Best Coastal Explorer alternatives: apps like Coastal Explorer

7+ similar apps compared and reviewed

4.8 avg rating

5 free apps

Updated November 2026

Coastal Explorer

Rose Point Navigation Systems, Inc

🌟 Lifestyle

🗺️ Navigation

Whether you want more options like Coastal Explorer or a completely different take on the same concept, our curated list of 7+ similar apps has you covered. Updated for 2026 with the latest ratings and comparisons.

Top Alternatives to Coastal Explorer

SEAiq USA by Sakhalin

Editor's Choice

🗺️ Navigation

4.7😊(502 ratings)

FreeIn-App Purchases

This marine navigation app provides detailed charts for the United States, including weather and AIS data. It offers features like waypoints, routes, and an anchor alarm. While basic chart viewing is free, premium navigation requires an annual subscription after a trial.

What We Love

📊 Accurate and detailed navigation charts
💰 Excellent value for price
🆓 Free NOAA chart downloads
📱 Works offline after chart download
🚢 AIS data integration
📍 Easy waypoint and route creation
🔄 Seamless chart quilting and management
⚓ Anchor monitoring feature
📚 Comprehensive in-app documentation
🛠️ Responsive developer support
🔗 Active Captain integration
🌊 Tide and current data options
📤 Easy GPX export/import functionality
🎯 Intuitive user interface
🔌 NMEA 0183 data integration
🗺️ Both raster and vector chart support
🌙 Night vision-friendly display

Room to Improve

🐢 Slow performance on older devices
❌ No way to delete imported tracks
❌ Cannot rename imported tracks
⚠️ Discontinued Active Captain data support
🔐 Limited free version features
📵 Requires current device for responsiveness
🔗 Difficulty linking iPad to iPhone GPS
⏱️ Slow chart display and panning
🔄 Long Active Captain synchronization times

SEAiq by Sakhalin

Strong Contender

🗺️ Navigation

4.7😐(194 ratings)

FreeIn-App Purchases

This marine navigation app offers comprehensive charting tools, allowing users to load various chart formats and automatically download NOAA charts for the US. It includes features like waypoints, routes, tracks, weather overlays, and NMEA/AIS integration for enhanced seafaring.

What We Love

👍 Highly reliable navigation app
💡 Tons of features
✨ Clean and sensical interface
🚀 Versatile for plotting routes/waypoints
📊 Estimating AIS target crossing range
💻 Visualizing vessel data
⚙️ NMEA data smoothing
🌙 Dark mode option
🚨 Alarm customization
🗺️ Custom satellite charts (.kap files)
🆓 Free NOAA charts (US)
📂 Easily accessible chart files/tracks
🚫 Never crashed
💬 Responsive developer support
🌟 Professional-grade tools
⚓ Chart tool functionality (EBLs, VRMs)
🧭 AIS functionality (course vectors, rate of turn)
✅ Official ENCs display
🛠️ Supports S-63 charts
💯 Good for marine pilots
🌐 Works with official maps (Hong Kong)
🚀 NMEA/AIS features
📊 Data bar on map
✅ Reliable app
🔌 Integrates with Active Captain
🔋 Offline use with Aye Tides
💨 Fast NOAA chart downloads (US)
💻 Planning/plotting on laptop
📈 NOAA Raster and ENC charts
⚙️ Tides integrated nicely
🇭🇰 Works in Hong Kong waters
🚀 VMG feature (missing)
🌍 Free world charts (CM93)
💡 Ability to use own charts
💯 Best nav software by far
✅ Coded by experienced users
🚀 Fast chart updater
⭐ First rate app
🌐 Offline functionality (99%)
💨 Download gribs via SSB
💯 Serious navigator app
💰 Upgrade worth the price
🛰️ GPS data from TCP/IP source (request)
🔄 NMEA data TCP/IP support (request)
🗺️ Display CM93 CMap charts
✅ Try-before-you-buy capability
🚀 Excellent software
💯 Miles ahead of the fleet
🌍 Sailing around the world
💡 Comprehensive app
🔄 Exporting routes easily
✨ AIS functionality excellent
⭐ Actual size feature (AIS)
✅ Solid feature set
🚀 AIS repeater from laptop
💰 Chart plotters for a tenth the cost
🚀 Works well now
💯 Outstanding bit of kit

