Master vs Skippers Online
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Master
Learn maritime navigation rules with an interactive system designed for effective retention. This app breaks down complex regulations into manageable sections with visual aids and mnemonics. It revisits incorrect answers and provides instant graphical feedback, making the learning process intuitive and efficient.
- Interactive learning system
- Step-by-step rule guidance
- Mnemonics and memory aids
- Interactive visuals
- Graphical feedback on answers
- Practice section with progress tracking
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Master-Nav is a progressive COLREGS learning system developed by a Master Mariner. The COLREGS are notoriously difficult to learn and retain — Master-Nav makes it significantly easier through an interactive system built around how your brain actually works. Instead of guessing through random question banks, Master-Nav guides you step by step through every rule from start to finish. Wrong answers are revisited until the rules stick — properly. Complex regulations are broken down into learnable chunks — bite-sized sections supported by mnemonics, memory aids and interactive visuals designed around how the brain actually retains information. Every incorrect answer is shown graphically alongside the correct one — immediately clear, no confusion. And with a single tap, the relevant COLREGS rule is accessible from any question at any time. Master-Nav covers COLREGS Parts A to D — General, Steering & Sailing, Lights & Shapes and Sound & Light Signals — plus Annex IV Distress Signals. Over 1000 questions in multiple formats, with a dedicated Practice Section that tracks right, wrong and unanswered so you always know where to focus. COLREGS — the easy way.
Skippers Online
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Study for your RYA Day Skipper, Yachtmaster Offshore or Yachtmaster Ocean shorebased qualification anywhere, any time, with or without an internet connection. Skippers Online lessons are engaging, animated and narrated. Download them once over Wi-Fi, then study at home, on the train or on board, with no signal needed. • Sign in with your Skippers Online account to see the courses you are enrolled on. • Download each lesson to your iPhone or iPad and play it offline. • Turn your device sideways for bigger slides. • Delete lessons you have finished to free up space, and download them again whenever you like. • Not enrolled yet? Continue as a guest to try the free demo lessons. Full instructor support and unlimited exam attempts come with every Skippers Online course. Courses and accounts are available at skippersonline.net.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Skippers Online at Free against Master's $1.99. Master's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 11 months) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). 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
Skippers Online is free to download; Master costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Master ships an update fortnightly, Skippers Online every 11 months. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Master | Skippers Online |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.8 (100 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 96.9% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 100 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 11 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 117 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Peterjohn Chisholm | Skippers Online |
In-app purchases
Master
No in-app purchases
Skippers Online
No in-app purchases








