# Ship Finder Lite — Live Marine & Vessel tracking

> Live marine and vessel tracking with augmented reality identification. (iPhone/iPad app by pinkfroot limited.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ship-finder-lite/id324177409 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [pinkfroot limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/319726822)
- Category: Navigation, Travel
- Price: Free
- Rating: 4.30/5 from 3,175 App Store ratings · 385 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 9.3 · 48 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2009-08-01
- Data updated: 2026-08-27
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ship-finder-lite/id324177409/reviews.md

## What is Ship Finder Lite?

Ship Finder shows live moving ships on a worldwide map.
You can even use Augmented Reality (AR) view to identify ships out at sea using your device camera. 

Ship Finder has been top rated and top ranking since 2009 and covers most of the world, tracking 20,000+ ships simultaneously.

Our incredible app performance means that you can see all tracked vessels at once - no clustering here!
Simply tap on a ship to see it's name, type and destination. Colour coded icons make identification easy too.

If you like this app you'll love the full version of Ship Finder.

The full version includes a huge array of additional features including route history, search, filters, bookmarks, photos, the ability to add favourite ships and much more.

Ship Finder works by picking up AIS ship feeds used by all passenger vessels, vessels over 300 tons and increasingly by smaller pleasure craft and yachts. This technology is actually faster than radar and is used by vessels for safety and navigation.

Ship Finder provides near real time “virtual radar” AIS maps. It’s easy to use and is an amazing app for anyone interested in shipping, cruising and sailing in ports and locations across the world. It’s also great if you simply want to know what boats are out there or want to see where your friends and family are. Ship Finder is also used extensively by maritime professionals and mariners.

Our global AIS coverage is impressive and expanding all of the time as we add new AIS feeds and receivers. Please check www.shipfinder.co regularly to see the latest coverage.

Pinkfroot are committed to customer service and continually improve our Ship Finder apps based on feedback. Why not join our online community at www.pinkfroot.com or if you have any questions please email us via support@pinkfroot.com and we’ll be happy to help. 

Disclaimer: Ship Finder should not be used for navigational purposes. 
Under no circumstances will the developer of this application be held responsible for incidents resulting from the use of the data or its interpretation.

## Key features

- Live worldwide ship tracking map
- Augmented Reality (AR) ship identification
- View ship name, type, and destination
- Color-coded vessel icons
- Near real-time AIS data
- Global AIS coverage

## What do users think of Ship Finder Lite?

Overall sentiment: negative

**Pros**

- 🌊 Tracks marine traffic
- 🔍 Identifies ships and boats
- 🗺️ Provides map-based visualization
- 🔍 Useful for hobbyists and enthusiasts

**Cons**

- 🚫 Limited functionality in free version
- 💰 Paywall for key features
- 📢 Excessive ads and pop-ups
- 🔍 Inaccurate or incomplete ship tracking
- 🗺️ Missing coverage in certain regions

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Ships not showing up on the map
- App crashes or freezes
- Outdated or incorrect ship information

**Most requested features**

- Search for specific vessels
- Alerts and notifications for ship movements
- Improved data coverage and accuracy
- Less intrusive advertising model

## Recent user reviews (10 of 385)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ship-finder-lite/id324177409/reviews.md

### 3/5 — Not enough

*2026-08-14, version 9.2.2*

I paid for the next app up from this lite version but I can only access 100 odd ships out of 40,000 or more.
Why??

### 5/5 — Brilliant

*2026-08-10, version 9.2.2*

Brilliant

### 1/5 — Suspicious and False Pop ups

*2026-07-02, version 9.2.2*

Unfortunately, the app now pops up false and suspicious advertisements, such as “iPhone memory full, click on clear memory below”. This shift is extremely bad and I’m deleting the app.

### 1/5 — Don’t get lite version

*2026-06-11, version 9.2.2*

What a waste of time. No search function to find ships. Finds your location and that’s it.

