# Boat Master vs Ship Simulator

The clearest difference is ads: Boat Master at none against Ship Simulator's shown. Ship Simulator's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (13K vs 1.7K). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Boat Master sells 8 one-off in-app purchases and Ship Simulator sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Ship Simulator holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ship Simulator has 13K ratings behind it against 1.7K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 52% of Boat Master's written reviews are positive against 49% of Ship Simulator's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Boat Master ships an update every 4 months, Ship Simulator every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Boat Master | Ship Simulator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boat-master/id1349495816/reviews) | **[4.7 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ship-simulator-boat-game/id6451137140/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1.7K | **13K** |
| Positive reviews | **52.5% of reviews** | 48.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 244 MB | 513 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tommy Vaux](https://appshunter.io/developer/1349495815) | [Azur Interactive Games Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1296347323) |

## What reviewers say

### Boat Master

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boat-master/id1349495816)

Experience realistic boat navigation and parking challenges. Master various vessels, from motorboats to superyachts, in diverse weather and marina conditions. Test your skills against time, scoring systems, and navigation rules.

**Highlights:** Navigate and berth various boat types, Realistic boat controls and physics, Dynamic weather and current conditions, Time-based and 3-star scoring system, Multiple camera modes, Console-quality graphics

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| In Game Superyacht | $2.49 | one-time |
| In Game Yacht | $2.49 | one-time |
| In Game Speedboat | $2.49 | one-time |
| Euro Cruiser | $2.49 | one-time |
| In Game Jet Ski | $2.49 | one-time |
| Everyday Pack | $3.49 | one-time |
| Exotic Pack | $3.49 | one-time |
| Unlock All | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Realistic boat controls
- 👍 Excellent graphics
- 🚢 Variety of boat types
- 💡 Helpful for learning boat handling

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitches and crashes
- 🔒 Limited free content, pay-to-play
- 🔋 Performance issues on some devices
- 🤖 Unrealistic physics and boat behavior

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to progress past tutorial
- Boats disappearing or controls not working
- Docking zones not registering properly

**Requested features**

- Free play mode
- Customizable weather and conditions
- More boat types and scenarios
- First-person view option
- Ability to control individual engines


### Ship Simulator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ship-simulator-boat-game/id6451137140)

Pilot various ships to transport resources and build a nuclear power plant in a challenging environment. Upgrade your fleet, manage industries, and overcome obstacles like difficult routes and dynamic weather.

**Highlights:** Cargo delivery tasks, Ship fleet management, Industry upgrades, Ship modification, Dynamic weather system, Diverse routes and locations

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 5000 coins | $2.99 | one-time |
| No ADS | $2.99 | one-time |
| No ADS offer | $3.99 | one-time |
| Big starter set | $3.99 | one-time |
| Free barges forever | $4.99 | one-time |
| Automatic loading forever | $4.99 | one-time |
| 20000 coins | $7.99 | one-time |
| 40000 coins | $14.99 | one-time |
| 60000 coins | $19.99 | one-time |
| 90000 coins | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fun and addictive gameplay
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use controls
- 🎨 Great graphics and visuals
- 🎵 Enjoyable music and sound design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Lack of content after completing main missions
- 💰 High cost of in-app purchases for ships and upgrades
- 🔋 Energy system that limits playtime
- 📺 Excessive and unskippable advertisements

**Reported bugs**

- Winch breaking issues and ship damage when boosting
- Cargo loading and delivery not registering properly
- Energy system not regenerating as expected
- Crashes and black screens on certain devices

**Requested features**

- More levels, missions, and locations to explore
- Ability to replay completed missions
- Free roam mode or sandbox environment
- Option to remove ads through a one-time purchase


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Boat Master free?

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

### Is Ship Simulator free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Boat Master or Ship Simulator?

Ship Simulator is rated higher. Boat Master averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1.7K ratings, while Ship Simulator averages 4.7 from 13K ratings.

### Do Boat Master or Ship Simulator have ads?

Ship Simulator shows ads; Boat Master does not.

### Which is updated more often, Boat Master or Ship Simulator?

Boat Master ships an update every 4 months, and Ship Simulator every 2 weeks. Most recently, Boat Master was updated on November 9, 2026 and Ship Simulator on November 12, 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.*