# iNavX vs Sailmate

The clearest difference is rating: iNavX at 4.8 against Sailmate's 3.0. iNavX also leads on review sentiment (44% vs 17%) and ratings volume (22K vs 1). Sailmate's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 13.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. iNavX sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Sailmate sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

iNavX holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iNavX has 22K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 44% of iNavX's written reviews are positive against 17% of Sailmate's.

iNavX ships an update every 5 weeks, Sailmate every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iNavX | Sailmate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (22K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/inavx-marine-navigation/id286616280/reviews)** | [3.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sailmate/id1330421113/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **22K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **43.8% of reviews** | 16.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#144** | — |
| Size | 298 MB | 144 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [NavX Studios LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/286616283) | [Myriel Aviation SA](https://appshunter.io/developer/998181101) |

## What reviewers say

### iNavX

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/inavx-marine-navigation/id286616280)

**Currently charting:** #144 Top Grossing · Navigation (US App Store)

This app provides comprehensive marine navigation tools, including worldwide chart coverage, weather forecasts, and AIS integration. It allows users to plan routes, track their position, and connect with onboard instruments for a complete boating experience.

**Highlights:** Worldwide marine chart access, Real-time GPS plotting, Waypoint and route management, GRIB weather forecasts, AIS integration, Nautical instrument connectivity

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Theyr Premium - Mobile (Monthly) for iOS | $9.99 | per month |
| iNavX Professional+ USA | $29.99 | per year |
| Navionics+ USA/Canada (iPhone) | $29.99 | per year |
| Navionics+ Caribbean (iPhone) | $44.99 | per year |
| Theyr Premium Weather | $49.99 | per year |
| iNavX Professional+ USA Canada | $59.99 | per year |
| C-MAP World Chart | $59.99 | per year |
| Explorer Chartbooks - Bahamas | $69.99 | per year |
| Navionics+ USA/Canada (iPad) | $79.99 | per year |
| Navionics+ Caribbean (iPad) | $79.99 | per year |
| AIS Live | $99.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate and precise navigation
- 📊 Comprehensive charting and navigation features
- 🛠️ Customizable instrument settings
- 🔄 Redundancy across devices
- 💨 Reliable performance over many years

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤔 Clunky and unintuitive user interface
- 🗺️ Cumbersome chart management and downloading
- 🔋 Battery drain issues
- 💰 Expensive subscription model for charts
- 🐛 Stability issues and crashes

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to remove waypoints
- Inconsistent behavior when transitioning International Date Line
- Disappearing or missing chart data

**Requested features**

- Seamless chart switching and panning
- Integrated tidal and current data
- Support for more chart types and providers
- Improved route planning and editing tools
- Automatic chart updates and management


### Sailmate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sailmate/id1330421113)

This app offers worldwide charts, weather forecasts, and route planning for sailors and boaters. Connect with a community to share locations, rate marinas, and view events. It also includes a signal code identifier and country flags.

**Highlights:** Worldwide nautical charts, Offline chart downloads, 5-day wind and weather predictions, Route planning and ETA, Trip recording and sharing, Community marina ratings and events, International signal code identifier

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| France SHOM chart subscription | $54.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iNavX free?

iNavX is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Sailmate free?

Sailmate is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, iNavX or Sailmate?

iNavX is rated higher. iNavX averages 4.8 out of 5 from 22K ratings, while Sailmate averages 3.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do iNavX or Sailmate have ads?

iNavX shows ads; Sailmate does not.

### Which is updated more often, iNavX or Sailmate?

iNavX ships an update every 5 weeks, and Sailmate every 6 weeks. Most recently, iNavX was updated on October 15, 2026 and Sailmate on October 7, 2026.

---

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