### 2/5 — Disappointed

*2026-05-21, version 9.2.2*

Expected a great App after having Plane Finder. But a big disappointment. Limited viability, ships appearing inland, lack of information

### 1/5 — How to fine a ship

*2026-04-21, version 9.2.2*

No button or Search option to find a vessel. So, I CANNOT find any vessel ! Strange.

### 1/5 — UI system

*2026-04-03, version 9.2.2*

I just said the app is terrible. Why is not fully in sync with the ship mark as when when you swipe?

Several times I swiped it 
The ship icons and map are not fully in sync. 
I swipe the map moves first and then ship icons move 

I just say it’s not good as the main one

### 1/5 — Untauglich

*2026-04-01*

Bei der Straße von Hormus wird zur Zeit kein einziges Schiff angezeigt. Eher unwahrscheinlich im April 2026

### 1/5 — Doesn’t find ships!

*2026-03-29, version 9.2.2*

Living by a busy shipping route, I was disappointed this app couldn’t find the six or more ships that I could see from the headland overlooking the waterway. The ships tracked moving overland was also a surprise. Deleted app.

### 1/5 — Not at all useful

*2026-03-02, version 9.2.2*

There’s been a big red service vessel of some kind doing something just outside the harbour for at least ten days. Not once has it shown up on this waste of space. Happens regularly

## Frequently asked questions about Ship Finder Lite

### What does Ship Finder Lite do?

Ship Finder Lite displays live moving ships on a worldwide map using near real-time AIS data. It allows users to identify vessels by tapping on them to see their name, type, and destination, and also offers an Augmented Reality (AR) view to identify ships using the device camera.

### What are the key features of Ship Finder Lite?

Key features include live worldwide ship tracking on a map, Augmented Reality (AR) ship identification, the ability to view ship details like name, type, and destination, and color-coded icons for easy identification. It utilizes near real-time AIS data for its tracking.

### Is Ship Finder Lite free to use?

Yes, Ship Finder Lite is a free application. There are no in-app purchases or advertisements mentioned in the provided description. A full version with additional features is available.

### What kind of devices is Ship Finder Lite compatible with?

The description implies compatibility with devices that have a camera for the Augmented Reality feature and can access AIS ship feeds. It is designed for mobile devices, likely smartphones and tablets.

### Who would find Ship Finder Lite useful?

This app is useful for anyone interested in shipping, cruising, and sailing, including maritime professionals and mariners. It's also great for individuals who want to know what boats are in an area or track the location of friends and family on the water.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 9.2.2 — 2018-11-08

Support for new iPad Pro devices

### 9.2.0 — 2018-10-16

Improvements for iPhone XS devices

### 9.1.1 — 2018-05-25

Bug Fixes

### 9.1.0 — 2018-05-16

Support for iPhone X

### 9.0.2 — 2017-07-04

Fixes the flag of Bermuda

## Apps similar to Ship Finder Lite

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [MyShipTracking](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/myshiptracking/id1403038386) | 4.4 (4,487) | Free | Navigation |
| [Seawatch24 Marine Traffic AIS](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seawatch24-marine-traffic-ais/id437775747) | 4.7 (43) | Free | Navigation |
| [TrackaShip Universal](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/trackaship-universal/id824119007) | 3.0 (27) | Free | Navigation |
| [FindShip - Track vessels](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/findship-track-vessels/id768240068) | 3.5 (993) | Free | Navigation |
| [VesselFinder](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vesselfinder/id918080862) | 3.9 (183) | Free | Navigation |
| [Cruise Tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cruise-tracker/id961420315) | 1.6 (10) | Free | Navigation |

## More apps by pinkfroot limited

- [Plane Finder ⁃ Flight Tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plane-finder-flight-tracker/id361273585)
- [Ship Finder](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ship-finder/id363360636)

All apps by pinkfroot limited: https://appshunter.io/developer/319726822

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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 2026-08-27.*