OffshoreSMS vs HelmVue
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
OffshoreSMS
This app provides commercial vessel owners, skippers, and crew with essential tools for maritime safety management. It simplifies the creation and real-time updating of safety management systems, ensuring all crew members have access to critical information. The platform aims to reduce paper usage and streamline safety processes on board.
- Real-time SMS updates for crew
- Digital vessel logs and forms
- Crew qualification and induction management
- Passenger manifest creation
- Expense logging and receipt saving
- Personal Mariner Profile creation
- Fleet management tools
Read full descriptionHide full description
FREE to download and FREE to create a user profile, the Offshore SMS has been developed to give commercial vessel owners, skippers and crew the tools they need to be safe on the water, anywhere in the world. Every vessel should have a safety management system (SMS) or safety management plan, and everyone on the boat, from the owner to the crew, must know where it is, what is in it, and how to use it. The OffshoreSMS app makes this easy! Owners and masters can build and update the SMS in real time from anywhere on earth. Every change is synced in real time to every crew member on the boat, and all crew have the SMS right in their pocket! Whether you're based, or whatever your operation, OffshoreSMS will simplify safety on your vessels, plus give you a ton of easy-to-use tools to save you time and money, and all with zero paper!! If you're a crew member on a vessel, there is no cost whatsoever! Simply download the app and search for the vessel you work on, then request crew access to start using the app! Created with input from commercial vessel operators from day one, our aim is to simplify the process of running a vessel safely and reducing paper on your boat. We've made it super easy to add a vessel, connect with other users on the app and induct them as crew, and do all of the legally required vessel logs. Offshore SMS features include: • Quick signup through the app • Update your own personal profile and be found by other vessel skippers • Great for everyone on any commercial vessel anywhere • Add as many free vessels as you like and all have unlimited free ships logs • Use our in-app helpers to build a compliant SMS or SMP in minutes • Manage crew qualifications and inductions with signatures • Log defects, schedule maintenance or even create your own custom forms • Create passenger manifests and do live head count logs • Log anything from pre-starts to fuel and engine hours, to the ship's log • Add unlimited crew and get a signed induction in the app • Record important dates for your vessel (safety gear, expiry dates etc) * Choose from a range of annual subscription options from less than $1/week per vessel NEW Features for Charter and Passenger vessels: • Create a Passenger Manifest for each trip with all passengers' personal information • Check passengers on and off in real time • Create a separate Passenger Induction checklist and induct passengers with easy prompts • Masters can do quick head counts from the app and save them in the cloud - no clickers, no paper! NEW Features in 2024: • Workflows - create and manage larger jobs and add small tasks for other team members! • Expense logs - record expenses on board and save receipts, invoices or bills per supplier • A new personal Mariner Profile - your new marine resume! • Mark vessels, plant and equipment as offline / tagged out • New Marine Fleets - now fleet owners and managers can view live fleet activity, monitor stats, and manage assets and team members right from the app! • New crew warnings for skippers at startup • Now log multiples drills at one time! PLUS: * Crew change logs * Custom log review screen * Scheduled maintenance by TIME as well as ENGINE HOURS * Location pin drops in Ship's Log Now, if you own or manage a fleet of vessels, use our app to connect your skippers to your fleet dashboard in real time! AND, if you employ multiple people on your vessel, set up to 3 different roles, each with custom access permissions! PLUS HEAPS MORE!
HelmVue
Read full descriptionHide full description
HelmVue is the compliance and management platform for super yachts, charter boats, and commercial fleets. Replace spreadsheets, paper logbooks, and scattered folders with one platform. HelmVue runs on iOS and web, so you can manage your fleet from anywhere. The iOS app works offline at sea and syncs once you're back online. Digital logbooks: Pre-trip, transit, and post-trip entries Scheduled maintenance: Schedule triggered by time and engine hours Safety equipment: Tracked expiry dates and fault logs Crew certifications: STCW, medicals, licences with expiry alerts Training & drills: SOLAS-aligned scheduling and records Risk assessments: ISM-aligned with Master and DPA sign-off Hours of rest: MLC/STCW tracking with PDF export Document library: Manuals, drawings, certificates, all searchable
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HelmVue at none against OffshoreSMS's 4. On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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. OffshoreSMS sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. HelmVue asks for nothing beyond the download.
OffshoreSMS ships an update every 10 days, HelmVue fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | OffshoreSMS | HelmVue |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 83.3% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days — better | Fortnightly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 65 MB | 15 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Offshore SMS Pty Ltd | HelmVue |
In-app purchases
OffshoreSMS
- Digital Logs Plan$31.99
- Digital SMS Plan$84.99
- OffshoreSMS LOGS + SMS$94.99
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- OffshoreSMS PRO Plan$159.99
HelmVue
No in-app purchases









