# Sail Buddy vs ActiveCaptain®

The clearest difference is price: ActiveCaptain® at Free against Sail Buddy's $4.99. ActiveCaptain® also leads on ratings volume (5.2K vs 14) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 6 months). Sail Buddy's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 56%) and in-app purchases (none vs 18). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

ActiveCaptain® is free to download; Sail Buddy costs $4.99 up front. ActiveCaptain® sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $74.99 per year. Sail Buddy asks for nothing beyond the download.

Sail Buddy holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ActiveCaptain® has 5.2K ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Sail Buddy's written reviews are positive against 56% of ActiveCaptain®'s.

Sail Buddy ships an update every 6 months, ActiveCaptain® every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sail Buddy | ActiveCaptain® |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.4 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sail-buddy/id1100095207/reviews)** | [4.0 (5.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/activecaptain/id1116089313/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 14 | **5.2K** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 56.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#28** |
| Size | 3 MB | 196 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 18.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tim Herzog](https://appshunter.io/developer/1100095206) | [Garmin](https://appshunter.io/developer/411046952) |

## What reviewers say

### Sail Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sail-buddy/id1100095207)

This app provides a clean, easy-to-read display for course, speed, and NMEA data, complementing other navigation tools. It supports various devices, including iPads in split-screen mode and Apple Watches for hands-free data access. Route tracking and export are also available.

**Highlights:** Large, readable course and speed display, NMEA data reception via WiFi, Route tracking and export (CSV, KML, GPX, GeoJSON), Apple Watch integration for hands-free data, Split View support on iPads, Alarms for data loss and grounding

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### ActiveCaptain®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/activecaptain/id1116089313)

**Currently charting:** #28 Top Grossing · Navigation, #145 Top Free · Navigation (US App Store)

This app connects your mobile device to compatible Garmin chartplotters, enabling wireless chart and map transfers, software updates, and route planning. It also provides access to a community of boaters for reviews and information on marinas and points of interest.

**Highlights:** Wireless chart and map transfer, Route and waypoint planning, ActiveCaptain Community for POI reviews, Chartplotter control via Helm feature, Easy software updates, OnDeck system monitoring, Garmin Quickdraw Community map sharing

**In-app purchases (18)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| NSUS007R-U.S. East | $74.99 | per year |
| NSUS006R-U.S. South | $74.99 | per year |
| g4 U.S. Lakes & Rivers Built-i | $99.99 | per year |
| NSUS001L-U.S. & Canada | $99.99 | per year |
| g4 Vision U.S. South | $129.99 | per year |
| g4 Vision U.S. East | $129.99 | per year |
| GN+ US & Coast Canada Built-In | $149.99 | per year |
| U.S. LakeVü Detail Map | $59.99 | one-time |
| US+Great Lakes Detail Map | $99.99 | one-time |
| BlueChart g3+LakeVu g3 Built-I | $99.99 | one-time |
| LUS100F - Download | $149.99 | one-time |
| GN+ U.S. South | $149.99 | one-time |
| GN+ U.S. East | $149.99 | one-time |
| VUS010R - Download | $174.99 | one-time |
| GN+ U.S. & Canada | $199.99 | one-time |
| HXUS604X - Download | $219.99 | one-time |
| GNV+ U.S. East | $249.99 | one-time |
| GNV+ U.S. South | $249.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Seamless integration with Garmin devices
- 💡 Useful for planning trips and managing waypoints
- 🚀 Convenient for updating software and charts
- 👍 Great app for Garmin users

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and connection issues
- 🔍 Limited chart and mapping functionality compared to competitors
- 🤔 Difficult to transfer data between devices
- 🤔 Confusing and not very intuitive user interface
- 💰 Expensive for the features provided

**Reported bugs**

- Charts and maps not loading properly
- Waypoints and routes not syncing correctly
- Constant prompts to purchase additional charts
- Compatibility issues with older Garmin devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to duplicate and edit existing routes
- Sync user data across multiple devices
- Improved chart detail and coverage
- Animated tides and currents
- Better integration with other navigation apps


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sail Buddy free?

Sail Buddy costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is ActiveCaptain® free?

ActiveCaptain® is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Sail Buddy or ActiveCaptain®?

Sail Buddy is rated higher. Sail Buddy averages 4.4 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while ActiveCaptain® averages 4.0 from 5.2K ratings.

### Do Sail Buddy or ActiveCaptain® have ads?

Neither Sail Buddy nor ActiveCaptain® shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sail Buddy or ActiveCaptain®?

Sail Buddy ships an update every 6 months, and ActiveCaptain® every 3 months. Most recently, Sail Buddy was updated on September 22, 2026 and ActiveCaptain® on September 29, 2026.

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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.*