Comparison

iNavX vs Keeldragger Sailing SoCal

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Worldwide marine chart access
  • Real-time GPS plotting
  • Waypoint and route management
  • GRIB weather forecasts
  • AIS integration
  • Nautical instrument connectivity
Features
Read full description

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

About

Keeldragger Sailing SoCal

This app provides comprehensive navigation and planning tools for sailors in Southern California, Catalina, and the Channel Islands. It features custom charts, real-time weather, anchorage guidance, and safety zone information, all written by experienced sailors.

Highlights
  • Custom 3D charts from NOAA data
  • First-hand anchorage guidance and conditions
  • Mariner's information including Coast Pilot
  • NWS marine forecasts and buoy reports
  • AIS target tracking and collision watch
  • Anchor alarm and Shore Watch functionality
  • Ship's log with PDF export
Features
Read full description

Keeldragger Sailing SoCal is a free reference for sailing Catalina, the Channel Islands and the Southern California Bight: for planning, under way and at anchor. It brings together charts, mariner's information and first-hand guidance written by sailors who have sailed and anchored here. It puts the information in front of you; the skipper decides. KD CHARTS, NOW IN 3D • KD Charts are Keeldragger's own charts, drawn from NOAA's electronic navigational chart (ENC) data and updated as NOAA publishes. Download them once at the dock; they work with no signal. • 3D view (Preview): zoom in and the islands and coast rise in relief under satellite imagery, with KD Charts on the water, waypoints and landmarks from Avalon's Casino to Ensenada. It streams as you look, or download it for no signal. • Island topography: contours and spot heights ashore, beside the soundings. FIRST-HAND GUIDANCE • Every published waypoint is written by a sailor who has been there: approach, holding, depth, moorings, contacts and photos, credited to its author. • Each anchorage's exposure, with a comfort forecast from the NWS swell. • Conditions reports and photos from other boats, shown with their age. Your own notes are never overwritten. MARINER'S INFORMATION • From Coast Pilot: NOAA's U.S. Coast Pilot 7 on 43 waypoints, entrance cautions on the chart and on planned legs, and "Read the rule" on charted areas that cite a regulation. • Military & security zones: 61 areas with their rules, from Navy danger zones to Coast Guard security zones, and San Clemente Island's scheduled closures. • Marine protected areas, and La Jolla's swim and 5-knot areas. • Coast Guard Notices to Mariners, with hazard areas drawn on the chart. PLANNING • NWS marine forecasts in their own words, coloured against your own wind and sea limits, and live buoy reports. Wind, seas and current animated three days ahead. • Routes drawn on the chart or typed point by point, with each leg's bearing, distance and time at your speed. Shipping lanes, land, an after-dark arrival, charted shallows and Coast Pilot cautions are flagged once; the decision stays yours. UNDER WAY • Connect your boat's NMEA Wi-Fi gateway for AIS targets, a collision (CPA) watch and an instrument display. The app only listens. • MOB: one tap marks the spot; the screen becomes bearing, distance and elapsed time. • The ship's log keeps itself: passages open and close on their own, and each prints as a PDF with its track. • Night mode: red on black, dusk to dawn. AT ANCHOR • Anchor alarm with a rode helper, and wind, depth and feed-loss alarms, which keep watching with the screen locked. • Shore Watch: the device left aboard sends a drag or an alarm to your phone ashore. • Apple Watch: alarms with Mute and Acknowledge, instruments, and the bearing and ETA to your waypoint. FOLLOW ME AND BUDDY BOATS • Share My Boat is off until you turn it on. While a passage is open it sends your position, boat details, instruments and the AIS you receive to Keeldragger, and anyone signed in to a Keeldragger account can follow you live. • Buddy Nearby, and messages to a buddy, a sharing boat or a group, with check-ins, report and block. Not for emergencies: use VHF 16. YOUR DATA • No account needed. No ads, no analytics, no tracking. • Syncs through your own iCloud. An optional free Keeldragger account adds end-to-end encrypted sync with the web edition (app.socal.keeldragger.com) and other devices, and is needed for Follow Me and Messages (Messages are not end-to-end encrypted). Data from NOAA, the NWS, the U.S. Coast Guard, USGS, USDA, Whale Safe and others, credited in the app. NOT FOR NAVIGATION. Keeldragger Sailing SoCal is reference and planning material. KD Charts, the 3D view and the NOAA chart are not official and not certified for navigation, and forecasts can be wrong. Navigate by official charts and publications, proper instruments and your own eyes. The skipper remains responsible for the vessel and crew.

Screenshots

iNavX4 screens
Keeldragger Sailing SoCal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Keeldragger Sailing SoCal at 100% against iNavX's 44%. Keeldragger Sailing SoCal also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). iNavX's advantage is ratings volume (22K vs 1) and chart position (#102 vs unranked). On price 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. iNavX sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Keeldragger Sailing SoCal asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Keeldragger Sailing SoCal holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. 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 100% of Keeldragger Sailing SoCal's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iNavX ships an update every 5 weeks, Keeldragger Sailing SoCal every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
iNavX versus Keeldragger Sailing SoCal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriNavXKeeldragger Sailing SoCal
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (22K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews43.8% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings22K — better1
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#102 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS13.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size298 MB26 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperNavX Studios LLCMark Bunch

Customer experience

iNavX

All ratings21,564 ratings
Positive95.9%
Neutral2.4%
Negative1.7%
Written reviews461 reviews
Positive43.8%
Neutral6.1%
Negative50.1%

Keeldragger Sailing SoCal

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

Keeldragger Sailing SoCal

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

iNavX

Subscriptions10
  • Theyr Premium - Mobile (Monthly) for iOS$9.991 Month
  • iNavX Professional+ USA$29.991 Year
  • Navionics+ USA/Canada (iPhone)$29.991 Year
Show 7 more
  • Navionics+ Caribbean (iPhone)$44.991 Year
  • Theyr Premium Weather$49.991 Year
  • iNavX Professional+ USA Canada$59.991 Year
  • C-MAP World Chart$59.991 Year
  • Navionics+ USA/Canada (iPad)$79.991 Year
  • Navionics+ Caribbean (iPad)$79.991 Year
  • AIS Live$99.991 Year
None

Keeldragger Sailing SoCal

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is iNavX free?
iNavX is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Keeldragger Sailing SoCal free?
Keeldragger Sailing SoCal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, iNavX or Keeldragger Sailing SoCal?
Keeldragger Sailing SoCal is rated higher. iNavX averages 4.8 out of 5 from 22K ratings, while Keeldragger Sailing SoCal averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do iNavX or Keeldragger Sailing SoCal have ads?
iNavX shows ads; Keeldragger Sailing SoCal does not.
Which is updated more often, iNavX or Keeldragger Sailing SoCal?
iNavX ships an update every 5 weeks, and Keeldragger Sailing SoCal every 3 days. Most recently, iNavX was updated on November 9, 2026 and Keeldragger Sailing SoCal on October 31, 2026.

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