Comparison

SmartOcean vs LYFE Offshore

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

Head to head
About

SmartOcean

Features
Read full description

Locate and monitor your SMART OCEAN BUOYs in real-time in-app or directly on your navigation plotter. Enjoy increased productivity, saving time and reducing the risk of losing your fishing gear at sea. The SMART OCEAN BUOY Coastal Edition II transmits GPS position over 4G/5G net, is truly solid and comes with a complete software solution including a great app, integration to navigation charts and with multiple useful functions: β€’ Locate and monitor your fishing gear in real-time 24/7 β€’ Receive notifications if the buoy breaches, cuts out or drifts β€’ View buoy directly in Olex navigation charts or in app β€’ Save time and navigate directly to your gear β€’ Swift report of the buoy location to Barentswach β€’ Reduce risk of loss of gear β€’ Easy onboarding and subscription The SMART OCEAN BUOY is a unique quality GPS buoy developed in Norway. A fantastic tool for fishers to locate your fishing gear or asset at sea in all weathers, at all times.

About

LYFE Offshore

Features
Read full description

Quiet when it should be. Loud when it matters. LYFE Offshore is a marine alarm monitor that watches your NMEA data so you don't have to. Sleep at anchor. Stand the night watch. Focus on the boat. LYFE wakes you for the things that actually matter β€” and stays silent for the rest. Built by a sailor and engineer with years of offshore experience, LYFE is the alarm clock you wish your chartplotter had. CORE FEATURES AIS Watch β€” Real-time collision detection from AIS targets. Set your CPA (closest point of approach) and TCPA (time to closest point of approach) thresholds. LYFE alerts you when a vessel is on a converging course, with full details: range, CPA, TCPA, bearing sector and vessel name. Anchor Watch β€” GPS-based anchor drag monitoring with configurable radius. Drop your hook, set the swing circle, and sleep easy. If the boat drifts beyond your radius, LYFE wakes you with a clear fullscreen alarm and your exact distance from anchor. Smart Alerts β€” Configure custom alarms on any NMEA value: wind speed (AWS, TWS), wind angle (AWA, TWA), wind direction (TWD), course over ground (COG), speed over ground (SOG), depth, and more. Set upper limits, lower limits, or out-of-range rules. APPLE WATCH COMPANION LYFE includes a native watchOS app. Glance at live sailing data on your wrist. Get tactile alarm notifications. Acknowledge or snooze without reaching for your phone. The companion app syncs alarm state with your iPhone in real time. NMEA CONNECTION LYFE connects to any standard NMEA 0183 source over WiFi: - UDP (most common for marine WiFi multiplexers) - TCP Configure your multiplexer to send NMEA sentences to LYFE's port β€” that is it. Built-in setup guide walks you through it. DESIGNED FOR REAL OFFSHORE USE - Dark-first design β€” readable at night, minimal cockpit light pollution - Background monitoring β€” alarms fire even when LYFE is not on screen - Customizable snooze and dismiss behavior - Multiple simultaneous alarms supported - Alarm history log - Simulation mode for testing without a real NMEA source WHAT LYFE IS NOT LYFE is not a chartplotter, not a routing engine, and not a replacement for your radar or AIS transponder. It is the watchful ear that listens to your existing NMEA network and wakes you when something matters. PRIVACY LYFE works entirely on-device. NMEA data stays on your boat. No cloud sync, no telemetry, no accounts. ABOUT LYFE Offshore is built by Kalle Coster, a professional sailor and engineer, after years of offshore sailing, racing and living aboard with his family. Designed from real-world experience β€” focused on reliable alerts, clarity and trust when it matters most. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.lyfeoffshore.com/privacy

Screenshots

SmartOcean4 screens
LYFE Offshore4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SmartOcean at none against LYFE Offshore's 3. SmartOcean also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.2). LYFE Offshore's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs every 6 weeks). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. LYFE Offshore sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. SmartOcean asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SmartOcean ships an update every 6 weeks, LYFE Offshore every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Β· 3 level
SmartOcean versus LYFE Offshore: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSmartOceanLYFE Offshore
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 8 days β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.1 β€” better26.2
Further details β€” not scored
Size99 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSmart Ocean ASKalle Coster

In-app purchases

None

SmartOcean

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

LYFE Offshore

Subscriptions2
  • LYFE Premium β€” Monthly$5.991 Month
  • LYFE Premium β€” Yearly14 Days trial$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • LYFE Premium β€” Lifetime$89.99

Questions

Is SmartOcean free?
SmartOcean is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is LYFE Offshore free?
LYFE Offshore is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do SmartOcean or LYFE Offshore have ads?
Neither SmartOcean nor LYFE Offshore shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SmartOcean or LYFE Offshore?
SmartOcean ships an update every 6 weeks, and LYFE Offshore every 8 days. Most recently, SmartOcean was updated on October 5, 2026 and LYFE Offshore on October 10, 2026.

Other comparisons