iNavX vs Coastal Explorer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
iNavX
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.
- Worldwide marine chart access
- Real-time GPS plotting
- Waypoint and route management
- GRIB weather forecasts
- AIS integration
- Nautical instrument connectivity
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Marine navigation is made easy with iNavX - the world's #1 handheld Chartplotter. Access marine charts, maps, weather, AIS and more! iNavX is the only app to give you complete worldwide chart coverage, from all your favorite charts providers, including the ALL NEW iNavX Professional+ Chart series! Fully enabled with one-touch access, iNavX gives users access to the broadest set of marine charts and maps from multiple providers including: • iNavX Professional+ Charts • Blue Latitude • CHS • Explorer • Theyr Weather • Waterway Guide • … and more How does iNavX take handheld marine navigation to the next level? • Sailors - Plan sailing routes with waypoint and route management. Get proactive sail management with GRIB weather forecasts and then keep watch with AIS overlays and integration with your onboard systems. Plus, you can remember your great sailing locations by geotagging photos. • Boaters - Stay up to date on boating conditions with forecasts that include currents, winds, and swells. Manage your boating equipment with nautical instrument integration and then save great boating routes to share with the track log. • Anglers - Discover new fishing spots by scouting out holes and inlets. Locate the best fishing conditions by identifying cold fronts and save your best fishing spots with unlimited markers. Advanced features - iNavX is the most feature rich app available for all sailing and boating needs at a great price: Advanced Chart Plotter • Plot your position in real-time using your device's built-in GPS • Pan, zoom, and rotate charts (including course up) • Print detailed charts to use in combination with the app Advanced Navigation • Create waypoints and plan routes to navigate between them • Track log allows you to record your route • Import/export data in KML (Google Earth) or GPX format Advanced Instrumentation • Supports NMEA data over TCP/IP (using Wifi) • Integrates with external GPS, AIS receivers & transponders • Connect nautical instruments: Depth, Speed, Wind, Engine, Batteries, etc. Essential Toolkit • GRIB weather forecast • Tides/currents • Anchor alarm • AIS integration • Port/navaid search Download iNavX TODAY and automatically receive a complimentary copy of the official and up-to-date high-resolution NOAA RNC United States marine raster charts. REVIEWS “iNavX is the original and still one of the best navigation apps.” – Practical Sailor “The most full-featured navigation app around and viewed by many as the standard” – Sail Magazine "The #1 recommended marine charting app" - iMarineApps iNavX is Compatible with: Theyr Weather, Waterway Guide, AIS, Brookhouse, DigitalYacht, ShipModul, vYacht, Vesper Marine, NMEA 2000, Chetco and more. NEW CHART STORE Purchase all your favorite charts. Chart subscriptions vary by chart and provider from $9.99 to $199.99 annually, charged to your iTunes Account, which will automatically renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Auto-renew can be turned off anytime by going to your Account Settings in iTunes after purchase. No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period. NOTE: Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. MORE INFO Website: http://inavx.com/ User's Guide: http://inavx.com/help/ Terms of Use: http://inavx.com/terms Privacy Policy: http://inavx.com/privacy
Coastal Explorer
Plan and log your cruises with detailed nautical charts and weather forecasts. Enhance your experience with a subscription for offline access, real-time navigation, and integration with marine electronics.
- View NOAA and USACE nautical charts
- Create routes and waypoints
- Cloud synchronization
- ActiveCaptain points of interest
- US Coast Pilot information
- Marine weather forecasts
- Tide and current predictions
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Coastal Explorer™ is a sophisticated, full-featured, easy-to-use cruise planning and logging tool designed specifically for the pleasure boater. And it becomes a complete navigation system with the purchase of a chart subscription. The free Coastal Explorer app provides these great planning features: * View NOAA and USACE nautical charts for the US in vector format * Create routes, waypoints, boundaries, and other navigation objects * Cloud-synchronization of your navigation objects * ActiveCaptain points of interest * US Coast Pilot information * Marine weather forecasts and observations for the US * Tide and current predictions for the US Purchasing a chart subscription turns Coastal Explorer into a complete navigation system that includes: * Downloadable charts, tide and current predictions, Coast Pilot, and ActiveCaptain places for offline use * Interfacing with compatible networked marine electronics devices, including GPS, compass, depth sounder, anemometer, AIS, autopilot, and more * Customizable instrument panels * Route following with cross-track error, distance and time to go, estimated time of arrival, etc * Track and event recording * Integrated blogging Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. See our Terms of Service at https://www.rosepoint.com/legal/terms_of_service.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: iNavX at 4.8 against Coastal Explorer's 2.8. iNavX also leads on review sentiment (44% vs 11%) and ratings volume (22K vs 16). Coastal Explorer's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 weeks). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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
Both are free to download. iNavX sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Coastal Explorer sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
iNavX holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iNavX has 22K ratings behind it against 16, 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 11% of Coastal Explorer's.
iNavX ships an update every 5 weeks, Coastal Explorer every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | iNavX | Coastal Explorer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (22K ratings) — better | 2.8 (16 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 43.7% of reviews — better | 11.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 22K — better | 16 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #126 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 14.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 298 MB | 54 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | NavX Studios LLC | Rose Point Navigation Systems, Inc |
Customer experience
iNavX
Coastal Explorer
Bugs and requests
iNavX
Reported bugs
3 issues- Inability to remove waypoints
- Inconsistent behavior when transitioning International Date Line
- Disappearing or missing chart data
Requested features
5 requests- 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
Coastal Explorer
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
iNavX
- Theyr Premium - Mobile (Monthly) for iOS$9.991 Month
- iNavX Professional+ USA$29.991 Year
- Navionics+ USA/Canada (iPhone)$29.991 Year
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- Navionics+ Caribbean (iPhone)$44.991 Year
- Theyr Premium Weather1 Year trial$49.991 Year
- iNavX Professional+ USA Canada$59.991 Year
- C-MAP World Chart$59.991 Year
- Explorer Chartbooks - Bahamas$69.991 Year
- Navionics+ USA/Canada (iPad)$79.991 Year
- Navionics+ Caribbean (iPad)$79.991 Year
- AIS Live$99.991 Year
Coastal Explorer
- Monthly Subscription$19.991 Month
- Yearly Subscription$49.991 Year








