OceanTrack vs Boat
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
OceanTrack
This marine navigation app provides real-time instrument readings, AIS traffic, and passage information with worldwide map coverage. It offers advanced features for safe sailing, including offline map functionality and integration with onboard boat systems.
- Real-time instrument readings
- AIS traffic awareness
- Worldwide offline map coverage
- NMEA integration with boat systems
- Man Overboard (MOB) position plotting
- Multi-hop route planning
- Advanced CPA/TCPA calculations
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OceanTrack is the ultimate marine navigation app for iOS, providing real time instrument reading, AIS traffic and passage information. With worldwide built-in map coverage, the ocean is the limit. Traffic awareness features allow you to stay safe and sail safely whether you're entering a busy shipping lane or sailing in the middle of the Pacific without Internet connectivity. Developed and tested on a real sailing vessel, OceanTrack makes use of a combination of the device's internal GPS and Compass sensors to provide instant data on current position, speed over ground, course and heading, plotted on a stylish navigation Display. With Cloud AIS, providing you have Internet connectivity and there is land AIS coverage, OceanTrack comes with complimentary AIS information data with thousands of ships sailing around the world at any given moment. See ships anywhere and tap on them to discover who they are, how far they are or where they're going. Through NMEA, OceanTrack can also connect to your boat's systems via an NMEA-to-WiFi bridge / server, collect real-time data from multiple onboard sensors, AIS receivers, and display accurate information on position, boat speed, depth below keel, wind speed and direction and surrounding marine traffic amongst other things. OceanTrack includes an advanced Multi Function Display and Map (MFD) with: - GPS Position Information - Speed Over Ground, Course Over Ground, Heading - Speed over Water, Depth Below Keel - Apparent and True Wind Speed and Direction - Beaufort Scale Estimation on screen - DTW, BTW, XTE and VMG when next waypoint is available - Dynamic zoomable range - Built-in moving map for use when offline and offshore; the whole world is included, no need to download it - Support for AIS-SART, AIS-MOB and AIS-EPIRB devices, plotting Man Overboard (MOB) positions on screen with relative bearing, distance and time to reach - a life saver! - Plotting of AIS targets including ships, navigation aids, shore stations and Search and Rescue (SAR) aircrafts - On-Map measurement of range, bearing and ETE at current speed to any point - Quick multi-hop tap-hold-and-drag route planning anywhere in the world - AIS info including Name, MMSI, SOG, COG, RNG, BRG - AIS directed and broadcast messages display and alerts - Advanced calculation of CPA and TCPA to any AIS ship - Selection of rhumb-line (loxodromic) or great-circle (orthodromic) navigation - Mercator Projection - Various unit selections and display formats - Portrait and Landscape orientations on iPad access to onboard instruments with: - An NMEA decoder to interface with onboard AIS receivers - NMEA on TCP and UDP interfaces - NMEA support for VDM, RMC, GSA, GSV, GLL, VTG, GGA, HDT, HDG, VHW, DBT, DPT, MWV, MTW and RMB sentences and an AIS engine with: - List of all surrounding AIS vessels sorted by distance - Detailed AIS information on vessels including all static and dynamic performance indicators (MMSI, position, SOG, COG, country, dimensions, ...) Requirements: OceanTrack is iOS only and universal for any iPad, iPhone and iPod touch running iOS 9.0 or later. To access onboard instruments and surrounding AIS traffic (other than cloud AIS which has limited coverage and requires Internet connectivity), OceanTrack requires a WiFi network, an NMEA to WiFi server and the NMEA Connector inApp purchase. Most modern plotters provide this bridging and WiFi funcionality nowadays but should they not, NMEA to WiFi adapters can usually be installed separately to provide access.
Boat
Access free nautical charts for Finnish waters, featuring live vessel tracking. Connect with agent software to display your boat's routes on the map. Utilizes official navigational data for accuracy.
- Free nautical charts
- Finnish waters coverage
- Live vessel tracking
- Vessel information display
- Route display with agent software
- Official navigational data
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Free nautical charts for Finnish waters. Includes live tracking of vessels in Finnish waters. Tap on a vessel icon to view further information. When used together with the Boat-Tracker agent software installed in a boat, routes driven with the boat are shown on the chart. Uses navigational markers from Finnish Transport Agency and public vessel identification data.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Boat at none against OceanTrack's 1. OceanTrack's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.6). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. OceanTrack sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Boat asks for nothing beyond the download.
OceanTrack ships an update every 2 months, Boat every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 16, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | OceanTrack | Boat |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 3.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 5 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 175 MB | 40 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Joao Cabral | Michael Skogberg |
Customer experience
OceanTrack
Boat
In-app purchases
OceanTrack
- NMEA Connector$19.99
Boat
No in-app purchases








