# AIS Live vs ActiveCaptain®

The clearest difference is rating: AIS Live at 5.0 against ActiveCaptain®'s 4.0. AIS Live also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 18) and review sentiment (86% vs 59%). ActiveCaptain®'s advantage is ratings volume (5.2K vs 1) and chart position (#58 vs unranked). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ActiveCaptain® sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $74.99 per year. AIS Live asks for nothing beyond the download.

AIS Live holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ActiveCaptain® has 5.2K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of AIS Live's written reviews are positive against 59% of ActiveCaptain®'s.

AIS Live ships an update monthly, ActiveCaptain® every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | AIS Live | ActiveCaptain® |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ais-live/id1108657025/reviews)** | [4.0 (5.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/activecaptain/id1116089313/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **5.2K** |
| Positive reviews | **85.7% of reviews** | 59.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#58** |
| Size | 26 MB | 197 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13** | 18.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Automotive Integration](https://appshunter.io/developer/1160120604) | [Garmin](https://appshunter.io/developer/411046952) |

## What reviewers say

### AIS Live

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ais-live/id1108657025)

Monitor the real-time location of your assets with this GPS tracking application. Access historical playback and modify asset information directly from your account.

**Highlights:** Real-time asset tracking, Historical playback, Asset information modification, GPS tracking account login, View asset location

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### ActiveCaptain®

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

**Currently charting:** #58 Top Grossing · Navigation, #170 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 AIS Live free?

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

### Is ActiveCaptain® free?

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

### Which has better reviews, AIS Live or ActiveCaptain®?

AIS Live is rated higher. AIS Live averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while ActiveCaptain® averages 4.0 from 5.2K ratings.

### Do AIS Live or ActiveCaptain® have ads?

Neither AIS Live nor ActiveCaptain® shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, AIS Live or ActiveCaptain®?

AIS Live ships an update monthly, and ActiveCaptain® every 3 months. Most recently, AIS Live was updated on October 29, 2026 and ActiveCaptain® on November 1, 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.*