AnchorChainCalculator vs Ellebogen
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
AnchorChainCalculator
Calculate the optimal amount of anchor chain or rope for secure anchoring based on vessel characteristics and sea conditions. Provides detailed load calculations and accounts for dynamic effects like swell and gusts. Supports both metric and imperial units, with options for chain-only or mixed rope/chain setups.
- Physics-based anchoring calculations
- Customizable vessel and sea conditions
- Chain-only or mixed rope/chain support
- Load and swell absorption analysis
- Metric and imperial unit support
- Multiple vessel configuration storage
- Basic and Expert modes
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Rather than following generic and unspecific advice how much chain or rope to pay out when at anchor, use this app to calculate the right amount of chain or rope needed for the anchor to have the best possible grip – safety tailored for your vessel! This app has been developed by a sailor living at anchor. It is based on physics rather than rules. Only too often does anchoring advice boil down to: Use a scope (i.e. ratio of chain length to water depth) of 3:1 in calm weather, and increase this to 5:1 or 7:1 as the wind picks up. This advice is independent of your vessel’s characteristics, independent of water depth, swell, or even the wind strength. So, is a scope of 7:1 still good enough for the storm tonight? Is the snubber or bridle you are using good enough to keep you safe at anchor? The Anchor Chain Calculator allows you to calculate the minimally required anchor chain and/or rope length based on a number of vessel characteristics and sea / weather conditions. It tells you what load the anchor will have to bear, and when you are using a snubber, bridle or rope, how much of the swell it absorbs, and how much it reduces the anchor load. When anchoring in shallow water it is particularly important to include these dynamic and elastic effects caused by strong swell and gusts. The app can work with a chain-only scenario as well as with an arbitrary mix of rope and chain. So, despite its name, it can also deal with a rope without any chain at all. ;) You can also restrict the chain or rope length, if you have to - perhaps because of nearby neighbours or obstacles - and get information how this restriction affects the anchor load and the angle at which the chain pulls at the anchor. The app has two modes of working: Basic Mode and Expert Mode. With Basic Mode you will be able to use the app right away, whilst Expert Mode allows you to enter more technical details of your boat if you know them. You can use either metric units (metres, daN / kp, and mm for chain thickness) or imperial units (feet, lbs, and inch for chain thickness). You can store different vessel configurations by name and so can easily switch, e.g., between different snubber, bridle, rope or vessel setups (e.g., a snubber for the lunch stop, another snubber for normal usage, and a third longer and even more elastic snubber for really bad weather). These setups can be locked to prevent accidental overwriting. This app is also great for playing through all kinds of "what if?” scenarios. It will help you to plan ahead and be better prepared. The perfect addition to an anchor alarm / anchor watch for safer anchoring!
Ellebogen
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ELLEBOGEN app is a good tool that helps Sailboat and leisure boat owners to solve vibration problems on their marine engines. This tool can help on the following areas. 1.- Finding the exact idle speed of your engine. Tachometer panels are often unprecise. This app lets you measure the vibration of your engine using the internal accelerometer of your mobile phone. Below a presentation of the vibration measurement results. Each peak indicates the vibration orders of the engine. The higher peak is the firing order. This peak will allow us to know the rpm’s of the engine. The firing order of the engine is obtained by dividing number of cylinders by 2. For example a 4 cyl engine the firing order is the number 2, If the engine has 3 cylinders, the firing order is the 1.5. Lets imagine that you have a 3 cyl engine, once you have done a vibration measurement using the Ellebogen App, you find that the highest peak is at 20.06Hz. If we divide this result by the firing order (1.5) we will get 13.37Hz (802rpm) , This is to say: 20.06/1,5=13,37 Hz 13.37x60= 802rpm. 2.- Select the engine mount. Based on the measurement, weight of the engine and % of isolation that we want to achieve at idle, the app can select the correct marine engine mount for the application. 3.- Measure the performance of the marine engine mounts. Using the Ellebogen external accelerometer, the app allows you to measure the performance of isolation of your current engine mounts. ELLEBOGEN™ application engineers are the developers of this APP. If you need further assistance, our team of vibration isolation application engineers are at your service. IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT THIS APP: SIMPLE: This app is easy to use. QUICK: With few clicks you can find the marine engine mount that you require. SAFE: Privacy is first. We take seriously this matter and will never give your data to third parties. 0 PUBLICITY: this app is free and will always be free. We are not going to sell ads or introduce subscription fees. RELIABLE: It works even on the weakest mobile connections. SUPPORT: You can contact us on info@ellebogen.com or even send us these measurements through other Social Media. We will help you.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Ellebogen at Free against AnchorChainCalculator's $12.99. AnchorChainCalculator's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 12.0). On ads, in-app purchases 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
Ellebogen is free to download; AnchorChainCalculator costs $12.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
AnchorChainCalculator ships an update every 3 weeks, Ellebogen every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | AnchorChainCalculator | Ellebogen |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $12.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (5 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 5 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 10.0 — better | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 12 MB | 27 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Mathias Wagner | Ellebogen S.L. |
In-app purchases
AnchorChainCalculator
No in-app purchases
Ellebogen
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is AnchorChainCalculator free?
Is Ellebogen free?
Do AnchorChainCalculator or Ellebogen have ads?
Which is updated more often, AnchorChainCalculator or Ellebogen?
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