# CruiseMapper vs Ship Tracker

The clearest difference is rating: Ship Tracker at 4.6 against CruiseMapper's 3.6. Ship Tracker also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (1.8K vs 118). CruiseMapper's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and review sentiment (37% vs 25%). On price, ads, chart position and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Ship Tracker sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. CruiseMapper asks for nothing beyond the download.

Ship Tracker holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ship Tracker has 1.8K ratings behind it against 118, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 37% of CruiseMapper's written reviews are positive against 25% of Ship Tracker's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

CruiseMapper ships an update every 5 months, Ship Tracker fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CruiseMapper | Ship Tracker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.6 (118 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cruisemapper/id1032294427/reviews) | **[4.6 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ship-tracker/id6471243761/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 118 | **1.8K** |
| Positive reviews | **36.7% of reviews** | 25.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #208 | **#174** |
| Size | 38 MB | 68 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [AstraPaging Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/438160792) | [Rocketech sp. z o.o.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1764757195) |

## What reviewers say

### CruiseMapper

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cruisemapper/id1032294427)

**Currently charting:** #208 Top Free · Travel (US App Store)

Discover and plan your next vacation with a comprehensive database of cruises. Explore detailed itineraries, port schedules, ship reviews, and real-time ship locations. Find your ideal cruise from thousands of options across numerous cruise lines and ships.

**Highlights:** Detailed itineraries and port schedules, Cruise ship reviews and videos, Current position of cruise ships, Special features and technical details, Database of cruise lines, ships, and cruises

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🗺️ Accurate real-time ship tracking
- 📍 Comprehensive ship location information
- 📋 Detailed itineraries and port schedules
- 🚢 Extensive database of cruise ships
- 🎨 Clean and intuitive interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
- 📍 Inaccurate ship location tracking
- 🔄 Slow or delayed location updates
- 🎯 Ships disappearing from map display
- 🔍 Difficulty zooming in/out on map

**Reported bugs**

- Ships disappear after a few seconds on map
- Cannot see ships unless searched individually
- Zoom functionality inverts (zooms out when trying to zoom in)
- App freezes when switching between ships
- Cannot tap on another ship while viewing one

**Requested features**

- Favorites section for frequently tracked ships
- Deck plans for all ship versions (iOS parity with Android)
- Show route feature on app (currently on website only)
- Filter options to hide river boats and ferries
- Ability to save/lock multi-segment cruise itineraries


### Ship Tracker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ship-tracker/id6471243761)

**Currently charting:** #174 Top Grossing · Travel (US App Store)

Track ships live on the ocean, view their routes, destinations, and arrival times. Access detailed port information and manage your own fleet. Ideal for maritime enthusiasts, professionals, and travelers.

**Highlights:** Real-time vessel monitoring, Expected arrivals, Port details, Customizable fleet management, User-friendly search

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Access | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Unlimited Access | $7.99 | per month |
| Unlimited Access | $17.99 | per year |
| Unlimited Access | $34.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app
- 🚀 Excellent tool
- 👍 Accurate app
- 👍 Helpful app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitchy app
- 🐛 Outdated information
- 🐛 Doesn't work properly
- 🔒 Forced subscription
- 🐛 Unreliable tracking

**Reported bugs**

- Ads not working
- Crashes frequently
- Tracking issues
- Incorrect vessel locations

**Requested features**

- Free vessel pictures
- Ability to set location
- Improve search functionality
- Better open sea tracking


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CruiseMapper free?

CruiseMapper is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Ship Tracker free?

Ship Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, CruiseMapper or Ship Tracker?

Ship Tracker is rated higher. CruiseMapper averages 3.6 out of 5 from 118 ratings, while Ship Tracker averages 4.6 from 1.8K ratings.

### Do CruiseMapper or Ship Tracker have ads?

Both CruiseMapper and Ship Tracker show ads.

### Which is updated more often, CruiseMapper or Ship Tracker?

CruiseMapper ships an update every 5 months, and Ship Tracker fortnightly. Most recently, CruiseMapper was updated on October 4, 2026 and Ship Tracker on October 12, 2026.

### Which is more popular, CruiseMapper or Ship Tracker?

CruiseMapper currently peaks at #208 in the App Store charts, and Ship Tracker at #174. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*