# AV Assistant vs Hip Charts

The clearest difference is rating: AV Assistant at 5.0 against Hip Charts's 3.3. AV Assistant also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (12.4 vs 15.0). Hip Charts's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

AV Assistant holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 7 respectively.

AV Assistant ships an update every 2 months, Hip Charts every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | AV Assistant | Hip Charts |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/av-assistant/id1381484046/reviews)** | [3.3 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hip-charts/id6443591337/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **7** |
| Positive reviews | — | 25.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 5 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.4** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Clint O'Connor](https://appshunter.io/developer/1381484045) | [Walk About Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/480229755) |

## What reviewers say

### AV Assistant

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/av-assistant/id1381484046)

This app provides U.S. waters navigation information, displaying your location and details of surrounding aids like buoys and lights. It downloads weekly U.S. Coast Guard Light List data and includes relevant Local Notice for Mariners information. It also allows users to report discrepancies in navigation aids to the U.S. Coast Guard.

**Highlights:** Location-based aid display, U.S. Coast Guard Light List data, Local Notice for Mariners integration, Discrepancy reporting to USCG, Informational aid for U.S. waters

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Hip Charts

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hip-charts/id6443591337)

Access NOAA nautical charts for free on your mobile devices. View charts online and download single areas for offline use. Additional features like multiple offline downloads and custom boundaries require a purchase.

**Highlights:** Unlimited online NOAA chart viewing, Download single chart areas for offline use, Automatic chart loading, Cellular and WiFi chart downloads, Custom download boundaries (paid)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is AV Assistant free?

AV Assistant is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Hip Charts free?

Hip Charts is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, AV Assistant or Hip Charts?

AV Assistant is rated higher. AV Assistant averages 5.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Hip Charts averages 3.3 from 7 ratings.

### Do AV Assistant or Hip Charts have ads?

Neither AV Assistant nor Hip Charts shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, AV Assistant or Hip Charts?

AV Assistant ships an update every 2 months, and Hip Charts every 3 weeks. Most recently, AV Assistant was updated on October 9, 2026 and Hip Charts on October 7, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*