AirmarCAST™ vs AIS Explorer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Bluetooth sensor connection
- Real-time data display
- Intuitive navigation
- Speed, temperature, attitude calibration
- On-board GPS speed comparison
- Advanced speed calibration wizards
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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.
AIS Explorer
Track ships and yachts globally in real-time with advanced satellite and terrestrial AIS receivers. Offers vessel search, favorites, port of call details, and integrated weather forecasts with routing for ETAs. Provides comprehensive satellite AIS data.
- Real-time Satellite AIS
- Real-time Terrestrial AIS
- Search Vessels
- Save To Favourites
- Last Port of Call
- Advanced Weather Forecasts
- Weather Routing - ETA
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AIS Explorer displays real-time positions and movement of Ships and Yachts anywhere in the world, using the most advanced satellite and terrestrial receivers. The best pricing for the most comprehensive Satellite AIS available. Try it Now! - Search Vessels - Save To Favourites - Real-Time Satellite AIS - Real-Time Terrestrial AIS - Vessel Types - Last Port of Call - Advanced Weather Forecasts From PredictWind - Weather Routing - ETA Terms & Conditions: https://www.aisexplorerapp.com/en/terms-and-conditions Privacy Policy: https://www.aisexplorerapp.com/en/privacy-policy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: AIS Explorer at 5.0 against AirmarCAST™'s 2.6. AIS Explorer also leads on update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 3 months). AirmarCAST™'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). On price, ratings volume, device support and iOS requirement 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
Both are free to download. AIS Explorer sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $49.00 per month. AirmarCAST™ asks for nothing beyond the download.
AIS Explorer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 3 respectively.
AirmarCAST™ ships an update every 3 months, AIS Explorer every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 8, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | AirmarCAST™ | AIS Explorer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.6 (5 ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 25.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 5 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 4 weeks — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16 | 15.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 112 MB | 46 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Airmar Technology Inc. | PredictWind Limited |
Customer experience
AirmarCAST™
AIS Explorer
In-app purchases
AirmarCAST™
No in-app purchases
AIS Explorer
- AIS Pro monthly$49.001 Month
- AIS Pro 3 monthly14 Days trial$99.003 Months
- AIS Pro Annual$249.001 Year
Questions
Is AirmarCAST™ free?
Is AIS Explorer free?
Which has better reviews, AirmarCAST™ or AIS Explorer?
Do AirmarCAST™ or AIS Explorer have ads?
Which is updated more often, AirmarCAST™ or AIS Explorer?
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