# Simrad vs Pilot Dispatch

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Pilot Dispatch at 100% against Simrad's 44%. Pilot Dispatch also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 13) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Simrad's advantage is ratings volume (2.5K vs 4) and chart position (#70 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Simrad sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year. Pilot Dispatch asks for nothing beyond the download.

Pilot Dispatch holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simrad has 2.5K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 44% of Simrad's written reviews are positive against 100% of Pilot Dispatch's.

Simrad ships an update monthly, Pilot Dispatch every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simrad | Pilot Dispatch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (2.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simrad-companion-for-boaters/id1476822749/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pilot-dispatch/id1496238884/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.5K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 43.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#70** | — |
| Size | 168 MB | 76 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Navico Norway AS](https://appshunter.io/developer/842162153) | [Coe & Company, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1496238883) |

## What reviewers say

### Simrad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simrad-companion-for-boaters/id1476822749)

**Currently charting:** #70 Top Grossing · Navigation (US App Store)

This app provides boaters with detailed nautical charts, weather forecasts, and route planning tools. It offers GPS navigation, track recording, and points of interest, with premium features like offline maps and advanced charting available through subscription.

**Highlights:** Detailed nautical charts, Marine weather forecasts, Route planning with Autorouting™, GPS and track recording, Points of Interest database, Offline map downloads (Premium), AIS & C-MAP Traffic (Premium)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Annual Subscription | $14.99 | per year |
| Annual subscription | $14.99 | per year |
| Region | $18.49 | per year |
| Region | $22.99 | per year |
| North America | $22.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| Caribbean | $31.99 | per year |
| Region | $32.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription | $49.99 | per year |
| Atlantic Ocean | $54.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great navigation
- 🚀 Accurate charting
- 🚀 Useful planning features
- 🚀 Seamless integration with Simrad hardware
- 👍 User-friendly interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Syncing issues with Simrad devices
- 🐛 Unreliable offline maps
- 🐛 Buggy and unstable
- 👎 Poor customer support

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch
- Sync issues with Simrad chartplotters
- Offline maps not working as expected
- Coordinates not recognized properly
- Routing issues and inaccurate routes

**Requested features**

- Import/export of routes and waypoints
- More customization options
- Better weather and tide data integration
- Improved auto-routing capabilities
- Support for more device types


### Pilot Dispatch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pilot-dispatch/id1496238884)

This software streamlines pilot dispatching with 24/7 reliability. It's designed with pilot input for maximum flexibility and customization, currently serving over 400 pilots across 12 organizations.

**Highlights:** 24/7/365 uptime, Streamlined dispatching process, Pilot-involved design, Flexible and customizable, Used by over 400 pilots

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Simrad free?

Simrad is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Pilot Dispatch free?

Pilot Dispatch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Simrad or Pilot Dispatch?

Pilot Dispatch is rated higher. Simrad averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2.5K ratings, while Pilot Dispatch averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Simrad or Pilot Dispatch have ads?

Neither Simrad nor Pilot Dispatch shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Simrad or Pilot Dispatch?

Simrad ships an update monthly, and Pilot Dispatch every 6 weeks. Most recently, Simrad was updated on September 25, 2026 and Pilot Dispatch on June 1, 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.*