# ActiveCaptain® vs NAVTEXpro

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ActiveCaptain® at 56% against NAVTEXpro's 4%. ActiveCaptain® also leads on rating (4.0 vs 1.7) and monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription). NAVTEXpro's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 18.5). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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 and NAVTEXpro sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.49 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ActiveCaptain® holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 1.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ActiveCaptain® has 5.2K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of ActiveCaptain®'s written reviews are positive against 4% of NAVTEXpro's.

## The numbers

| Metric | ActiveCaptain® | NAVTEXpro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.0 (5.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/activecaptain/id1116089313/reviews)** | [1.7 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/navtexpro/id1237127610/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.2K** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | **56.2% of reviews** | 3.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | — |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | **#27** | — |
| Size | 196 MB | 49 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.5 | **8.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Garmin](https://appshunter.io/developer/411046952) | [P8G Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/1234581801) |

## What reviewers say

### ActiveCaptain®

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

**Currently charting:** #27 Top Grossing · Navigation, #175 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


### NAVTEXpro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/navtexpro/id1237127610)

Access critical navigation warnings and safety-related messages for mariners. This app provides global coverage of NAVTEX transmissions and can also fetch navigation warnings from regions not using NAVTEX. It offers an optional APRS weather subscription as a backup system.

**Highlights:** Global NAVTEX message reception, Navigation warnings for non-NAVTEX regions, Transmission schedule and frequency details, APRS weather subscription, Notices to Mariners subscription

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| APRS Weather Yearly Subscription | $4.49 | per year |
| Navtex Yearly Subscription | $8.99 | per year |
| Notices to Mariners Yearly Subscription | $8.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ActiveCaptain® free?

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

### Is NAVTEXpro free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ActiveCaptain® or NAVTEXpro?

ActiveCaptain® is rated higher. ActiveCaptain® averages 4.0 out of 5 from 5.2K ratings, while NAVTEXpro averages 1.7 from 6 ratings.

### Do ActiveCaptain® or NAVTEXpro have ads?

Neither ActiveCaptain® nor NAVTEXpro shows ads.

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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.*