# Orca: Boat GPS, Charts, Routes — GPS Chart Route Sail Powerboat

> Marine navigation app with charts, routing, AIS, and weather. (iPhone/iPad app by Orca Technologies AS.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orca-boat-gps-charts-routes/id1514423198 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Orca Technologies AS](https://appshunter.io/developer/1511211342)
- Category: Navigation, Weather
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.60/5 from 352 App Store ratings · 86 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 15.0 · 175 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2021-05-06
- Data updated: 2026-09-03
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orca-boat-gps-charts-routes/id1514423198/reviews.md

## What is Orca?

Access accurate marine charts, intelligent routing, live AIS, and weather forecasts with Orca. Trusted by hundreds of thousands of sailors and powerboaters in the United States and across the world. 

Navigate confidently with clean charts
- Modern and easy-to-read marine charts
- Performant and responsive no matter how fast you zoom, pan, and rotate
- Clear readability with both day and night modes

Plan in seconds with smart routing
- Sail routing powered by weather forecasts and your boat’s polar diagram
- Automatic route recalculation if wind or other conditions change
- Engine routing that finds a route to your destination instantly

One step ahead of bad weather 
- Weather forecasts for wind, waves, currents, and tides
- Accurate hour-by-hour ECMWF forecasts
- Real-time rain radar forecast with down-to-the-minute accuracy

Stay aware of other vessels
- Global AIS from MarineTraffic for industry-leading coverage
- Live AIS targets with vessel names, images, Closest Point of Approach (CPA), and more
- Easy-to-read vessel icons overlaid directly on the chart 

True-to-life satellite charts
- Dock easily with true-to-life marina layouts
- Get a realistic overview to avoid uncharted obstacles 
- Boat like a local by seeing where other boats have travelled, moored, and anchored

Works online and offline
- Download charts and view them when boating in areas with no internet access
- Stay protected from unforeseen internet outages and connectivity issues
- Charts load instantly, without having to wait for your cellular network

Upgrade with Orca Core

The Orca App can be used as a standalone planning and navigation system. If you are looking for a truly modern navigation system that gives you complete control of your boat and helps you make better decisions, get an Orca Core to unlock a full chartplotter experience on your mobile device.

The Core is delivered with a high-precision GPS and compass, giving you a more accurate and reliable boating experience.

Connect the Core to your existing NMEA 2000 to view instrument data, AIS targets, and control your autopilot – all from your phone, tablet, and Orca Display.

Trusted by the modern boating community

Sailors, cruisers, powerboaters - hundreds of thousands trust Orca for a clearer, safer, and more confident experience on the water.

Join the modern way of boating. Download Orca today.

## Key features

- Marine charts
- Intelligent routing
- Live AIS tracking
- Weather forecasts
- Offline chart access
- Satellite charts

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Orca Plus | $44.99 | per year |
| Orca Smart Navigation | $89.99 | per year |
| Orca Smart Navigation | $159.99 | per year |
| Orca Subscription | $129.00 | per year |


## What do users think of Orca?

Overall sentiment: mixed

**Pros**

- 🎨 Clean, intuitive design and visual presentation
- 🗺️ Comprehensive and detailed chart coverage in many regions
- 🚀 Fast and responsive app performance
- 🧭 Excellent auto-routing with weather integration
- 📱 Seamless multi-device synchronization
- 🎮 Easy-to-use interface for route planning
- 💰 Competitive pricing compared to alternatives
- 🔌 Good integration with Raymarine and marine hardware
- 🌐 Global chart availability without regional restrictions
- 📡 AIS overlay functionality
- ⛵ Effective autopilot control from mobile devices
- 🔄 Frequent updates and improvements
- 👨‍💼 Responsive customer support (when available)

**Cons**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 🗺️ Incomplete and inaccurate chart data in many regions
- 🔋 Excessive battery consumption
- ❌ Missing critical navigation details (buoys, markers, beacon names)
- 🌊 Poor inland waterway coverage
- 🚫 Limited functionality in free version
- 📍 Unreliable GPS and location tracking
- ⚠️ Dangerous routing errors (routes through obstacles)
- 🔐 Problematic account creation and login process
- 📺 Intrusive pop-up advertisements blocking navigation
- 🌍 Inadequate coverage outside coastal US areas
- 📊 Tidal stream data inaccuracies
- 🎯 Poor auto-routing in some regions (Bahamas, Long Island Sound)
- 🔤 English-only interface without translation options
- ⏱️ Slow customer support response times
- 💾 Offline map download issues

