Comparison

Explore with Imray vs navCenter

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

Head to head
About

Explore with Imray

Access Imray's renowned cruising guides and pilot books on your mobile device. This app provides verified sailing directions, marina data, and points of interest for over 17,000 locations, all available offline. Enhance your passage planning and sailing experience with trusted, first-hand researched content.

Highlights
  • Offline cruising guides
  • Verified pilotage information
  • Marina and anchorage data
  • Bookmark and filter locations
  • Satellite map view
  • User feedback submission
Features
Read full description

**Explore with Imray** Cruising guides in your pocket! Carry the content from Imray’s world-renowned library of cruising guides and pilot books in your pocket. Designed for sailors and boaters, the content in Explore with Imray is researched first hand by experienced sailors and verified by Imray. It also includes information from extensive networks of trusted local contacts and data from official hydrographic offices, organisations and institutions. Verified and trusted cruising data - Content created by leading sailing authors and clubs including the Cruising Association, Rod and Lu Heikell, the Royal Cruising Club Pilotage Foundation, Clyde Cruising Club and much more - Invaluable pilotage information and sailing directions for over 17,000 locations - Marina, harbour and anchorage descriptions and data - Contact, mooring and facilities information - Images and chartlets from the extensive Imray collection Key Features: - Offline Content: Download and access essential pilotage information and sailing directions to access whilst at sea - Verified Points of Interest: Explore trusted cruising data and discover verified points of interest along your journey - Add your Feedback: Send your updates and feedback directly from the app to the editors, for review and potential inclusion in Explore with Imray and Imray’s printed books - Bookmark and Filter Locations: Easily bookmark locations and filter them by facilities to find what you need quickly. - Satellite View: Gain a comprehensive view of your surroundings on the satellite map background. - Access to Desktop version: Your membership allows you to also access the online desktop version. Explore with Imray offers a free trial and annual membership. Get full access with the Explore with Imray annual subscription for just £69.99. This 12-month auto-renewing plan ensures you stay connected to premium features all year long. Your Apple account will be charged upon confirmation of purchase. Membership subscription will automatically renew unless auto-renewal is turned off 24 hours before the current period ends in your account settings. Cancelling auto-renewal ensures access until the current payment period concludes. By using this app, you agree to the standard Apple End User License Agreement (EULA), which can be found here: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/. For more information on how we handle your data, please review our Privacy Policy (https://www.imray.com/about/privacy/). We aim to guide your passage planning and sailing. Got feedback? Let us know how we can better serve you!

About

navCenter

This app transforms your Apple devices into a multifunctional display for marine navigation data, including NMEA and AIS. It also provides autopilot remote control capabilities for compatible systems, connecting via a WiFi gateway.

Highlights
  • NMEA and AIS data display
  • Autopilot remote control
  • SeaTalk1™ and SeaTalkNG™ compatibility
  • WiFi gateway connection
  • NMEA2000 and NMEA0183 format support
  • Multifunctional display for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Watch
Features
Read full description

navCenter (nC) enables your iPhone/iPad/Mac/Watch to operate as a multifunctional display (MFD) for NMEA data (including AIS) and as an autopilot remote control for SeaTalk1™ and SeaTalkNG™ autopilots. navCenter connects to your boats instruments via a WiFi gateway and can handle both NMEA2000 and NMEA0183 formats simultaneously. Information on WiFi gateways can be found here: https://www.guardiandigital.tech/navCenterGatewaysMultiplexers.html navCenter is able to control SeaTalkNG™ and SeaTalk1™ autopilots when partnered with a compatible WiFi multiplexer or Gateway. More information on the autopilot remote control can be found here: https://www.guardiandigital.tech/navCenterAutopilotRemote.html Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ privacy policy: https://www.guardiandigital.tech/html/privacyPolicy.html

Screenshots

Explore with Imray4 screens
navCenter4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: navCenter at 78% against Explore with Imray's 25%. navCenter also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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. Explore with Imray sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $79.99 per year and navCenter sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Explore with Imray ships an update every 2 months, navCenter monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Explore with Imray versus navCenter: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterExplore with ImraynavCenter
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.4 (7 ratings) — better
Positive reviews25.0% of reviews77.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings—7 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS16.015.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size94 MB26 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperFB Imray Laurie Norie & Wilson GmbHGUARDIAN DIGITAL LTD

Customer experience

Explore with Imray

Written reviews68 reviews
Positive25.0%
Neutral10.3%
Negative64.7%

navCenter

All ratings7 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral28.6%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive77.8%
Neutral11.1%
Negative11.1%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Explore with Imray

Subscriptions1
  • Explore Annual Membership$79.991 Year
2 purchases

navCenter

Subscriptions1
  • Subscribed annually$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • Purchased$34.99

Questions

Is Explore with Imray free?
Explore with Imray is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is navCenter free?
navCenter is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Explore with Imray or navCenter have ads?
Neither Explore with Imray nor navCenter shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Explore with Imray or navCenter?
Explore with Imray ships an update every 2 months, and navCenter monthly. Most recently, Explore with Imray was updated on September 21, 2026 and navCenter on September 9, 2026.

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