Comparison

Whale Alert vs Waterway Guide

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

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

Whale Alert4 screens
Waterway Guide4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Whale Alert at none against Waterway Guide's 10. Waterway Guide's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months) and chart position (#180 vs unranked). 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. Waterway Guide sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year. Whale Alert asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Whale Alert against 4.7 for Waterway Guide. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 657 and 2.9K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 44% of Whale Alert's written reviews are positive against 52% of Waterway Guide's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Whale Alert ships an update every 3 months, Waterway Guide every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Whale Alert versus Waterway Guide: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWhale AlertWaterway Guide
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (657 ratings)4.7 (2.9K ratings) — better
Positive reviews44.2% of reviews52.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings6572.9K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#180 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size133 MB52 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperConserve.IOWaterway Guide

Customer experience

Whale Alert

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

Waterway Guide

All ratings2,920 ratings
Positive94.1%
Neutral2.4%
Negative3.5%
Written reviews42 reviews
Positive52.4%
Neutral14.3%
Negative33.3%

Bugs and requests

Whale Alert

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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

None

Whale Alert

No in-app purchases

10 purchases

Waterway Guide

Subscriptions10
  • Great Lakes Vol.2 Ch.8$14.991 Year
  • Anchorages Along the ICW$20.991 Year
  • ICW Cruising Guide by Bob423$29.991 Year
Show 7 more
  • 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

Questions

Is Whale Alert free?
Whale Alert is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Waterway Guide free?
Waterway Guide is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Whale Alert or Waterway Guide?
Waterway Guide is rated higher. Whale Alert averages 4.7 out of 5 from 657 ratings, while Waterway Guide averages 4.7 from 2.9K ratings.
Do Whale Alert or Waterway Guide have ads?
Neither Whale Alert nor Waterway Guide shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Whale Alert or Waterway Guide?
Whale Alert ships an update every 3 months, and Waterway Guide every 2 weeks. Most recently, Whale Alert was updated on November 6, 2026 and Waterway Guide on November 7, 2026.

Other comparisons