DriftWatch vs Coaster
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
DriftWatch
This navigation app helps boat captains sleep soundly by monitoring anchor drift. It uses your device's GPS to alert you if your vessel moves outside a set boundary, providing peace of mind while at anchor.
- Anchor drift monitoring
- GPS boundary alerts
- Audible alarms
- Battery level monitoring
- Simple and easy to use
Read full descriptionHide full description
DriftWatch is a captain's best friend for a good night of sleep. Often the captain sets anchor for the night and keep waking up regularly to confirm that the anchor is still preventing the boat from drifting. Some boats/yachts have anchor alarm on their GPS system. Unfortunately, it is not rare that the integrated GPS system is inaudible from the captain's bed. With DriftWatch running on your IOS device, you can have it near your bed and be confident that it will warn you if you drift outside of the established boundary. DriftWatch is the perfect complementary mean that provides peace of mind when anchored. DriftWatch is simple and easy to use. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note: Your IOS device should be connected and charging when using DriftWatch for an extended period of time either as a foreground or background application. The application keeps monitoring your location using the device's GPS which drains the battery faster than normal. Fortunately DriftWatch monitors your battery level and alerts you when a certain battery level is reached when unplugged.
Coaster
Read full descriptionHide full description
Boat dashboard: speed, distance from the coast and nearest border. Once the map has been downloaded, the application is functional offline. A Premium yearly subscription is available. With Premium subscription, you have maps in HD-High Definition (an example is available on https://swissopt.ch/coaster/#hd), no ads to activate options alert and distance to nearest border. Terms of Use (EULA) apply (https://swissopt.ch/coaster/support/terms_conditions.html).
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: DriftWatch at none against Coaster's shown. Coaster's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 12 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.4). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. DriftWatch sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per year and Coaster sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
DriftWatch ships an update every 12 months, Coaster every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 6, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | DriftWatch | Coaster |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | — |
| Update frequency | Every 12 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.4 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 85 MB | 19 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Rene Dacier | Michael Mathieu |
In-app purchases
DriftWatch
- Remove Time Limit3 Days trial$3.991 Year
- 24H Wind Forecast3 Days trial$9.991 Year
- 24H Wind Forecast.3 Days trial$9.991 Year
Coaster
- Premium$4.991 Year
