NavDash vs Sailing Instruments
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
NavDash
Access all your vessel data on your mobile device with this app. It displays engine status, sailing performance, battery levels, and alarm notifications. The companion hardware provides GPS and NMEA 2000 data via Bluetooth.
- Vessel data display
- Engine monitoring
- Sailing performance tracking
- Battery status monitoring
- Alarm notifications
- GPS and NMEA 2000 integration
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ALL THE VESSEL DATA AT YOUR FINGERTIPS veratron GO Plus+ is a combined GPS receiver and NMEA 2000 to Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) gateway which brings all your vessel data to your fingertips. The embedded high-performance GNSS receiver supports GPS, Galileo and GLONASS constellations and precision augmentation (SBAS). The BLE gateway - together with the veratron smartphone and tablet apps – allows the NMEA 2000® data to be available on your mobile device. Thanks to its reduce installation footprint – which makes it smallest GPS receiver in the market – the veratron GO device can be mounted almost everywhere in your boat. Powered by the NMEA 2000 network, it doesn’t need any additional wiring other than the standard drop cable, and is protocol certification ensures the maximum interoperability with your boat network. PORTABLE DASHBOARD The NavDash app is the easiest way to display your vessel data on your mobile device. The most complete app for vessel monitoring, it allows to easily setup your system and instantly have a direct view on your engine, read your sailing performance data, keep an eye on your batteries status and receive alarm notifications. Discover more on veratron.com
Sailing Instruments
This app provides essential sailing instruments and tactical tools for planning, racing, and navigating. It offers features like a race timer, speed tracking, bearing and compass, waypoint navigation, and route recording. Offline support ensures functionality on open water.
- Race Timer with auto-start
- Boat Speed (SOG)
- Bearing & Compass
- Waypoint Navigation
- VMG (Velocity Made Good)
- Route Tracking (GPX)
- Offline Support
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Plan, race, and sail smarter - all from your iPhone. From the first beat of planning to the final gun, this app puts essential sailing instruments, tactical tools, and live wind forecasts at your fingertips - whether you're cruising the coast or counting down to the start. Instruments • Boat Speed (SOG) – Accurate speed over ground in knots, km/h, or mph • Bearing & Compass – Know your heading and navigate confidently • VMG (Velocity Made Good) – See how effectively you're sailing toward your target Race & Tactics • Race Timer – Easy countdown with auto-start tracking and a large, glanceable display • Waypoint Navigation – Build a library of reusable marks and plot your course in seconds • Wind Forecasts (Premium) – Overlay live wind across your race area, with direction, speed, and gusts shown right on the map. Scrub up to 48 hours ahead to see how the breeze will shift, and choose the forecast model that's most accurate for your waters (UK Met Office, ECMWF, GFS, and more) Track & Review • Route Tracking – Record your GPS track as a GPX file for post-sail analysis • Track Playback – Replay your sail with speed, distance, and your saved marks shown in context • Offline Support – Built for open water; no internet required after install (wind forecasts need a connection) Modern design meets real-world sailing needs - ideal for day sailors, racers, and adventurers. Freemium - no subscriptions, just pay once if you love it: • Use the core instruments for free • Try the race timer, routing, and track recorder twice, then upgrade for unlimited access • Premium unlocks unlimited use plus live wind forecasts • Leave us a review and reset your free trial! This app uses your device's GPS - please ensure your device supports GPS. If GPS updates stop while using the app, try moving your device in large circles to wake it back up. We value your feedback! Share ideas or report issues at yanafloat@gmail.com
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Sailing Instruments at 4.0 against NavDash's 2.0. Sailing Instruments also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 15 months) and review sentiment (50% vs 25%). NavDash's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (3 vs 1). On price, 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. Sailing Instruments sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. NavDash asks for nothing beyond the download.
Sailing Instruments holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 2.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 25% of NavDash's written reviews are positive against 50% of Sailing Instruments's.
NavDash ships an update every 15 months, Sailing Instruments every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | NavDash | Sailing Instruments |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.0 (3 ratings) | 4.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 25.0% of reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 15 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 14 MB | 13 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Veratron AG | YAN MARK ANDERSON |
Customer experience
NavDash
Sailing Instruments
In-app purchases
NavDash
No in-app purchases
Sailing Instruments
- Sailing Instruments Premium$3.99
Questions
Is NavDash free?
Is Sailing Instruments free?
Which has better reviews, NavDash or Sailing Instruments?
Do NavDash or Sailing Instruments have ads?
Which is updated more often, NavDash or Sailing Instruments?
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