Comparison

SML+ vs Mercury Marine

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

SML+

Stay informed about Smith Mountain Lake with real-time water levels, temperature, wind forecasts, and marine gas prices. Get alerts, track the ice cream boat, and view historical data for a better lake experience.

Highlights
  • Real-time water level updates
  • Hourly water temperature readings
  • Interactive temperature sensor map
  • Historical water level and temperature charts
  • Marine gas prices and locations
  • 5-day wind forecast
  • Water level and safety alerts
Features
Read full description

Worried about flooding at the lake? Wondering how water levels are changing or how fast water is flowing? Curious about the current water temperature? Interested in alerts specific to SML? Or maybe you just want to track the SML Ice Cream Boat or Hotdog Boat. Whatever brings you to the lake, this app is for you — whether you visit, live on, or boat at Smith Mountain Lake and want water level, water temp, water flow, wind forecast, or map information at your fingertips. SML+ is the ONLY app that includes: - Water level measurements for SML and Leesville, updated every 10 minutes - Water temperature updated hourly from 9 sensors across 7 locations around the lake - Smith Mountain Project Inflow/Outflow from USGS gauges - Customizable date ranges for water level, water temp, and flow trends - Comprehensive map showing marine gas, water temp, restaurants, food boats, and attractions - 5-day wind forecast with speed, gust, and direction - Contextual average water level that adapts to the range you're viewing - Color-coded water level status at a glance - Tap any point on a chart for the exact reading at that moment - Water level and safety alerts

About

Mercury Marine

This app allows Mercury Marine owners to manage their vessel's propulsion system. View live engine data, track maintenance, locate points of interest, and even lock/unlock your boat remotely. It's your ultimate boating companion for staying informed and in control.

Highlights
  • Live VesselView engine data
  • Lock & unlock vessel remotely
  • Track and log maintenance
  • Locate dealers, marinas, and fuel
  • View warranty and owner's manuals
  • Boating checklists and weather forecasts
Features
Read full description

The Mercury Marine app is the ultimate boating companion for Mercury Marine owners providing you with the convenience to track and manage all aspects of your vessel’s Mercury propulsion system from one location. Use the app to view important information about your product as well as enable all your Mercury connected products to view live VesselView engine data, lock & unlock your vessel, and much more from your mobile device. The Mercury Marine app can be used alone or connect via Bluetooth to SmartCraft Connect Mobile, SmartCraft Connect level 2 & 3, or VesselView Mobile Module to maximize your experience. Stay Informed. All you need is your engine serial number to create a profile, establish yourself as the owner and then access important information like warranty status, owner's manuals, product videos, tutorials, and more Stay on top of maintenance needs as well as quickly access maintenance parts and spec information Use the map feature to locate various points of interest including your nearest Mercury Authorized dealer, marinas, fuel, and restaurants Look up alarm code descriptions Live Engine Data* When connected to SmartCraft Connect or VesselView Mobile hardware, boaters can monitor vital propulsion information with precision and accuracy with VesselView data on your mobile device Customize your live data view to track the most important information for you time on the water Zero in on your fuel management using the fuel tracking page to monitor current burn rates as well as predicting the remaining distances Test performance of your vessel using the Holeshot feature and see the true performance of your vessel. Convenience & Security* With the NEW Mercury Marine Keyless hardware, use the Mercury Marine App to effortlessly unlock or lock your boat without the need for physical keys. Proximity lock & unlock turns your phone into a mobile key without needing to remove anything from your pocket. Claim ownership and grant guest access or restrict access to your vessel Stay Informed* When connected, your mobile device will automatically receive descriptive alarms no longer requiring you to decipher alarm codes or beeps. Track & Log Maintenance specific to your engine as well as receive reminders. Handy range rings use your GPS location and actual fuel burn to show how far you can go with the fuel or battery charge remaining. More to Explore Set-up and manage various configuration settings Boating Checklists – Access checklists for pre-departure, aquatic invasive species prevention and more. Digital Compass to ensure you are never lost on the water Local Weather Forecasts * To access these features requires a Bluetooth connection Important Information · The Mercury Marine App is free to install on your mobile device for any Mercury owner · To access engine data features, app requires a SmartCraft® Connect or VesselView Mobile module installed on your Mercury Marine powered vessel · To access keyless features, app requires a SmartCraft® Connect and the Mercury Keyless system to be installed on your Mercury Marine powered vessel SmartCraft Connect is compatible with Mercury Outboards & Mercruiser Engines –2004 and newer, 40hp and above; 2022 and newer, 25hp and above Avator Electric Outboards – Compatible with all modules; The SmartCraft Connect module is included on Avator 20e & above; Available for purchase with the Avator 7.5e outboard · Continued use of GPS and Bluetooth running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life · Range and runtime data are only estimates. Weather conditions, boat and load can impact results · The app’s GPS charts are not intended to be your sole source of navigation

Screenshots

SML+4 screens
Mercury Marine4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SML+ at 100% against Mercury Marine's 8%. SML+ also leads on rating (5.0 vs 1.6). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SML+ holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 49 and 37 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of SML+'s written reviews are positive against 8% of Mercury Marine's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SML+ ships an update every 2 months, Mercury Marine every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
SML+ versus Mercury Marine: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSML+Mercury Marine
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (49 ratings) — better1.6 (37 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better8.3% of reviews
Number of ratings49 — better37
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.614.2 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB157 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTimothy BarrMercury Marine LLC

Customer experience

SML+

All ratings47 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Mercury Marine

All ratings37 ratings
Positive10.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative89.2%
Written reviews36 reviews
Positive8.3%
Neutral2.8%
Negative88.9%

In-app purchases

None

SML+

No in-app purchases

None

Mercury Marine

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SML+ free?
SML+ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Mercury Marine free?
Mercury Marine is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, SML+ or Mercury Marine?
SML+ is rated higher. SML+ averages 5.0 out of 5 from 49 ratings, while Mercury Marine averages 1.6 from 37 ratings.
Do SML+ or Mercury Marine have ads?
Neither SML+ nor Mercury Marine shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SML+ or Mercury Marine?
SML+ ships an update every 2 months, and Mercury Marine every 3 months. Most recently, SML+ was updated on November 3, 2026 and Mercury Marine on November 5, 2026.

Other comparisons