# Anchor Alarm / Watch vs Anchor Basic

The clearest difference is price: Anchor Alarm / Watch at Free against Anchor Basic's $0.99. Anchor Alarm / Watch also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.5) and ratings volume (805 vs 17). Anchor Basic's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and review sentiment (67% vs 55%). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Anchor Alarm / Watch is free to download; Anchor Basic costs $0.99 up front. Anchor Alarm / Watch sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per year. Anchor Basic asks for nothing beyond the download.

Anchor Alarm / Watch holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Anchor Alarm / Watch has 805 ratings behind it against 17, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 55% of Anchor Alarm / Watch's written reviews are positive against 67% of Anchor Basic's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Anchor Alarm / Watch ships an update every 3 weeks, Anchor Basic every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Anchor Alarm / Watch | Anchor Basic |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | **[4.7 (805 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/anchor-alarm-watch/id1428485893/reviews)** | [3.5 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/anchor-basic/id1496724273/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **805** | 17 |
| Positive reviews | 54.5% of reviews | **66.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 9 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [w+h GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1142977449) | [Roy Cadman](https://appshunter.io/developer/1496724272) |

## What reviewers say

### Anchor Alarm / Watch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/anchor-alarm-watch/id1428485893)

This app monitors your boat's position and alerts you if it drifts outside a set radius. It offers remote monitoring with two devices and a feature to find anchorages. You can also request yacht charters directly through the app.

**Highlights:** Set custom anchor radius, Receive immediate alarm alerts, Adjust monitored area precisely, View boat location history, Remote monitoring with two devices, Search for nearby anchorages, Request yacht charters

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock as a subscription | $3.99 | per year |
| Anchorage search subscription | $9.49 | per year |
| 8 days anchorage search | $2.99 | one-time |
| 30 days anchorage search | $3.99 | one-time |
| Unlock as a one-time purchase | $22.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate and efficient
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🔒 Provides security and peace of mind
- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes or stops working unexpectedly
- 🔋 Drains battery quickly
- 🔔 No audible alarm or alarm issues
- 🤖 Remote/pairing functionality unreliable

**Reported bugs**

- Anchor position lost repeatedly
- Alarm not triggered or not working as expected
- Connectivity issues with remote devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to adjust anchor settings remotely
- Option to change units from meters to feet
- Louder alarm volume
- Improved reliability and consistency


### Anchor Basic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/anchor-basic/id1496724273)

This app provides a reliable anchor alarm for boats, offering drift warnings and low battery alerts. Users can pause the alarm and resume monitoring later, or set the anchor by current location, bearing, and distance. It also allows remote monitoring of other users' Anchor Plus alarms.

**Highlights:** Drift warning alerts, Low battery alarms, Pause and resume alarm function, Set anchor by location, bearing, or distance, Remote monitoring of Anchor Plus alarms

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Anchor Alarm / Watch free?

Anchor Alarm / Watch is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Anchor Basic free?

Anchor Basic costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Anchor Alarm / Watch or Anchor Basic?

Anchor Alarm / Watch is rated higher. Anchor Alarm / Watch averages 4.7 out of 5 from 805 ratings, while Anchor Basic averages 3.5 from 17 ratings.

### Do Anchor Alarm / Watch or Anchor Basic have ads?

Neither Anchor Alarm / Watch nor Anchor Basic shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Anchor Alarm / Watch or Anchor Basic?

Anchor Alarm / Watch ships an update every 3 weeks, and Anchor Basic every 2 months. Most recently, Anchor Alarm / Watch was updated on September 24, 2026 and Anchor Basic on September 21, 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.*