Comparison

Buoys & Marks vs Onboard Maritime

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

Head to head
About

Buoys & Marks

A quick reference guide for sailors and students to identify maritime navigation marks according to the IALA system. It covers buoy shapes, colors, topmarks, and light rhythms for various mark types, aiding in exam preparation and on-water identification.

Highlights
  • Identify lateral, cardinal, and special marks
  • Covers buoy shape, color, topmark, and light rhythm
  • Includes day and night views
  • Practical study aid for seamanship training
  • Quick lookup on iPhone and iPad
Read full description

Navigation Marks is a compact reference for skippers, sailors and students learning the IALA Maritime Buoyage System. Quickly identify lateral marks for Regions A and B, cardinal marks, isolated danger marks, safe water marks, special marks and new danger marks. Each entry shows the buoy shape, color scheme, topmark and light rhythm so you can review recognition rules before a course, exam or time on the water. Why it helps: - Covers the main IALA buoyage marks in one place - Includes day and night views where available - Explains colors, shapes, topmarks and light characteristics - Works as a practical study aid for boater safety courses, USCG license prep and general seamanship - Built for quick lookup on iPhone and iPad Use Navigation Marks as a pocket study guide when preparing for boating exams, brushing up on buoyage rules or checking how a mark should be identified. Questions or suggestions: support@appsforeach.com

About

Onboard Maritime

Features
Read full description

Enhance your learning experience and go mobile! โ€ข You can easily access your courses on your mobile at your own pace. โ€ข Watch your educational videos, read content, and test your knowledge when and where you want to. โ€ข Switch between desktop to mobile without losing your course progress.

Screenshots

Buoys & Marks4 screens
Onboard Maritime4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Onboard Maritime at Free against Buoys & Marks's $1.99. Buoys & Marks's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On update cadence, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Onboard Maritime is free to download; Buoys & Marks costs $1.99 up front. Onboard Maritime sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Buoys & Marks asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Buoys & Marks ships an update every 5 months, Onboard Maritime every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 6 level
Buoys & Marks versus Onboard Maritime: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBuoys & MarksOnboard Maritime
Price$1.99Free โ€” better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviewsโ€”
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 3 months โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
MonetizationPaidโ€”
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac โ€” betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.2 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size28 MB110 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSmirnov YuryOnboard Maritime Limited

In-app purchases

None

Buoys & Marks

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Onboard Maritime

One-time2
  • OOW Group SessionsFree
  • Deck OfficerFree

Questions

Is Buoys & Marks free?
Buoys & Marks costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Onboard Maritime free?
Onboard Maritime is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Buoys & Marks or Onboard Maritime have ads?
Neither Buoys & Marks nor Onboard Maritime shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Buoys & Marks or Onboard Maritime?
Buoys & Marks ships an update every 5 months, and Onboard Maritime every 3 months. Most recently, Buoys & Marks was updated on November 2, 2026 and Onboard Maritime on November 4, 2026.

Other comparisons