Compare
The Free Alternative to Paddle Logger & RiverApp
The paid paddling apps put trip history, flow forecasts, and live safety tracking behind a subscription. We read the same public USGS gauges and keep it free.
| Feature | Paddling Hubs Free | Go Paddling | Launch directories | Booking sites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Put-in & launch discovery | ||||
| Outfitter, livery & school directory | Booking only | |||
| Book guided trips & rentals | ||||
| Maps & GPS | ||||
| River & water conditions | Partial | |||
| Events & meetups | ||||
| No account required to browse |
Why Paddling Hubs is free
Community-specific, not nationwide
The paid apps charge because they cover every county in the country. We only cover the areas our community uses, and staying narrow is what keeps it free.
Free public data
We source maps and boundaries from free public GIS portals instead of licensing an expensive nationwide dataset, so there is no per-user data bill to pass on.
No account, no paywall
Every core tool works in a browser and in the app with no signup. A free account only adds syncing so your spots and plans follow you between devices.
FAQ
Common questions
Yes. Current flow and gauge height on our river pages are free, with no subscription. RiverApp reserves historical charts, forecasts, and satellite comparisons for its Premium tier. Our readings come straight from the public USGS gauge network, so there is no data bill to pass on.
Yes. Every gauged reach shows its latest reading and whether it is running today, free and without an account. We pair that with put-in and take-out detail and paddler-contributed local knowledge for the runs our community actually paddles.
No. Saving runs and planning a trip are free. Paddle Logger is free to download but gates trip folders, pins, photo galleries, and its PaddleLIVE tracking behind a PRO subscription. A free account here only syncs your saved runs between the web and the app.
Those apps license and maintain flow data across tens of thousands of stations worldwide, and that breadth is what you pay for. We stay on US waters, read the free public USGS streamflow and NOAA tide feeds, and lean on local paddlers for the rest, which is what keeps the tools free.
