Comparison

Exempt vs Coastly

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

Head to head
About

Exempt

Streamline your travel to the Bahamas with this app. It simplifies customs declarations, allowing residents and visitors to save time at ports of entry. Features include contactless processing, duty calculation, and optional tools like a shopping list and flight tracker.

Highlights
  • Simplify customs declarations
  • Contactless and paperless process
  • Calculate duties and apply exemptions
  • Prepay duties via debit/credit card
  • Mobile scan feature for C17 form
  • Shopping list, flight tracker, city guide
Features
Read full description

Exempt is an app that makes customs declaration simple by enabling all returning residents and visitors that travel to the Bahamas, to save time during the mandatory declaration process with Bahamas Customs, at all Bahamian Ports of Entry. Also, take advantage of its enhanced features, such as the Shopping List, Flight Tracker and City Guide. WHY USE EXEMPT: It simplifies the customs declaration process. It is available for all travelers entering the Bahamas. It can save time and money. It is contactless and paperless. Information submitted through the app is secure. It calculates duties and applies exemptions accurately. It automatically detects duty free items. Duties can be prepaid before arrival via debit/credit card. Spend less time on cashier lines and inspection lines. Mobile scan feature that automatically adds items to C17 form. Upload feature for purchase receipts. Enhanced optional features such as: Shopping List(s) (that can be stored and uploaded to C17 forms) Flight Tracker (for tracking commercial flights, their departures/arrivals) City Guide (directory and information assistance about travel destinations) More efficient process overall. HOW EXEMPT WORKS: Download from IOS App Store Create an account with secure login that stores your profile for future use Scan passport information directly into the app Add minor(s) to your account IF you do not wish to create separate accounts for them Select C17 Form for Accompanied Baggage (complete a new C17 form each time you travel and have to declare) Enter Travel Information (enter new flight information each time you travel) Add any additional passengers traveling with you if you are declaring together, but NOTE: additional passengers must create an account and complete their profile before being added as an additional passenger on another account. Upload receipts for all items being declared Enter Baggage information, this includes: Adding each item being declared onto your C17 form (Save items to your shopping list for future declarations if you choose to) Choose your Exemption Status (whether or not you are applying an Exemption) Accept the Declaration Terms Calculate duty once your C17 form is complete with all items added Save the C17 form, which will generate a Mobile Passport QR Code to be scanned upon inspection You will then have the option to: 1- Submit your C17 Declaration form to Customs now (from anywhere in the world before arrival) and pay the cashier upon arrival -OR- 2- Prepay any duties owed through the app via debit/credit card now (from anywhere in the world before arrival) or upon arrival Review your receipt to ensure everything is correct Collect your baggage, proceed to the Customs Inspection area and present your Mobile Passport QR Code to the Customs Officer Once Inspection is complete, exit Customs Inspection area NOTE: MOBILE PASSPORT / IDENTIFICATION / RESIDENT VERIFICATION SUBMITTED TO THE EXEMPT APP PROFILE IS NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR YOUR PHYSICAL PASSPORT OR OTHER FORMS OF IDENTIFICATION. YOU MUST HAVE YOUR PHYSICAL PASSPORT / IDENTIFICATION / VERIFICATION DOCUMENTS PRESENT AS WELL. LINKS: FAQs: www.myexempt.com/faq Terms of Use: www.myexempt.com/terms Privacy Policy: www.myexempt.com/privacy

About

Coastly

Discover local experiences, accommodations, food, and activities in coastal towns. Book stays, order food for pickup, and find local tours and events directly from businesses. Enjoy local pricing and communicate in your preferred language.

Highlights
  • Live surf conditions and forecasts
  • Direct booking for accommodations
  • Local restaurant and shop browsing
  • Order food for pickup
  • Book surf lessons and tours
  • Event listings and digital tickets
  • Property listings
Features
Read full description

Land like a local. Coastly is the town app for Playa Venao, Panama, and the coastal towns to come: everything to know, do, buy and book, in your language, at the local price. Keep it local, keep the magic. Check today's surf. Live conditions, tides and forecast, plus a daily report filmed by a local who was just in the water. Book where you stay. Request a stay in the app, the host confirms, and you pay the host directly. Eat and shop local. Browse restaurants and local goods, order for pickup, and message the business. Your message reaches the vendor on WhatsApp and the reply comes back translated. Lessons, tours and charters. Book surf lessons, classes, tours and boat trips with local operators. Events and tickets. See what is on this week and keep your QR tickets in the app. Homes and land. Browse property listings from local agents and owners and send an enquiry. Free for guests. Coastly never charges you and never holds your money. You pay the business directly, in cash, by local transfer such as Yappy, or with the business's own card link. Available in English, Spanish and Hebrew. Coastly Venao is the first town.

Screenshots

Exempt4 screens
Coastly4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Coastly at 100% against Exempt's 7%. Coastly also leads on rating (5.0 vs 2.1) and ads (none vs shown). Exempt's advantage is ratings volume (96 vs 1). On price, update cadence, 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

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

Coastly holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Exempt has 96 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 7% of Exempt's written reviews are positive against 100% of Coastly's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Exempt ships an update fortnightly, Coastly every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Exempt versus Coastly: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterExemptCoastly
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.1 (96 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews6.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings96 — better1
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 8 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size69 MB35 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperExempt Technologies Co. LtdCoastly

Customer experience

Exempt

All ratings87 ratings
Positive25.3%
Neutral6.9%
Negative67.8%
Written reviews45 reviews
Positive6.7%
Neutral2.2%
Negative91.1%

Coastly

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Exempt

No in-app purchases

None

Coastly

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Exempt free?
Exempt is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Coastly free?
Coastly is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Exempt or Coastly?
Coastly is rated higher. Exempt averages 2.1 out of 5 from 96 ratings, while Coastly averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Exempt or Coastly have ads?
Exempt shows ads; Coastly does not.
Which is updated more often, Exempt or Coastly?
Exempt ships an update fortnightly, and Coastly every 8 days. Most recently, Exempt was updated on October 15, 2026 and Coastly on October 7, 2026.

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