Room to Improve

😩 Tedious to plot a course
🔧 Complicated chart setup initially
🤔 Not user friendly
📚 Instructions not very helpful
⏳ Time wasted on simple things
🐌 Chart downloader excruciatingly slow
📱 App needs to be on screen for downloads
⚠️ Switching away causes download failures
🔄 Retrying updates needed
📉 Lazy software design
👎 Poor user experience
🤔 Chart suppliers issue with cross-device use
🐌 App speed could be improved
😕 Creating routes/waypoints clunky
🔍 Options hard to find
📈 Learning curve steep
🇺🇸 US charts take priority
📉 CM93 charts no longer supported
❌ No option to load older version
🗑️ Useless waste of money (charts)
💸 Expensive charts
🤷‍♂️ Gave up trying to get it to work
❓ ActiveCaptain feature not working
😭 Screwed by updates
💸 Waste of money
👎 Dropped support for CM93
💰 Hundreds of charts stopped working
📉 Update happened mid-trip
⚠️ Company willing to do this to customers
💸 Hundreds of dollars worth of charts useless
📉 Not unique feature set anymore
💰 Lost considerable money
🚫 App with no use
📉 Developer withdraws support
😭 Unhappy about lost money
👎 CM93 no longer supported
😩 Wasted money
❓ CM93 NOT SUPPORTED???
📉 Lost support for CM93
💸 Expensive app
📉 Bait and Switch
📉 Developers stopped supporting CM93
🗑️ App now worthless
👎 Dropped CM93 support
📉 Turned useful app into worthless app
💰 Full paid version, no refund
😔 Very un happy
🐌 Rendering can be slow
🐌 Full CM93 set is huge
😕 App doesn't allow selection of discreet areas
🤔 Confusing variations of same app
💰 Upgrade asks for more money
❓ Not explaining what you get
👎 Download yet another app for upgrade
🔄 Need to reinstall charts
🛠️ Needs a lot of work to be user friendly
💥 Crashes
🥶 Freezes iPad
💸 40 dollars to create waypoints is brutally expensive
💰 10 dollars would have been better
💸 Cost of charts on top of application
❓ Icons for vessels are basic
😔 It does nothing free
❓ Not intuitive on chart loading
💰 Everything is an upgrade
🗑️ Useless as a free app
⭐ Less than one star

AyeTides by Hahn Software LLC

Worth Considering

🗺️ Navigation

4.8😊(4.9K ratings)

$7.99

#12in Navigation

Access tide and current data for over 13,400 global locations, even offline. Plan your marine activities with interactive graphs, map searches, and location-based finding. Enjoy a professional, ad-free experience with regular updates.

What We Love

🚀 Accurate and reliable
👍 Intuitive and easy to use
🌊 Comprehensive tide and current data
🔍 Offline functionality
🌙 Includes moon and sunrise/sunset data
💻 Works well on both phones and tablets
🌐 Global coverage of locations

Room to Improve

🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
🔄 Issues with updating favorites or station list
📱 Limited Apple Watch integration
🔍 Difficulty finding some locations

More apps like Coastal Explorer

Boat Beacon

AIS Marine Navigation

$14.99

This marine navigation app provides real-time AIS data for collision avoidance and position sharing. It offers over-the-horizon warnings, background operation, and a user-friendly interface for boaters.

Collision warnings with CPA calculationsReal-time AIS ship trackingBackground operation for continuous alerts

🗺️ Navigation

(871)

free with in-app purchases

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SEAiq Pilot

#1 App for Pro Marine Pilots

Free

This navigation app provides advanced charting and real-time vessel data for professional marine pilots. It supports various chart formats and external NMEA/AIS devices, offering features like predicted vessel display and docking aids. A free trial is available, with an in-app purchase for permanent access.

S-57, S-63, iENC, BSB/KAP chart supportExternal NMEA/AIS over WiFiPredicted vessel display

🗺️ Navigation

(453)

free with in-app purchases

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BridgeClear Mobile

Bridge Clearance for Pilots

Free

Provides real-time vertical clearance data for bridges on US waterways, essential for towboat pilots. Offers live gauge stages, tidal currents, and navigation aids. A subscription unlocks premium features for enhanced safety and planning.

Live vertical bridge clearanceReal-time NOAA gauge stagesTidal current data

🗺️ Navigation

(7)

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Lock Status

U.S. River Lock & Dam Status

Free

Provides real-time information on U.S. river locks and dams. Get contact details and see upcoming locks for your waterway journey. Essential for boaters and canoeists navigating rivers.

Up-to-date lock informationContact methods for locksUpcoming lock identification

🗺️ Navigation

(21)

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