# ActiveCaptain® vs OceanFishMap

The clearest difference is rating: OceanFishMap at 5.0 against ActiveCaptain®'s 4.0. OceanFishMap also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (13.4 vs 18.5). ActiveCaptain®'s advantage is ratings volume (5.2K vs 1) and chart position (#29 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ActiveCaptain® sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $74.99 per year and OceanFishMap sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $100.00 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

OceanFishMap 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.

ActiveCaptain® ships an update every 3 months, OceanFishMap fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ActiveCaptain® | OceanFishMap |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (5.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/activecaptain/id1116089313/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/oceanfishmap/id6448851622/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5.2K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 56.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#29** | — |
| Size | 196 MB | 90 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.5 | **13.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Garmin](https://appshunter.io/developer/411046952) | [OceanBytes Holding LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1686599948) |

## What reviewers say

### ActiveCaptain®

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

**Currently charting:** #29 Top Grossing · Navigation, #155 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


### OceanFishMap

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/oceanfishmap/id6448851622)

This app provides fishing boats with oceanographic data and expert recommendations to optimize fishing operations. It allows users to record and share catch information, view vessel positions on a map, and send emergency messages.

**Highlights:** Oceanographic data updates, Expert fishing recommendations, Offline data viewing, Vessel position on map, Catch reporting and sharing, Emergency messaging

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Coastal | $100.00 | per month |
| Coastal + AIS | $149.00 | per month |
| Pro | $200.00 | per month |
| Pro + AIS | $249.00 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ActiveCaptain® free?

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

### Is OceanFishMap free?

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

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

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

### Do ActiveCaptain® or OceanFishMap have ads?

Neither ActiveCaptain® nor OceanFishMap shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ActiveCaptain® or OceanFishMap?

ActiveCaptain® ships an update every 3 months, and OceanFishMap fortnightly. Most recently, ActiveCaptain® was updated on September 30, 2026 and OceanFishMap on September 8, 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.*