# SailTimer™ vs Boat Beacon

The clearest difference is price: SailTimer™ at Free against Boat Beacon's $14.99. SailTimer™ also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). Boat Beacon's advantage is review sentiment (61% vs 37%) and chart position (#42 vs unranked). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

SailTimer™ is free to download; Boat Beacon costs $14.99 up front. SailTimer™ sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Boat Beacon sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SailTimer™ | Boat Beacon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $14.99 |
| Rating | — | **[4.6 (871 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boat-beacon/id494877039/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **871** |
| Positive reviews | 37.0% of reviews | **61.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#42** |
| Size | 126 MB | 152 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SailTimer Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/326309854) | [Pocket Mariner Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/719592131) |

## What reviewers say

### SailTimer™

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sailtimer/id326309851)

Visualize wind and wave conditions before you head out on the water with this marine weather app. It uses crowdsourced data for more accurate, real-time forecasts than traditional satellite imagery. Track your GPS, create waypoints, and access offline charts for any boat type.

**Highlights:** Crowdsourced wind and wave map animation, Route viewing with aerial photos and land maps, Waypoint creation and GPS track saving, Offline map and chart usage, Follow-Me GPS tracking, Optimal tacking distance calculation for sailboats

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| WNI Marine Weather Map | $2.99 | per month |
| Wind Animation | $2.99 | per month |
| Navionics Charts | $10.99 | per year |
| ActiveCaptain | Free | one-time |
| Polar Plot Learning | Free | one-time |
| Import NMEA data | $0.99 | one-time |
| SailTimer Pro Bundle | $7.99 | one-time |
| USA Atlantic Coast | $15.99 | one-time |
| USA Pacific Coast | $15.99 | one-time |
| USA Great Lakes | $15.99 | one-time |
| USA Gulf Coast | $15.99 | one-time |
| Cuba, Bahamas, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands | $15.99 | one-time |


### Boat Beacon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boat-beacon/id494877039)

**Currently charting:** #42 Top Paid · Navigation (US App Store)

This marine navigation app provides real-time AIS data for collision avoidance and position sharing. It offers over-the-horizon warnings, background operation, and a user-friendly interface for boaters.

**Highlights:** Collision warnings with CPA calculations, Real-time AIS ship tracking, Background operation for continuous alerts, Position sharing with other users, Augmented Reality view (IAP), Man Overboard and Anchor Watch alarms (IAP)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| AIS Share | $5.99 | per month |
| AIS Share | $16.49 | per year |
| Anchor Watch and Man Overboard | $4.99 | one-time |
| Live View Upgrade | $7.99 | one-time |
| NOAA US Marine Charts | $9.99 | one-time |
| UK & IE Marine Charts | $12.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Works great
- 🚀 Excellent app
- 🔒 Fantastic app
- 💡 Useful navigation aid
- 👍 Handy app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes constantly
- 🐛 Unreliable
- 🐛 Doesn't work
- 🐛 Useless
- 🐛 Clunky UI

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when panning or changing settings
- Phantom ships not disappearing
- Inaccurate position data
- Compatibility issues with older devices

**Requested features**

- Add marine charts
- Improve search functionality
- Offline mode
- Integrate with other navigation apps


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SailTimer™ free?

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

### Is Boat Beacon free?

Boat Beacon costs $14.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Do SailTimer™ or Boat Beacon have ads?

Neither SailTimer™ nor Boat Beacon shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SailTimer™ or Boat Beacon?

SailTimer™ ships an update every 2 months, and Boat Beacon every 2 months. Most recently, SailTimer™ was updated on October 29, 2026 and Boat Beacon on November 1, 2026.

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