Comparison

StarPilot vs NavLink US

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

Head to head
About

StarPilot

This app provides advanced celestial navigation computations for iPhone and iPod touch. It offers mathematical and graphic solutions for position fixes, great circle sailing, and more, including lunar distance methods and a sight planner for accurate results.

Highlights
  • Celestial sight reductions
  • Position fixes and great circle sailing
  • Lunar distance method for GMT
  • Graphical Sight Planner
  • Sight Analyzer function
  • Menu-driven interface
  • Perpetual almanac
Features
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The state-of-the-art solution to navigation computations on your iPhone or iPod touch. StarPilot does celestial sight reductions of all bodies using high-precision internal almanac, plus mathematical and graphic solutions for position fixes, great circle, rhumb line, traverse and composite sailings, all current problems, piloting solutions, and much more...including lunar distance method of finding GMT from the sky and a unique graphical Sight Planner, and the new Sight Analyzer function that helps you get the most accurate results from a series of sights. The StarPilot is the self sufficient state of the art solution to ocean navigation, fully up-gradeable with free upgrades available via Internet download, easy to use operation from logical menu lists, plus illustrated context sensitive help with practice exercises. The StarPilot requires no external resources to complete its computations. Internet access is not required to use this program or to access any of its help files. General program design features... that save time, keystrokes, and minimize errors - Easy to use menu-driven interface - Stored settings of commonly used values - All bodies and star names stored internally, no need for separate lists - DR functions integrated with the celestial functions - Convenient DR updating by log or time - Input courses as true or magnetic - Convenient time input, with or without zone description and watch error - Graphing calculator plots LOPS, Fixes, DR positions, and Star maps - Program can be easily updated to incorporate latest version and features - Custom menu bar for quick navigation to often-used functions Sight Planning - Sunrise, Sunset, times and bearings (amplitudes) - LAN, time, Equation of time, Hs max at LAN1 - Nautical and Civil twilight times, and LHA Aries at midpoint between them - Moonrise, Moonset, Moon phase, and Moon age - Precompute specific values of Hc and Zn for any body - Planet and Star ID by observed height and bearing - SIGHT PLANNER function plots full sky showing moon, stars, and planets in Radar-like display of heights and bearings. Set Hc min/max and max number of stars before computation. Set cursor and click to read the actual height and bearing of a plotted body. - Special fast almanac mode allows full sky plot - Display internal list of 173 stars by name, brightness, and location - Unique BEST SIGHTS function selects the optimum triads of sights for any sky Sight Reduction - Optional modes for sequential sights using repeated settings or unrelated individual sights - Perpetual almanac accurate to 2100+ - Historically accurate almanac data to 16th century - Sight reduction of Sun, Moon, Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn... plus Mercury! - Sight Reduction of 173 stars plus Polaris - “Assumed positions” read directly from DR section without extra input - View intercepts (a-values) with or without course and speed corrections - Full input data displayed with results to check for errors - Special center-body mode for artificial horizon data - Dip-short mode for practice at shorelines Celestial Fixes - Unique SIGHT ANALYZER fits a sequence of sights to the right slope for optimum sight selection - All fixes corrected automatically for course and speed as needed - Fix accuracy independent of DR accuracy in all cases - Plots LOPS with live cursor position display - Fix computed by USNO algorithm in the Nautical Almanac - Zoom in on plot to see where computed fix is located - Fix can be obtained by graphic selection from the LOP plot - Automatic display of DR-to-Fix range and bearing - Optional automatic update of DR after fix - Display new course and distance to stored destination

About

NavLink US

This marine navigation app transforms your Apple device into a full-featured chart plotter. It displays real-time GPS positions on NOAA charts, overlays AIS data, and allows for waypoint and route planning. Features include augmented reality views and weather buoy data.

