Comparison

ShipXplorer · Ship Tracker vs Shipwreck Map

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

Head to head
About

ShipXplorer · Ship Tracker

Track ships worldwide in real-time with detailed voyage information, photos, and historical data. Access port arrivals, departures, and vessel status. Offers multiple subscription tiers for enhanced features and ad-free experience.

Highlights
  • Real-time vessel tracking
  • Live voyage information
  • Vessel photos
  • Historical voyage data (up to 365 days)
  • Port arrival and departure status
  • Multi-source data for accuracy
  • Fleet tracking (Business plan)
Features
Read full description

Welcome aboard the real-time vessel tracking app with one of the best and most accurate coverage worldwide. Download the app for free and know the exact current position of every vessel in the seas in real-time! Why is ShipXplorer the best and most accurate? Most vessels today are equipped with AIS transponders (Automatic Identification System radio transmitter-responders) that transmit their position - latitude, longitude - speed, course, draught and the vessel unique identifier. AirNav Systems designs, produces and distributes AIS radio receivers. We maintain a rapidly growing network of more than 350 receivers all over the world. With a team of maritime technology experts working in the constant optimisation of the platform signal processing capabilities AirNav ShipXplorer is the best and most accurate vessel tracker available. Features: - Get individual live voyage information and see a photo of any vessel that is in the sea. - Check voyage details like vessel make and model, route, draught, position and speed. Even specific photos for each vessel, courtesy from ship spotters from all over the world! - See the last 7 days of voyage information and watch replays of past voyages. - Know all arrival and departure voyages of any port and it's status: if it's delayed, underway, moored and any status information provided by the vessel squawk code. - Search flights through flight number, company, airport, altitude and speed. - Multi-source data: we get data from AIS, Oceanic, Satellite and Estimated and cross-reference several data points to give you the most accurate information that technology can provide. Sailor Same feature set as Free plan, plus: - Ad-free experience. If you subscribe a premium plan you won't see or hear any ads. - Continuous real-time vessel tracking. No map timeouts after ten minutes. - Full vessel details. Get the full vessel speed and altitude graph. - Get Terrain, Satellite and Hybrid map layers. - See the last 30 days of information and watch replays of past voyages. - Get priority support. Captain Same feature set as Sailor plan, plus: - Get Terrain, Satellite, Hybrid, Maritime Zones and Seamarks map layers. - See the last 90 days of information and watch replays of past voyages. - Add a weather layer to the map to know current weather conditions everywhere. - Remove distracting information in Fullscreen Mode. - Advanced filtering. See only what you want. Business Same feature set as Captain plan, plus: - See 365 days of information and watch replays of past voyages. - Add vessels to a list and track your fleet. - Port view: know all vessels arriving or departing from a port as well as other status information about each port such as weather and visibility conditions. - Download raw data (limited to 100 downloads per month). Subscription conditions: - Subscribe to a premium plan on a monthly or yearly basis. - Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase - Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period - Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal - Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase - Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable https://www.shipxplorer.com/terms-of-use https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Have a safe journey, you are cleared sail away! Make a blip in our radar or throw us your paper vessel: Email: support@shipxplorer.com Facebook: fb.com/ShipXplorer Twitter: @ShipXplorer

About

Shipwreck Map

Discover shipwreck locations and historical details across the USA. This app is perfect for maritime history enthusiasts, divers, and anyone interested in sunken vessels. No login is necessary to explore the data.

Highlights
  • Shipwreck locations
  • Historical wreck information
  • Maritime history focus
  • Scuba diving site data
  • Vessel tracking interest
  • No registration required
Features
Read full description

Shipwrecks near me: Find shipwreck locations and historical information about the wrecks. No registration or login required. Ideal for anyone interested in: - Maritime history - Scuba diving and dive sites - Shipping and vessel tracking - Salvage operations - Abandoned wrecks Data source: NOAA AWOIS, July 2020. Not to be used for navigation.

Screenshots

ShipXplorer · Ship Tracker4 screens
Shipwreck Map4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Shipwreck Map at 43% against ShipXplorer · Ship Tracker's 0%. Shipwreck Map also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (63 vs 14). ShipXplorer · Ship Tracker's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.3) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. ShipXplorer · Ship Tracker sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month and Shipwreck Map sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ShipXplorer · Ship Tracker holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 14 and 63 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 0% of ShipXplorer · Ship Tracker's written reviews are positive against 43% of Shipwreck Map's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ShipXplorer · Ship Tracker ships an update every 3 months, Shipwreck Map every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
ShipXplorer · Ship Tracker versus Shipwreck Map: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShipXplorer · Ship TrackerShipwreck Map
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (14 ratings) — better4.3 (63 ratings)
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews42.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1463 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size69 MB26 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAirNav SystemsQvyshift LLC

Customer experience

ShipXplorer · Ship Tracker

All ratings14 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

Shipwreck Map

All ratings63 ratings
Positive85.7%
Neutral1.6%
Negative12.7%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive42.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative57.1%

In-app purchases

6 purchases

ShipXplorer · Ship Tracker

Subscriptions6
  • Sailor (monthly)7 Days trial$2.491 Month
  • Captain (monthly)7 Days trial$7.491 Month
  • Sailor (yearly)7 Days trial$24.491 Year
Show 3 more
  • Business (monthly)7 Days trial$39.991 Month
  • Captain (yearly)7 Days trial$79.991 Year
  • Business (yearly)7 Days trial$399.991 Year
1 purchases

Shipwreck Map

One-time1
  • Upgrade$7.99

Questions

Is ShipXplorer · Ship Tracker free?
ShipXplorer · Ship Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Shipwreck Map free?
Shipwreck Map is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, ShipXplorer · Ship Tracker or Shipwreck Map?
ShipXplorer · Ship Tracker is rated higher. ShipXplorer · Ship Tracker averages 5.0 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while Shipwreck Map averages 4.3 from 63 ratings.
Do ShipXplorer · Ship Tracker or Shipwreck Map have ads?
Neither ShipXplorer · Ship Tracker nor Shipwreck Map shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ShipXplorer · Ship Tracker or Shipwreck Map?
ShipXplorer · Ship Tracker ships an update every 3 months, and Shipwreck Map every 6 weeks. Most recently, ShipXplorer · Ship Tracker was updated on October 24, 2026 and Shipwreck Map on October 11, 2026.

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