Comparison

VesselView Mobile vs BillboardBug

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

VesselView Mobile

Monitor your Mercury Marine SmartCraft® engine data in real-time, track fuel consumption, and receive maintenance alerts. Connect wirelessly for full functionality or use basic tools like a speedometer and map without the module.

Highlights
  • Live engine data monitoring
  • Fuel usage tracking
  • Fault alerts and descriptions
  • Maintenance reminders
  • Speedometer tool
  • Map with points of interest
  • Location-tagged moment capture
Features
Read full description

VesselView Mobile provides Mercury Marine SmartCraft® engine owners with the ability to view live engine data, monitor fuel usage, obtain detailed descriptions when a fault occurs and receive maintenance alerts when due. The full functionality of the app is available when used in conjunction with the Bluetooth Low Energy VesselView Mobile module. This app collects and shares your precise geolocation. When the app is open and connected to your vessel it requires a continuous connection and therefore may impact the battery life of your device. Without the module, users still have access to a speedometer tool, a map with POIs, the ability to capture moments with the location tagged, plus other useful features. Mercury Marine’s VesselView Mobile app also provides users with a Web-based account. Features: • View live SmartCraft® engine data : RPM, Battery Voltage, Engine Temperature, Engine Hours, Oil Temperature, Oil Pressure, Coolant Temperature, Sea Temperature and more! • Speed is determined from your device • Your Top Speed is captured so you can share with friends • Holeshot. A racing game that uses your device's GPS to see how soon you can get to 20mph or 30mph • Enter fuel on-board and the app tracks fuel usage • Average speed and fuel economy is calculated and used to estimate Distance to Empty and Time to Empty • Receive active fault alerts and corresponding descriptive fault information • Enter Maintenance records and get appropriate reminders in the future • See your location on a map with nearby Points of Interest • Capture Moments such as pictures or fish caught with a location tag • Use the timeline to review Moments or Maintenance • Weather and wind conditions updated periodically • Communicate wirelessly to your SmartCraft® engine through a Bluetooth Low Energy connection • Allows for normal phone operation – call, text, streaming music, search the web, etc. while connected to your Mercury Marine SmartCraft® engine ************ IMPORTANT INFORMATION ************************* • Mercury Marine’s VesselView Mobile app is free to install. The VesselView Mobile module can be purchased through Mercury Marine dealers or through a link inside the app. • The VesselView Mobile module works with SmartCraft® capable engines built since 2003 (40HP and up). One to four engines can be viewed simultaneously. • The VesselView Mobile module simply connects to a SmartCraft® connector located either at the helm or on the engine. • Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.

About

BillboardBug

Discover local deals and manage your business's storefronts and billboards. Consumers can find favorite offers and get directions, while businesses can track deal performance and manage their digital presence.

Highlights
  • Find local deals
  • Mark favorite deals
  • Get directions to deals
  • Manage storefronts
  • Manage billboards
  • View deal analytics
Features
Read full description

BillboardBug serves two core audiences: consumers and businesses. As a consumer: - find deals near you - mark your favorites - get directions As a business: - manage your storefronts - manage your billboards - view analytics on how your deals are performing

Screenshots

VesselView Mobile4 screens
BillboardBug4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: BillboardBug at 100% against VesselView Mobile's 47%. BillboardBug also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.1) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). VesselView Mobile's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (146 vs 2). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

BillboardBug holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: VesselView Mobile has 146 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 47% of VesselView Mobile's written reviews are positive against 100% of BillboardBug's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

VesselView Mobile ships an update every 3 months, BillboardBug fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and August 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
VesselView Mobile versus BillboardBug: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVesselView MobileBillboardBug
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.1 (146 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews46.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings146 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS10.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size96 MB54 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMercury Marine LLCBILLBOARDBUG LLC

Customer experience

VesselView Mobile

All ratings146 ratings
Positive45.2%
Neutral18.5%
Negative36.3%
Written reviews90 reviews
Positive46.7%
Neutral18.9%
Negative34.4%

BillboardBug

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

VesselView Mobile

Reported bugs

15 issues
  • App won't connect after iOS updates
  • Bluetooth disconnects constantly
  • App crashes on startup
  • Touchpad unresponsive after iOS 18
  • Freezes when opening or switching apps
Show 10 more
  • Won't open on iPad despite working on iPhone
  • Fuel consumption readings tripled after update
  • Speedometer fluctuates randomly
  • Language settings change unexpectedly
  • Checklists revert to original after closing
  • Device sync issues across multiple devices
  • Connection drops when moving phone
  • App won't accept password setup
  • No data received from engine despite connection
  • Fuel remaining calculations inaccurate

Requested features

20 requests
  • Landscape/portrait orientation support
  • Trim and tilt angle display
  • Dial/analog gauge options
  • Apple Watch app integration
  • Simulation mode for setup
Show 15 more
  • Miles per gallon (MPG) on main screen
  • Water pressure monitoring
  • Rev limiter with alarm
  • Troll control feature
  • Engine performance history and analytics
  • Individual hour tracking by RPM range
  • Customizable gauge layouts
  • Bluetooth auto-connect functionality
  • Offline data storage and access
  • User-defined maintenance categories
  • Mixed metric/imperial unit support
  • Oil pressure display
  • Fuel level via Bluetooth (without SmartCraft harness)
  • Screen rotation for charging
  • Remote boat control capability

BillboardBug

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

VesselView Mobile

No in-app purchases

None

BillboardBug

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is VesselView Mobile free?
VesselView Mobile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BillboardBug free?
BillboardBug is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, VesselView Mobile or BillboardBug?
BillboardBug is rated higher. VesselView Mobile averages 3.1 out of 5 from 146 ratings, while BillboardBug averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do VesselView Mobile or BillboardBug have ads?
BillboardBug shows ads; VesselView Mobile does not.
Which is updated more often, VesselView Mobile or BillboardBug?
VesselView Mobile ships an update every 3 months, and BillboardBug fortnightly. Most recently, VesselView Mobile was updated on September 30, 2026 and BillboardBug on August 29, 2026.

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