Comparison

Anchor Pro vs AirmarCAST™

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

Head to head
About

Anchor Pro

This app helps boaters set and monitor their anchor position in real-time. It allows for defining safe zones, tracking boat movement, and receiving alerts for critical changes. Remote notifications and Apple Watch integration enhance its utility for secure anchoring.

Highlights
  • Set anchor location in real-time or manually
  • Define custom safe swing zones
  • Monitor boat movement and track history
  • Receive real-time alerts for position, GPS, and battery
  • Remote notifications via Telegram or email
  • Apple Watch companion app for key metrics
Features
Read full description

SET THE ANCHOR Set your anchor location in real time as you drop it, or specify it later by entering distance and bearing. Advanced users can also input exact coordinates. DEFINE THE SAFE ZONE Define the allowed swing area as a simple circle around the anchor, or create a more precise zone by setting two different radii at specific angles. MONITOR MOVEMENT Stay on top of every movement with comprehensive real-time data. Review key metrics on the main screen or switch to the map view to see your boat's track — ideal for analyzing whether your anchor is holding or dragging. GET ALERTED WHEN IT MATTERS Monitor position, GPS signal strength, and battery level — and receive alerts the moment any of these fall outside your set thresholds. REMOTE ALERTS Leave your phone on board and stay informed from shore. Receive alarm notifications via Telegram or email. With Telegram, you can also request a live status update at any time. APPLE WATCH Keep distance, bearing, and battery level on your wrist with the Apple Watch companion app — all updated in real time. TRY ANCHOR PRO FOR FREE Core features are always free. Want to explore everything? All premium features are available during a free trial period — no commitment required. Anchor Pro is ad-supported. Purchasing an Anchor Premium subscription removes ads and unlocks extra features. Payment is charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation. Subscriptions renew automatically at the same price unless auto-renewal is turned off at least 24 hours before the current period ends. You can manage auto-renewal anytime in your Account Settings. Anchor Premium is $6.99 USD/year (pricing may vary by country). Any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited upon purchasing a subscription, where applicable. Terms of use: https://links.ideaboys.net/anchor-ios-terms.html GOOD TO KNOW Anchor Pro uses background audio and location services to keep alerts active when the app is not in the foreground. Please note that continuous GPS use will drain your battery faster than usual.

About

AirmarCAST™

Configure and calibrate your boat's Bluetooth-enabled multisensors and modules directly from your mobile device. View real-time data on detailed gauges and perform advanced calibrations for speed, temperature, and attitude without extra hardware.

Highlights
  • Bluetooth sensor connection
  • Real-time data display
  • Intuitive navigation
  • Speed, temperature, attitude calibration
  • On-board GPS speed comparison
  • Advanced speed calibration wizards
Features
Read full description

Airmar® CAST™ connects to the Bluetooth®-enabled DST810, DX900+, WX300 multisensors and SmartBoat® modules on your boat, making sensor configuration and calibration easy with intuitive app navigation and real-time data from your multisensor. View data on detailed gauges and digital data screens, and perform speed, temperature, and attitude calibrations without the need for additional converters or cables. With CAST, you can configure your multisensor directly, regardless of the other displays and gauges on board. All data configurations and calibrations are stored in the multisensor and delivered on the NMEA2000® network. When used with DST810, you can calibrate basic or heel-compensated speed through water using your on-board GPS speed for comparison. Intuitive wizards guide you through multiple runs to correct for current. Or take it a step further to advanced speed calibration, with up to five heel angles and ten reference speeds. Until now, advanced speed calibration was only possible through expensive PC based software. With Airmar’s SmartBoat® modules, the CAST app delivers the fastest connection to the SmartView software for system configuration.

Screenshots

Anchor Pro4 screens
AirmarCAST™4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Anchor Pro at 79% against AirmarCAST™'s 25%. Anchor Pro also leads on rating (4.8 vs 2.6) and ratings volume (3.6K vs 5). AirmarCAST™'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Anchor Pro sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $6.99 per year. AirmarCAST™ asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Anchor Pro holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Anchor Pro has 3.6K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Anchor Pro's written reviews are positive against 25% of AirmarCAST™'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Anchor Pro ships an update every 2 months, AirmarCAST™ every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Anchor Pro versus AirmarCAST™: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAnchor ProAirmarCAST™
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (3.6K ratings) — better2.6 (5 ratings)
Positive reviews79.0% of reviews — better25.0% of reviews
Number of ratings3.6K — better5
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS17.216 — better
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB112 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperIdeaBoys GmbHAirmar Technology Inc.

Customer experience

Anchor Pro

All ratings3,496 ratings
Positive96.5%
Neutral1.7%
Negative1.7%
Written reviews181 reviews
Positive79.0%
Neutral3.3%
Negative17.7%

AirmarCAST™

All ratings5 ratings
Positive40.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative60.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive25.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative75.0%

Bugs and requests

Anchor Pro

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • App randomly shuts off
  • Anchor position tracking glitches

Requested features

3 requests
  • Customizable anchor icon/color
  • Integration with marine GPS/chartplotter
  • Ability to adjust alarm parameters remotely

AirmarCAST™

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Anchor Pro

Subscriptions1
  • Anchor Premium7 Days trial$6.991 Year
None

AirmarCAST™

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Anchor Pro free?
Anchor Pro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is AirmarCAST™ free?
AirmarCAST™ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Anchor Pro or AirmarCAST™?
Anchor Pro is rated higher. Anchor Pro averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3.6K ratings, while AirmarCAST™ averages 2.6 from 5 ratings.
Do Anchor Pro or AirmarCAST™ have ads?
Neither Anchor Pro nor AirmarCAST™ shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Anchor Pro or AirmarCAST™?
Anchor Pro ships an update every 2 months, and AirmarCAST™ every 3 months. Most recently, Anchor Pro was updated on October 29, 2026 and AirmarCAST™ on October 11, 2026.

Other comparisons