**Commonly reported bugs**

- App crashes on startup (iPad compatibility issues)
- Long press menu not reliably accessible
- Auto-routing selects incorrect start points
- Routes terminate prematurely at arbitrary points
- Routes pass through land and obstacles
- Map navigation controls unresponsive
- Offline map downloads fail or lack detail
- Popup advertisements block app functionality
- Account registration and Apple Sign-in failures
- Inconsistent text rendering at various zoom levels
- Buoy detail information not displaying
- App hangs at startup screen
- Battery drain issues
- Anchor watch feature malfunction
- Beacon/lighthouse positioning errors

**Most requested features**

- Permanent distance-to-destination display
- Apparent wind speed (AWS) option on wind rose
- Anchor alarm functionality
- More descriptive weather diagrams
- Catamaran polar data expansion
- Weather anchoring recommendations
- Samsung Smart TV native support
- Tidal stream integration in routing
- Heading/bearing information display
- Symbol legend/key for chart interpretation
- French language support
- Better documentation of free vs. paid feature differences
- Improved chart detail information transparency

## Recent user reviews (10 of 86)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orca-boat-gps-charts-routes/id1514423198/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Endlich was modernes

*2026-07-26*

Nachdem alle Versuche einer automatischen Routenerstellung bei den bekannten Plotterherstellern gescheitert sind, ist es hier eine Freude, die Route zu erstellen. Auch das neue Wettermodell ist viel besser als Windfinder etc. Das ist die neue Zukunft.

### 2/5 — Route Length

*2026-07-14*

Not being able to route a 200mi route is disappointing - that’s not very long in the scheme of weather routing for sailing

### 1/5 — Didnt route

*2026-07-07*

Couldn’t get it to route a single trip. Just kept saying unable to find route.

### 1/5 — Charts not accurate

*2026-07-01*

After using Navionics from when it first launched I wanted to have an alternative after Garmin managed to degrade an excellent app. Unfortunately Orca did not deliver. Many charts in British Columbia coastal waters are “stitched” together in a haphazard manner with critical depth and depth contours missing and being dangerous for navigation use. 

The AIS, weather and tide overlays are better than Garmin. Current information is not reliable.

### 5/5 — Fabulous presentation

*2026-06-11*

We are on a cruise from Bergen in Norway to the Russian border in Kirkenes. The Orca app has been a wonderful companion while we cruise.

### 5/5 — Orca Free charting and routing

*2026-06-11*

As a standalone app this is superb and now I don’t have to pay an annual subscription to Garmin, although on critical passage (say the Great Sandy Straight) I will renew if I am negotiating a narrow channel with changing depths. I purchased ORCA Core and it truly adds to my existing Raymarine setup with transparent control of the autopilot when following ORCA’s routes.

### 1/5 — don’t rely on it

*2026-06-08*

does not calculate trip times with any accuracy, using the app on a mac is cumbersome

### 2/5 — Noch viel zu viele Bugs

*2026-06-08*

Tolle Ideen wurden umgesetzt, aber die App hat noch so viele Bugs, dass sie nicht sicher ist. Darauf werde ich mich nicht verlassen. Daher für mich unbrauchbar und rausgeschmissenes Geld. Schade.

### 1/5 — No internet AIS

*2026-05-19*

It does not show AIS ships in the free version. Totally misleading

### 5/5 — Appréciation

*2026-05-06*

Très bien

## Frequently asked questions about Orca

### What does the Orca app do?

The Orca app provides accurate marine charts, intelligent routing for sailing and powerboats, live AIS vessel tracking, and detailed weather forecasts. It aims to offer a comprehensive and confident navigation experience on the water.

### What are the key features of Orca?

Key features include easy-to-read marine charts with day/night modes, smart routing that considers weather and boat performance, real-time weather forecasts, global AIS for vessel awareness, and true-to-life satellite charts for docking. It also supports offline chart access.

### How does Orca make money?

The Orca app can be used as a standalone planning and navigation system. For a full chartplotter experience with enhanced GPS and compass accuracy, users can purchase Orca Core hardware, which unlocks additional features and integration capabilities.

### Is Orca compatible with other devices?

The Orca app is designed for mobile devices like phones and tablets. When paired with Orca Core hardware, it can connect to existing NMEA 2000 systems to display instrument data, AIS targets, and control autopilots.

### Who is the target audience for Orca?

Orca is designed for sailors, cruisers, and powerboaters who seek a modern, clear, and safe navigation system. It's trusted by hundreds of thousands of boaters worldwide for planning and on-water decision-making.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2026.31.1 — 2026-07-31

This update contains minor fixes and improvements

### 2026.28.1 — 2026-07-11

This update contains minor fixes and improvements

### 2026.26.1 — 2026-06-25

This update contains minor fixes and improvements

### 2026.25.1 — 2026-06-16

This update contains minor fixes and improvements

### 2026.24.1 — 2026-06-12

This update contains minor fixes and improvements

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-03.*