Comparison

GPS 2 IP vs Coastal Explorer

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

Head to head
About

GPS 2 IP

Stream real-time GPS NMEA location data from your iPhone or iPad to other devices. Ideal for advanced navigation software and enthusiasts who need external GPS capabilities.

Highlights
  • Stream NMEA GPS data wirelessly
  • Connect via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth LE
  • Push data to online servers (TCP/UDP)
  • Supports TAIP protocol
  • Unique device identifiers
  • Automatic restart after device reboot
  • Selectable NMEA messages
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Do you need GPS NMEA location data for your computer or other device - maybe to use some mapping or navigation software? Until now, you couldn't get external access to the GPS inside your iPhone or iPad, but now with GPS2IP you can stream the information in realtime to solve your requirements. BEWARE - GPS2IP is *not* able to be used for the Apple turn-by-turn navigation app, or Google Maps, or most car navigation programs. It is designed for enthusiasts, or more sophisticated navigation software that can use an external wireless GPS unit. If you aren't sure what NMEA is, please check the website before buying. This is a rather special piece of software, and must be used in the right system. PLEASE CHECK THE WEBSITE: www.capsicumdreams.com/iPhone/gps2ip/ We have a free version "GPS2IP Lite" that has most of the same features, so that you can try it out for free. Have a look on our website: http://capsicumdreams.com/gps2ip/differences.php Try it for free, and only buy this full-featured version if it does what you need! The iPhone becomes a GPS server, and to get the information, you just connect to your iPhone using either wifi or Bluetooth LE. Alternatively, you can also push the NMEA data to any online server, using either TCP or UDP and process the information however you want.The TAIP protocol is also supported. Each device running GPS2IP can send a unique identifier, so that if you have multiple devices you can determine which device is sending what messages. GPS2IP now can be configured to restart automatically after your iOS device restarts, so you'll always keep track of your position. Apart from navigation software, other methods for connection include telnet or netcat, or many terminal programs. Some navigation software such as MacEnc can read from an IP address natively. Setting up a connection between MacEnc and GPS2IP is easy. Just have a look at the capsicumDreams website! http://capsicumdreams.com/gps2ip/ Different NMEA messages can be selected for transmission according to your requirements. One non-standard message that GPS2IP transmits that is very useful for sailing is $PASHR. GPS 2 IP can run when the iPhone sleeps to support constant location reporting, but be aware that continued use of the GPS when running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. If your device dies or you turn it off when it was running, GPS2IP now automatically resumes sending the location. Beware that this will decrease battery life - we recommend keeping it charging if possible. GPS2IP can also be configured to output data at a selectable frequency (for example once every minute). You can lock the settings, so that no unauthorised people can change the settings. Lots more information and instructions on usage can be found on our website. Enjoy!

About

Coastal Explorer

Plan and log your cruises with detailed nautical charts and weather forecasts. Enhance your experience with a subscription for offline access, real-time navigation, and integration with marine electronics.

Highlights
  • View NOAA and USACE nautical charts
  • Create routes and waypoints
  • Cloud synchronization
  • ActiveCaptain points of interest
  • US Coast Pilot information
  • Marine weather forecasts
  • Tide and current predictions
Features
Read full description

Coastal Explorer™ is a sophisticated, full-featured, easy-to-use cruise planning and logging tool designed specifically for the pleasure boater. And it becomes a complete navigation system with the purchase of a chart subscription. The free Coastal Explorer app provides these great planning features: * View NOAA and USACE nautical charts for the US in vector format * Create routes, waypoints, boundaries, and other navigation objects * Cloud-synchronization of your navigation objects * ActiveCaptain points of interest * US Coast Pilot information * Marine weather forecasts and observations for the US * Tide and current predictions for the US Purchasing a chart subscription turns Coastal Explorer into a complete navigation system that includes: * Downloadable charts, tide and current predictions, Coast Pilot, and ActiveCaptain places for offline use * Interfacing with compatible networked marine electronics devices, including GPS, compass, depth sounder, anemometer, AIS, autopilot, and more * Customizable instrument panels * Route following with cross-track error, distance and time to go, estimated time of arrival, etc * Track and event recording * Integrated blogging Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. See our Terms of Service at https://www.rosepoint.com/legal/terms_of_service.

Screenshots

GPS 2 IP4 screens
Coastal Explorer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: GPS 2 IP at 58% against Coastal Explorer's 11%. GPS 2 IP also leads on rating (4.2 vs 2.8) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). Coastal Explorer's advantage is price (Free vs $7.99) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months). On ratings volume, ads, device support 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

Coastal Explorer is free to download; GPS 2 IP costs $7.99 up front. Coastal Explorer sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. GPS 2 IP asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

GPS 2 IP holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 2.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 15 and 16 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 58% of GPS 2 IP's written reviews are positive against 11% of Coastal Explorer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

GPS 2 IP ships an update every 3 months, Coastal Explorer every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
GPS 2 IP versus Coastal Explorer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGPS 2 IPCoastal Explorer
Price$7.99Free — better
Rating4.2 (15 ratings) — better2.8 (16 ratings)
Positive reviews58.5% of reviews — better11.1% of reviews
Number of ratings1516 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#85 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.614.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB54 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAngus OliverRose Point Navigation Systems, Inc

Customer experience

GPS 2 IP

All ratings15 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews53 reviews
Positive58.5%
Neutral1.9%
Negative39.6%

Coastal Explorer

All ratings16 ratings
Positive43.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative56.3%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive11.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative88.9%

In-app purchases

None

GPS 2 IP

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Coastal Explorer

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription$19.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription$49.991 Year

Questions

Is GPS 2 IP free?
GPS 2 IP costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Coastal Explorer free?
Coastal Explorer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, GPS 2 IP or Coastal Explorer?
GPS 2 IP is rated higher. GPS 2 IP averages 4.2 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while Coastal Explorer averages 2.8 from 16 ratings.
Do GPS 2 IP or Coastal Explorer have ads?
Neither GPS 2 IP nor Coastal Explorer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, GPS 2 IP or Coastal Explorer?
GPS 2 IP ships an update every 3 months, and Coastal Explorer every 2 weeks. Most recently, GPS 2 IP was updated on September 21, 2026 and Coastal Explorer on September 6, 2026.

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