iAIS vs SEAiq
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
iAIS
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.
- AIS target plotting
- NMEA data instruments
- AIS target details display
- Navionics chart overlay
- Live boat position sharing
- GPS and Wind data view
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iAIS is a simple AIS target plotter and NMEA data instrument designed for use with the DigitalYacht iAIS WiFi receiver. AIS targets are plotted relative to iPhone/iPod/iPad position. Tapping on an AIS target displays details (i.e. speed, course, destination, type, length, etc.). GPS and Wind data can also be viewed on the Instrument panel. You can also display the AIS targets over your Navionics charts. With a one off In App purchase, iAIS can use all your existing Navionics charts with no additional charges for the charts. You can share your boat's live position, speed and course and be visible on other free internet based AIS apps and web sites like BoatWatch and MarineTraffic if you have a valid MMSI number for your boat. In the US you can obtain an MMSI number for your boat by visiting http://www.boatus.com/mmsi. In the UK visit https://www.ofcom.org.uk/manage-your-licence or email us for an internet only MMSI number. Please note that continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. NOT FOR NAVIGATION iAIS should only be used for basic navigation reference and should not be solely relied upon to determine precise locations, proximity, distance, or direction.
SEAiq
This marine navigation app offers comprehensive charting capabilities, allowing users to load various standard chart formats and download NOAA charts. It includes essential navigation tools like waypoints, routes, and an anchor alarm, along with weather overlays and NMEA/AIS integration.
- Load custom S-57, S-63, iENC, BSB, KAP charts
- Automatic NOAA chart downloads
- Waypoints, routes, and tracks
- Anchor alarm
- Automatic weather downloads
- NMEA and AIS integration
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SEAiq is a full-featured marine navigation app. It lets you load your own charts in standard formats, including S-57, S-63, iENC, BSB, and KAP. It also automatically downloads charts from NOAA for the United States. Features include: * Waypoints * Routes * Tracks * Night color modes * Anchor alarm * Automatic download and display of weather (wind & isobar) * Chart measuring tools (EBL/VRM) * Wi-Fi-based NMEA and AIS No purchase is required to view charts. Premium navigation features are enabled during a 7-day evaluation period. After that, an annual subscription is required. Existing one-time purchases retain the features they unlocked. Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: SEAiq at 4.7 against iAIS's 2.5. SEAiq also leads on review sentiment (61% vs 30%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 10 months). iAIS's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. iAIS sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and SEAiq sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $15.00 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
SEAiq holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SEAiq has 194 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 SEAiq's.
iAIS ships an update every 10 months, SEAiq every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | iAIS | SEAiq |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.5 (6 ratings) | 4.7 (194 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 30.4% of reviews | 61.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 6 | 194 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 10 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 66 MB | 54 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | DigitalYacht Ltd. | Sakhalin |
Customer experience
iAIS
SEAiq
Bugs and requests
iAIS
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
SEAiq
Reported bugs
4 issues- No access to premium features after payment
- Chart downloads fail if app is not on screen
- App freezes when trying to delete
- App crashes
Requested features
13 requests- Simplify course plotting
- Add support for .MBTiles
- Add VMG feature
- Add support for .MBTiles
- Add support for .MBTiles
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- Allow selection of discreet chart areas
- Add GPS data from TCP/IP source
- Allow disabling internal GPS
- Provide good integration/complement to OpenCpn
- Provide TCP/IP support for NMEA data
- Broadcast waypoint and NMEA data to external systems
- Lower price for waypoints creation
- Allow using purchased charts across devices
In-app purchases
iAIS
- Navionics Charts Upgrade$9.99
SEAiq
- Premium Annual$15.001 Year
- Upgrade for Premium Features$49.99
