Argo Navigation vs Float Lanier
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Argo Navigation
This app provides comprehensive navigation and planning tools for boaters, offering features like chart plotting, route planning, and weather forecasts. It aims to be user-friendly for all skill levels, from beginners to experienced cruisers, with a focus on safety and connectivity on the water.
- Web/Desktop planning with auto-sync
- Autorouting for multi-stop trips
- 7-day marine weather forecast
- Unlimited nautical charts (NOAA/USEACE)
- Record and save tracks
- Real-time NMEA/AIS data
- Location and route sharing with groups
Read full descriptionHide full description
Argo is a boat navigation app you can actually use for free. Not a trial. You get NOAA charts and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers depth surveys for US waters, 500,000+ marinas, anchorages and fuel docks, hazards reported by other boaters, and routes you plot yourself, with ETA and fuel use. On your first trip, open the map to see how deep it is and read what other boaters say about the anchorage before you drop the hook. A hundred trips in, you're checking how old the Army Corps survey is before you run a shoaling inlet, or laying out a few route options and picking one underway. Think of Argo as the boating buddy who knows every good dock bar and never asks for gas money. FREE FOR EVERY BOATER Navigate • Up-to-date NOAA charts plus Army Corps (USACE) surveys you can filter by survey date • Shoal areas, dredged channels, restricted areas and recommended tracks on the coast and inland rivers • See your GPS position and speed on the chart • Search buoys, beacons, lights, wrecks and mile markers • Record your track and use Return to follow it back • Depth shading presets, including two built for bright sun glare Plan • Search 500,000+ places, from boat ramps and moorings to non-ethanol fuel and dock bars • Read reviews from boaters who've been there • Plot your own route on the map and see distance, ETA and fuel use • A trip log of everywhere you've been Connect • See other Argo boaters on the water and share your live location with family ashore • Join your boat club, marina or rally group • Share routes, places and trips, and post photos and video • Report hazards and see the ones other boaters have reported • Keep fishing spots private or share them with your group One account works on every phone and tablet you own, free. ARGO PREMIUM, WHEN YOU WANT MORE Smarter routes • Autoroute plans around shallow water, hazards and restricted areas based on your boat's draft, height and safety buffer • Run inside or outside, or set Autoroute to stay in the marked channel • Save several routes to your chart, start a track, and choose between them underway • Have a sailboat and a powerboat? Save both, each with its own draft and height Marine weather and tides • 7-day marine forecast: weather, wind, wave height and period, tides and currents • Wind, rain and lightning overlays on your chart • 6,000+ tide and current stations on your chart, with predictions as far ahead as you want • Tide variance right next to your depth gauge On the water • Offline charts download automatically around your location and home port, for when you lose signal • Connect over NMEA (Wi-Fi gateway) for depth, speed and heading from your electronics, plus AIS targets • Custom depth shading and contours, so shallow water and fishing drop-offs stand out • Distance, time, bearing and course to your next turn, always in view Logbook and planning tools • Import and export GPX routes and tracks between Argo and your chartplotter • Download a PDF trip report to document sea time toward your captain's license Coverage: US coastal waters, the ICW, inland lakes and rivers, Canada and the Caribbean. WHO'S BEHIND ARGO Argo is family-owned. Our founder, Captain Jeff, grew up boating on the Chesapeake Bay. He built Argo so the local knowledge usually shared between friends at the dock is on the map for everyone. Many of our features started as boater requests. Send yours to support@argonav.io. Argo is a navigation aid. Always check official charts and conditions, and use your own judgment on the water. Plan. Navigate. Connect. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.argonav.io/privacy/
Float Lanier
Navigate Lake Lanier with this dedicated boating app. Discover marinas, launches, and restaurants, and customize your own points of interest. Record your trips, share your live location, and view the lake in 3D.
- Navigate to marinas, launches, and restaurants
- Save and customize favorite spots
- Record and save boat tracks
- Share live location with others
- 3D map mode with terrain and depth
- View lake news, water level, and weather
Read full descriptionHide full description
Lake Lanier's boating app. Learn your way around Lake Lanier. Navigate to marinas, boat launches, restaurants, and more. Save your favorite spots and share them with friends. Favorites - Save your favorite marinas, boat launches, restaurants, and other points of interest for easy access later. With favorites you can quickly orient to your preferred spots without searching every time. Places - Create and customize your own places on the map. Whether it’s a quiet cove for relaxation, a prime wake surfing area, or a popular hangout spot, places allows you to mark and personalize locations important to you. Tracks - Record your day on the water and save your path. Live Sessions - Share your real-time location with a link or code. 3D Map Mode - Follow your course with terrain and depth in perspective. Locate Yourself Instantly - See your exact location on the map to orient with ease. Current - Check the latest lake news, water level and temperature, and weather forecast. Choose Your Map Style - Choose from various base maps to find the view that best suits your needs, whether it’s a standard map, satellite imagery, or a dark mode map for nighttime adventures. Map Overlays - Toggle on and off overlays to see additional information on the map. Overlays include fuel docks, boat launches, navigational markers, and more. Terms of Use - https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Argo Navigation at Free against Float Lanier's $2.99. Argo Navigation also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (6.2K vs 2). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and chart position 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
Argo Navigation is free to download; Float Lanier costs $2.99 up front. Argo Navigation sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Float Lanier sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Argo Navigation against 5.0 for Float Lanier. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Argo Navigation has 6.2K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Argo Navigation ships an update every 4 days, Float Lanier every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Argo Navigation | Float Lanier |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $2.99 |
| Rating | 4.9 (6.2K ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 84.5% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 6.2K — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | #73 — better | #89 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 138 MB | 80 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ARGO TECHNOLOGIES, LLC | Jason Sanford |
Customer experience
Argo Navigation
Float Lanier
Bugs and requests
Argo Navigation
Reported bugs
2 issues- Login/account creation issues
- Slow map loading times
Requested features
3 requests- Improved offline map capabilities
- Integration with marine weather data
- Enhanced route planning tools
Float Lanier
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Argo Navigation
- Monthly Canada Charts14 Days trial$2.991 Month
- Argo Premium Monthly14 Days trial$6.991 Month
- Argo Canada Charts14 Days trial$9.991 Year
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Argo Premium14 Days trial$39.991 Year
Float Lanier
- Float+ Monthly$2.991 Month
- Float+ Annual$19.991 Year








