# Boat Beacon vs AIS Live

The clearest difference is price: AIS Live at Free against Boat Beacon's $14.99. AIS Live also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 6) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Boat Beacon's advantage is ratings volume (871 vs 1) and chart position (#40 vs unranked). On update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

AIS Live is free to download; Boat Beacon costs $14.99 up front. Boat Beacon sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. AIS Live asks for nothing beyond the download.

AIS Live holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Boat Beacon has 871 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of Boat Beacon's written reviews are positive against 86% of AIS Live's.

Boat Beacon ships an update every 2 months, AIS Live monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Boat Beacon | AIS Live |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $14.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.6 (871 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boat-beacon/id494877039/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ais-live/id1108657025/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **871** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 61.1% of reviews | **85.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#40** | — |
| Size | 152 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pocket Mariner Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/719592131) | [Automotive Integration](https://appshunter.io/developer/1160120604) |

## What reviewers say

### Boat Beacon

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

**Currently charting:** #40 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


### AIS Live

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ais-live/id1108657025)

Monitor the real-time location of your assets with this GPS tracking application. Access historical playback and modify asset information directly from your account.

**Highlights:** Real-time asset tracking, Historical playback, Asset information modification, GPS tracking account login, View asset location

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Boat Beacon free?

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

### Is AIS Live free?

AIS Live is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Boat Beacon or AIS Live?

AIS Live is rated higher. Boat Beacon averages 4.6 out of 5 from 871 ratings, while AIS Live averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Boat Beacon or AIS Live have ads?

Neither Boat Beacon nor AIS Live shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Boat Beacon or AIS Live?

Boat Beacon ships an update every 2 months, and AIS Live monthly. Most recently, Boat Beacon was updated on November 1, 2026 and AIS Live on November 2, 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.*