Raymarine vs Waterway Guide
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Raymarine
This app connects to Raymarine marine electronics, allowing remote control and monitoring of radar, sonar, and chartplotters. Manage charts and stream data from compatible devices for a connected boating experience.
- View and control radar, sonar, and chartplotter
- Remote boat monitoring
- Manage LightHouse Charts
- Stream and control legacy chartplotters
- Connect with YachtSense Link router
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The Raymarine App is the official digital companion for Raymarine chartplotters and connected boating. Use the Raymarine App to view and control radar, sonar, and chartplotter from your Axiom chartplotter display. Connect and monitor your boat remotely with the Raymarine YachtSense Link mobile router and manage your Raymarine LightHouse Charts right from your mobile device. The Raymarine mobile app also allows streaming and control of Raymarine legacy eS and gS Series chartplotter displays. Please note that Element chartplotter displays are not compatible with the screen mirroring feature. - We no longer support Raymarine eS and gS series chart plotters. Please ensure you're using a compatible device for the best experience. Terms of Use (EULA ) : https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Waterway Guide
This app provides a comprehensive boating resource with a verified database of marinas, anchorages, and navigation alerts. Users can access real-time hazard information, plan trips with a digital handbook, and utilize detailed content optimized for mobile devices. Engage with a community of boaters through comments and reviews.
- Verified points of interest database
- Real-time navigation alerts
- Community comments and reviews
- Skipper's Handbook for trip planning
- Offline content access
- Marina filtering by amenities
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Optimized for your mobile devices with Waterway Guide's detailed and verified points of interest database. Includes over 1.3 million data points on marinas, anchorages, navigation alerts, free docks, bridges and locks displayed on the embedded map or satellite view. Benefit from the experience of 75 years of publishing and hundreds of thousands of active boaters through verified comments and reviews. Share your comments, add points of interest, earn rewards and engage with others from within the app. Stay informed with the latest hazards to navigation reported real time from USCG, government agencies, local experts and boaters everywhere. Plan your time on the water with Waterway Guide's Skipper's Handbook, which is included with the free app download. Access Waterway Guide's library of books as individual chapters or entire guides for the information and details you need for navigation. Content is optimized for mobile devices and can be bookmarked for availability offline. Easily find marinas that fit your needs. Filter our entire database of marinas based on amenities and your preferences. Same functionality as Waterway Guide’s Marinas App. EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Waterway Guide at 4.7 against Raymarine's 1.5. Waterway Guide also leads on review sentiment (52% vs 12%) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Raymarine sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month and Waterway Guide sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Waterway Guide holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 1.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Waterway Guide has 2.9K ratings behind it against 17, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 12% of Raymarine's written reviews are positive against 52% of Waterway Guide's.
Raymarine ships an update every 4 months, Waterway Guide every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Raymarine | Waterway Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.5 (17 ratings) | 4.7 (2.9K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 12.2% of reviews | 52.4% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 17 | 2.9K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | #188 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 195 MB | 52 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Raymarine UK Limited | Waterway Guide |
Customer experience
Raymarine
Waterway Guide
User reviews
Raymarine
From 17 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Works when connected
- 👍 Screen mirroring functional
- 👍 Good for replicating screen
- 👍 Can control plotter from iPad
- 👍 Adds another touchscreen
Room to improve
- 🐛 Fails to connect reliably
- 🐛 Closes immediately
- 🐛 Connection lost message
- 🐛 Unusable due to crashing
- 🐛 Continuously disconnects
Waterway Guide
From 2.9K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Excellent integration with Aqua Map
- 👍 Useful resource for boating
- 👍 Great information and details
- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 👍 Invaluable for planning trips
Room to improve
- 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
- 🐛 Inconsistent and unreliable
- 🐛 Difficult to navigate and use
- 🐛 Outdated information and images
- 🐛 Subscription and access issues
Bugs and requests
Raymarine
Reported bugs
48 issues- Connection lost message
- App closes immediately
- Fails to connect reliably
- Crashing frequently
- Disconnects and drops Wi-Fi
Show 43 moreShow fewer
- Poor connectivity
- Bad resolution
- Laggy performance
- Crashes every time
- Connects but no function
- Needs internet to connect
- Login server issues
- Owner login fails
- Pop-up never goes away
- Screen rotation not working
- Unstable connection
- Grainy display
- Ignores screen rotation
- Constantly loses connection
- Tiny text
- Screen displayed sideways
- Drops often
- Cannot log in on iPhone
- No alerts sent
- SMS alerts not working
- Support nonexistent
- Wi-Fi dropping out
- Cannot set up account
- Chart download issues
- Password incorrect message
- App does not recognize Wi-Fi
- Cannot set up boat
- Password not recognized
- Invalid login message
- Doesn't work with Element series
- Cannot interact with autopilot
- App sees connection but no access
- Frequently locks up
- Slow reaction speed
- Only read rights message
- Password symbol issues
- Account creation difficult
- Fix pinch to zoom
- Cannot create account
- Data not in correct format
- App does not recognize Wi-Fi connection
- Login issues
- Doesn't work with A series plotters
Requested features
22 requests- Improve resolution
- Simplify connection process
- Improve user-friendliness
- Allow screen rotation
- Add dark mode
Show 17 moreShow fewer
- Fix pinch to zoom
- Enable SMS alerts
- Improve alert priority settings
- Integrate with onboard network
- Improve chart download process
- Fix password symbol issues
- Allow chart updates via app
- Add demo mode
- Improve UI/UX
- Add pull-out sidebar
- Remove redundant close bar
- Improve screen real estate usage
- Improve graphics
- Make updates easier
- Support Element series mirroring
- Fix login issues
- Support A series plotters
Waterway Guide
Reported bugs
4 issues- App not working with latest iOS version
- Subscription purchases not working properly
- Unable to access purchased content
- Frequent crashes and errors
Requested features
4 requests- Provide vertical bridge clearances
- Improve offline functionality
- Enhance search and filtering options
- Implement dark mode
In-app purchases
Raymarine
- One Boat Monthly6 Months trial$19.991 Month
- Two Boats Monthly6 Months trial$37.991 Month
- One Boat Six Monthly6 Months trial$109.996 Months
Show 3 moreShow fewer
- One Boat Yearly6 Months trial$199.991 Year
- Two Boats 6 Months6 Months trial$209.996 Months
- Two Boats 1 Year6 Months trial$399.991 Year
Waterway Guide
- Great Lakes Vol.2 Ch.8$14.991 Year
- Anchorages Along the ICW$20.991 Year
- ICW Cruising Guide by Bob423$29.991 Year
Show 7 moreShow fewer
- Northern Edition$49.991 Year
- 1st Ed. Bahamas Land and Sea$49.991 Year
- Chesapeake Bay Edition$54.991 Year
- Atlantic ICW Edition$54.991 Year
- Southern Edition$54.991 Year
- Western Gulf Coast Edition$54.991 Year
- Florida Keys Edition$54.991 Year
