# iAIS vs Boat Beacon

The clearest difference is price: iAIS at Free against Boat Beacon's $14.99. iAIS also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 17.0). Boat Beacon's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 2.5) and review sentiment (61% vs 30%). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

iAIS is free to download; Boat Beacon costs $14.99 up front. iAIS sells 1 one-off in-app purchase 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.

Boat Beacon holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Boat Beacon has 868 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 30% of iAIS's written reviews are positive against 61% of Boat Beacon's.

iAIS ships an update every 10 months, Boat Beacon every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iAIS | Boat Beacon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $14.99 |
| Rating | [2.5 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iais/id394667307/reviews) | **[4.6 (868 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boat-beacon/id494877039/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **868** |
| Positive reviews | 30.4% of reviews | **61.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 10 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#70** |
| Size | 66 MB | 152 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [DigitalYacht Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/394667310) | [Pocket Mariner Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/719592131) |

## What reviewers say

### iAIS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iais/id394667307)

Visualize AIS targets relative to your device's position, displaying detailed information about each target. Overlay AIS data on Navionics charts and share your boat's live position with others. This app is intended for basic navigation reference only.

**Highlights:** AIS target plotting, NMEA data instruments, AIS target details display, Navionics chart overlay, Live boat position sharing, GPS and Wind data view

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Navionics Charts Upgrade | $9.99 | one-time |


### Boat Beacon

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

**Currently charting:** #70 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 iAIS free?

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

### Is Boat Beacon free?

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

### Which has better reviews, iAIS or Boat Beacon?

Boat Beacon is rated higher. iAIS averages 2.5 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Boat Beacon averages 4.6 from 868 ratings.

### Do iAIS or Boat Beacon have ads?

Neither iAIS nor Boat Beacon shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, iAIS or Boat Beacon?

iAIS ships an update every 10 months, and Boat Beacon every 2 months. Most recently, iAIS was updated on October 9, 2026 and Boat Beacon on October 22, 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.*