# Pure Gas vs ActiveCaptain®

The clearest difference is rating: Pure Gas at 4.6 against ActiveCaptain®'s 4.0. ActiveCaptain®'s advantage is review sentiment (56% vs 37%) and chart position (#25 vs unranked). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pure Gas sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and ActiveCaptain® sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $74.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Pure Gas holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.9K and 5.2K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 37% of Pure Gas's written reviews are positive against 56% of ActiveCaptain®'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Pure Gas ships an update every 5 months, ActiveCaptain® every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pure Gas | ActiveCaptain® |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (2.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pure-gas/id454559068/reviews)** | [4.0 (5.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/activecaptain/id1116089313/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2.9K | **5.2K** |
| Positive reviews | 36.7% of reviews | **56.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#25** |
| Size | 2 MB | 196 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.1** | 18.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jeffrey Jackson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1681952284) | [Garmin](https://appshunter.io/developer/411046952) |

## What reviewers say

### Pure Gas

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pure-gas/id454559068)

Locate nearby stations offering ethanol-free gasoline. View a list sorted by distance or use the map to find stations anywhere. Track fuel mileage, trip distance, price, and type for each fill-up, assigning records to specific vehicles.

**Highlights:** Locate ethanol-free gas stations, Sort stations by distance, Map view for station discovery, Track fuel mileage, Record trip distance, Log fuel price and type, Assign fuel records to vehicles

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Developer Tip | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Helpful for finding ethanol-free fuel
- 👍 Works as intended
- 🚗 Useful for classic/vintage cars
- 💡 Ability to add/update station information

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inaccurate or outdated station information
- 🔍 Limited search/filter options
- 📱 Lacking features compared to website version
- ⚠️ Stations listed don't actually have ethanol-free fuel

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or won't open
- Map view issues, such as incorrect station locations

**Requested features**

- Add fuel pricing information
- Allow searching/browsing outside of current location
- Display octane levels for each station
- Enable user reviews/comments on stations


### ActiveCaptain®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/activecaptain/id1116089313)

**Currently charting:** #25 Top Grossing · Navigation, #185 Top Free · Navigation (US App Store)

This app connects your mobile device to compatible Garmin chartplotters, enabling wireless chart and map transfers, software updates, and route planning. It also provides access to a community of boaters for reviews and information on marinas and points of interest.

**Highlights:** Wireless chart and map transfer, Route and waypoint planning, ActiveCaptain Community for POI reviews, Chartplotter control via Helm feature, Easy software updates, OnDeck system monitoring, Garmin Quickdraw Community map sharing

**In-app purchases (18)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| NSUS007R-U.S. East | $74.99 | per year |
| NSUS006R-U.S. South | $74.99 | per year |
| g4 U.S. Lakes & Rivers Built-i | $99.99 | per year |
| NSUS001L-U.S. & Canada | $99.99 | per year |
| g4 Vision U.S. South | $129.99 | per year |
| g4 Vision U.S. East | $129.99 | per year |
| GN+ US & Coast Canada Built-In | $149.99 | per year |
| U.S. LakeVü Detail Map | $59.99 | one-time |
| US+Great Lakes Detail Map | $99.99 | one-time |
| BlueChart g3+LakeVu g3 Built-I | $99.99 | one-time |
| LUS100F - Download | $149.99 | one-time |
| GN+ U.S. South | $149.99 | one-time |
| GN+ U.S. East | $149.99 | one-time |
| VUS010R - Download | $174.99 | one-time |
| GN+ U.S. & Canada | $199.99 | one-time |
| HXUS604X - Download | $219.99 | one-time |
| GNV+ U.S. East | $249.99 | one-time |
| GNV+ U.S. South | $249.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Seamless integration with Garmin devices
- 💡 Useful for planning trips and managing waypoints
- 🚀 Convenient for updating software and charts
- 👍 Great app for Garmin users

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and connection issues
- 🔍 Limited chart and mapping functionality compared to competitors
- 🤔 Difficult to transfer data between devices
- 🤔 Confusing and not very intuitive user interface
- 💰 Expensive for the features provided

**Reported bugs**

- Charts and maps not loading properly
- Waypoints and routes not syncing correctly
- Constant prompts to purchase additional charts
- Compatibility issues with older Garmin devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to duplicate and edit existing routes
- Sync user data across multiple devices
- Improved chart detail and coverage
- Animated tides and currents
- Better integration with other navigation apps


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pure Gas free?

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

### Is ActiveCaptain® free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pure Gas or ActiveCaptain®?

Pure Gas is rated higher. Pure Gas averages 4.6 out of 5 from 2.9K ratings, while ActiveCaptain® averages 4.0 from 5.2K ratings.

### Do Pure Gas or ActiveCaptain® have ads?

Neither Pure Gas nor ActiveCaptain® shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pure Gas or ActiveCaptain®?

Pure Gas ships an update every 5 months, and ActiveCaptain® every 3 months. Most recently, Pure Gas was updated on October 10, 2026 and ActiveCaptain® on October 14, 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.*