
Positive reviews44.2% of reviews84.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings6756.2K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
Best chart rank—#92 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size133 MB137 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperConserve.IOARGO TECHNOLOGIES, LLC

Customer experience

Whale Alert

All ratings608 ratings
Positive93.4%
Neutral2.6%
Negative3.9%
Written reviews43 reviews
Positive44.2%
Neutral14.0%
Negative41.9%

Argo Navigation

All ratings6,215 ratings
Positive97.9%
Neutral0.7%
Negative1.3%
Written reviews221 reviews
Positive84.6%
Neutral2.3%
Negative13.1%

Bugs and requests

Whale Alert

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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

Whale Alert

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 Whale Alert free?
Whale Alert 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, Whale Alert or Argo Navigation?
Argo Navigation is rated higher. Whale Alert averages 4.7 out of 5 from 675 ratings, while Argo Navigation averages 4.9 from 6.2K ratings.
Do Whale Alert or Argo Navigation have ads?
Neither Whale Alert nor Argo Navigation shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Whale Alert or Argo Navigation?
Whale Alert ships an update every 3 months, and Argo Navigation every 4 days. Most recently, Whale Alert was updated on November 11, 2026 and Argo Navigation on November 11, 2026.

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