# Official MCA guidance vs PREPARED App

The clearest difference is update cadence: PREPARED App at fortnightly against Official MCA guidance's every 2 months. PREPARED App also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Official MCA guidance ships an update every 2 months, PREPARED App fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Official MCA guidance | PREPARED App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 47 MB | 74 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [TSO (The Stationery Office)](https://appshunter.io/developer/463289102) | [UCLan Cyprus](https://appshunter.io/developer/1718199206) |

## What reviewers say

### Official MCA guidance

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/official-mca-guidance/id1617805332)

This app offers practical guidance for maritime professionals, focusing on safe practices and well-being at sea. It includes checklists for fishing vessel inspections and live updates for the latest regulations.

**Highlights:** Wellbeing at sea guidance, Behaving safely at sea, Fishing vessel checklists, Faceted search, Live updates

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### PREPARED App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/prepared-app/id6473009485)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Official MCA guidance free?

Official MCA guidance is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is PREPARED App free?

PREPARED App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Official MCA guidance or PREPARED App have ads?

Neither Official MCA guidance nor PREPARED App shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Official MCA guidance or PREPARED App?

Official MCA guidance ships an update every 2 months, and PREPARED App fortnightly. Most recently, Official MCA guidance was updated on November 3, 2026 and PREPARED App on October 27, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*