# Ship Handling Simulator vs Ship Maneuvering Simulator

The clearest difference is price: Ship Maneuvering Simulator at Free against Ship Handling Simulator's $10.99. Ship Maneuvering Simulator also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 3 months). Ship Handling Simulator's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (339 vs 104). On rating, review sentiment, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Ship Maneuvering Simulator is free to download; Ship Handling Simulator costs $10.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.2 for Ship Handling Simulator against 4.3 for Ship Maneuvering Simulator. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 339 and 104 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 83% of Ship Handling Simulator's written reviews are positive against 86% of Ship Maneuvering Simulator's.

Ship Handling Simulator ships an update every 3 months, Ship Maneuvering Simulator every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ship Handling Simulator | Ship Maneuvering Simulator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $10.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.2 (339 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ship-handling-simulator/id1478554973/reviews) | **[4.3 (104 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ship-maneuvering-simulator/id6475722175/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **339** | 104 |
| Positive reviews | 82.7% of reviews | **85.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 633 MB | 390 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Aleksandr Turkin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1453274000) | [WPC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1681830786) |

## What reviewers say

### Ship Handling Simulator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ship-handling-simulator/id1478554973)

Experience realistic ship handling, maneuvering, and mooring with tugboats. Pilot a vast array of vessels, from historical steamships to modern carriers, through challenging scenarios. Navigate narrow passages, avoid hazards, and master complex docking procedures.

**Highlights:** Realistic ship handling and maneuvering, Mooring with tugboat assistance, 30 detailed ship models, Hazard navigation and AI vessel interaction, Dynamic weather and environmental conditions, Sandbox mode for custom levels

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great ship simulation
- 👍 Realistic ship handling
- 👍 Detailed ship models
- 👍 Fun and challenging

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 🐛 Performance issues on some devices
- 🐛 Glitches with certain ship features
- 🔋 Battery drain concerns

**Reported bugs**

- Icebergs not spawning in sandbox mode
- Telegraphs not loading on some ships
- Game crashing when sinking large ships
- Issues with ship speed controls

**Requested features**

- Add more ships (Lusitania, Queen Mary, Poseidon, etc.)
- Improve sinking animations (funnel collapse, split in half, etc.)
- Implement working lifeboats and passengers
- Add underwater view and ocean floor
- Introduce more gameplay modes (tug control, port management, etc.)


### Ship Maneuvering Simulator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ship-maneuvering-simulator/id6475722175)

Pilot large vessels through challenging maritime scenarios. Experience realistic ship physics and handling in various missions, from navigating channels to berthing. Compete globally on leaderboards and unlock new ships as you progress.

**Highlights:** Realistic ship physics (MMG hydrodynamic model), Career mode with ranks and missions, 8 unique ships with distinct handling, Free play mode with custom settings, Weekly and all-time leaderboards, Detailed sound effects

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ship Handling Simulator free?

Ship Handling Simulator costs $10.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Ship Maneuvering Simulator free?

Ship Maneuvering Simulator is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Ship Handling Simulator or Ship Maneuvering Simulator?

Ship Maneuvering Simulator is rated higher. Ship Handling Simulator averages 4.2 out of 5 from 339 ratings, while Ship Maneuvering Simulator averages 4.3 from 104 ratings.

### Do Ship Handling Simulator or Ship Maneuvering Simulator have ads?

Ship Maneuvering Simulator shows ads; Ship Handling Simulator does not.

### Which is updated more often, Ship Handling Simulator or Ship Maneuvering Simulator?

Ship Handling Simulator ships an update every 3 months, and Ship Maneuvering Simulator every 8 days. Most recently, Ship Handling Simulator was updated on October 29, 2026 and Ship Maneuvering Simulator on October 30, 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.*