DepthScout VS StackStats.app

DepthScout's answer

DepthScout started as a side project built around one question that paper lake maps and star-rating apps never answered: on this specific water, where should I fish today? The depth data already existed, scattered across state DNRs, USGS, NOAA and USACE in formats nobody wants to open. DepthScout pulls those surveys together into readable charts, then layers species behavior, structure and current conditions on top so every spot comes with a reason you can read. Two rules held from the start: label the data honestly, survey where it is survey and approximated where it is not, and keep every depth map free so anyone can check their home water before deciding whether the paid read is worth it.

StackStats.app's answer:

I built StackStats because Substack's native analytics weren't cutting it. I wanted cohort data, real open rates (not bot-inflated), and a way to identify which posts were actually driving subscriber growth — but every tool I found was either cloud-based or required migrating off Substack entirely. So I built a local app that works with Substack's own CSV exports. No migration, no cloud, no subscription.

DepthScout's answer

Most fishing apps hand you a map and a star rating. DepthScout gives you the depth chart, ranks the spots on that chart for the species you picked, and explains in plain English why each spot grades the way it does. 18,644 of the waters are built from real state and federal agency depth surveys rather than modeled contours, and every chart names its source. Charts that are approximated are labeled as approximated instead of being passed off as measured. The forecast works the same way: every bite score names its inputs, so you can see what the read weighted and disagree with it. Every depth map is free to browse before you pay, so you can inspect your own water first.

StackStats.app's answer:

StackStats runs 100% locally on your machine — your subscriber data never touches a server. It also goes far beyond what Substack shows natively: bot-filtered open rates, cohort retention, superfan identification, dead subscriber detection, and content-to-growth correlation. No subscription, no account, no cloud. Pay once, own it forever.

DepthScout's answer

Three reasons. First, the bathymetry is honest: 18,644 waters are charted from real state and federal agency depth surveys, and anything modeled is labeled that way on the page, so you always know whether you are looking at measured depth. Second, the free tier is actually useful. Every depth chart, the top prime spot, all good and fair spots, the daily outlook for today and tomorrow, on-water GPS position, and offline maps are free, so you can judge the product on your own water before paying. Third, the reasoning is visible. Each spot and each bite window states why it grades the way it does, so you can argue with it instead of trusting a star rating. Pro is $29 a year with a 7-day trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

StackStats.app's answer:

Most newsletter analytics tools are cloud-based SaaS with monthly subscriptions. StackStats is a one-time purchase that runs entirely on your device. For Substack writers who care about privacy — especially those with paid subscribers — that's a meaningful difference. You also get analytics features that don't exist anywhere else, like bot-filtered open rates and cohort retention, without having to migrate away from Substack.

DepthScout's answer

Anglers deciding where to fish before they make the drive. Mostly freshwater bass, walleye, panfish, pike and trout fishermen across the United States and Canada, with growing coverage in Northern Europe. It fits bank and small-boat anglers scouting an unfamiliar water, and boat and kayak anglers who want ranked spots, an hourly bite window, and GPX waypoints they can load into a chartplotter.

StackStats.app's answer:

Serious Substack writers who are frustrated by Substack's shallow native analytics and want real data to drive growth — without moving their subscriber data to the cloud.

DepthScout's answer

DepthScout is a progressive web app, so it runs in any modern browser on phone, tablet and desktop and installs to the home screen without an app store download. The depth charts are built from public agency bathymetry, mainly state DNR survey soundings plus USGS, NOAA and USACE data. The forecast layer combines weather, water temperature trend, moon phase and solunar periods resolved to the hour. Subscriptions and payments run through Stripe.

StackStats.app's answer:

Electron (macOS + Windows), HTML/CSS/JavaScript, Chart.js, PapaParse. Optional AI layer supports Ollama, Claude, GPT-4, Gemini, Groq, and OpenRouter. Licensing via Cloudflare Workers + D1. Payments via Gumroad.