Highlights
  • Real-time GPS plotting on NOAA charts
  • AIS overlay with compatible systems
  • Waypoint and route planning
  • Augmented reality HorizonView
  • Weather buoy data
  • A-B chart ruler
Features
Currently charting
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Marine Navigation App that turns your Apple Device in to a full function chart plotter. Features include: · Realtime GPS position plotted on Marine charts derived from NOAA data (Vector (ENC) & Raster (RNC)) · AIS overlay when connected to compatible wireless AIS system · Waypoints & routes with full route editing and planning function · Position, COG, SOG, VMG, bearing, distance & ETA displays · Configurable chart layers · HorizonView overlays navaid and targets onto iPad/Phone camera display · Automatic free chart updates included for 1 year · Weather buoy data · A-B chart ruler for quick & easy bearing and distance measurement · All NOAA US charts are included in the price · Optional in-app purchase of CA charts AIS Functionality When connected to an AIS system via a wireless NMEA link, NavLink will provide a real time overlay of AIS targets and CPA and TCPA alarms. Internet AIS requires Boat Beacon app HorizonView Overlay chart & AIS objects on the iPhone or iPad camera image to create an augmented HorizonView display, that makes Nav-Aid & vessel identification simple and reliable Plan & sail routes Instant route and waypoint creation by tapping on screen. Route reverse function and route overview with inter-leg bearing and distance. Share your routes via dropbox and email with other users NavLink Charting NavLink utilises the latest S57 based NOAA digital mapping & features automatic free updates for 1 year. With vector mapping, you can manage your layers of data to de-clutter the screen or maximise information. NavLink supports all key charting feature such as buoys, lights, bridges, depth contours, spot depths, depth contours, anchorage & military areas, weather buoys Interfacing NavLink is compatible with all Digital Yacht's wireless NMEA devices such as the iAIS, WLN10, WLN10HS, NavLink, iNavHub & PilotLink that stream wireless AIS data to your Apple device If you have a WiFi-only iPad you will need an external Bluetooth GPS receiver to enable navigation. 3rd Party units are available such as the Garmin Glo. Please note: Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life Subscriptions Your purchase includes 12 months free updates to the included chart set. At the end of the 12 month period continued access to ongoing chart updates is available via an in-app purchase. Charts for other regions may also be added to your product via optional in-app purchase. Our in-app purchases are 1 year subscriptions, which automatically renew at the end of the subscription period unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase, and will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. Pricing for our 1 year US Charts update subscription is $9.99. Subscriptions may be managed by the iTunes account holder and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to Account Settings after purchase. 
No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period. Privacy policy:- http://seanav.net/digitalyacht/privacy.php Terms and conditions:- http://seanav.net/dyiostsandcs.php Safety Notice NavLink & the charts are intended to be used as an aid to navigation. Only official government charts and notice to mariners contain all of the current information needed for safe navigation. This product's features cannot be relied on to be complete or accurate and may vary locally. It is the Captain's or Boat Owner's responsibility to use official government charts, notice to mariners, caution, sound judgement and proper navigational skill when operating their vessel and using this or any other Digital Yacht product. By purchasing this App, you are accepting the limitations of this app and the NOAA charts. Third Party Licenses and Notices NOTICE: US Marine Charts are derived from official NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts.

Screenshots

StarPilot4 screens
NavLink US4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: NavLink US at $30.99 against StarPilot's $49.99. NavLink US also leads on chart position (#186 vs unranked). StarPilot's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ratings volume (8 vs 1). On rating, update cadence, ads 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

StarPilot costs $49.99 and NavLink US $30.99 up front. NavLink US sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per year. StarPilot asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for StarPilot against 5.0 for NavLink US. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: StarPilot has 8 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

StarPilot ships an update every 4 months, NavLink US every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and August 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
StarPilot versus NavLink US: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStarPilotNavLink US
Price$49.99$30.99 — better
Rating4.9 (8 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings8 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 6 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank—#186 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB28 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStarpath CorpDigitalYacht Ltd.

Customer experience

StarPilot

All ratings8 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews20 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral5.0%
Negative20.0%

NavLink US

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

StarPilot

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

NavLink US

Subscriptions4
  • Weather charts$7.991 Year
  • UK Charts$16.991 Year
  • US Chart Updates$19.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Canadian Charts$29.991 Year

Questions

Is StarPilot free?
StarPilot costs $49.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is NavLink US free?
NavLink US costs $30.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, StarPilot or NavLink US?
NavLink US is rated higher. StarPilot averages 4.9 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while NavLink US averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do StarPilot or NavLink US have ads?
Neither StarPilot nor NavLink US shows ads.
Which is updated more often, StarPilot or NavLink US?
StarPilot ships an update every 4 months, and NavLink US every 6 months. Most recently, StarPilot was updated on September 21, 2026 and NavLink US on August 20, 2026.

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