Comparison

Boat Beacon vs Pilot Dispatch

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

Head to head
About

Boat Beacon

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
Currently charting
Read full description

Boat Beacon is an internet AIS receiver and transmitter for your iPhone and iPad. It is the only AIS ship tracking app to provide Collision Warnings, share your boat’s position & use real-time AIS data. Connected to the largest network of AIS shore receivers world-wide covering most major ports, harbours and popular coastal areas. “An outstanding app, with great potential. Both interesting to use and very user friendly. This could be a life saver and especially of interest to small boat users. Everyone who goes on the water should have this on and use it!” ***** Sun Dream, App Store Review Boat Beacon is designed for boaters & provides continuous Bearing, Range & Closest Point of Approach (CPA) calculations and alarms in addition to standard AIS information even when in the background. Boat Beacon does not require any external AIS transponder or receiver equipment. Key Features ------------ Over-the-horizon collision avoidance (30 miles radius) using continuous CPA calculations - highlights boats that are on a potential collision course and alerts you with an alarm. Continually transmits and receives position information via the internet and calculates and alarms CPA even when the app is in the background. Shares your position with Internet AIS Systems & apps & other Boat Beacon users in real time. Real time ship map view with North up & Heading up modes so you can look in the direction of the ships on the map to locate them. Nav display showing own boat's speed, course, heading and position. SART Alarm Man Overboard tracking, Anchor watch & Theft alarms (IAP). Apple Watch App included Siri voice commands Apple Critical Alerts support Export tracks Boat-to-Boat & Group Messaging. Local AIS & GPS via Wifi. Boat Beacon InApp Add-ons (IAP):- - LiveView - Augmented Reality view with ships, compass & horizon overlaid. Works with FLIROne IR cameras as well to see ships & people in the dark & fog - "AIS Sharing" to other apps like Navionics & iNavX - US, UK and IE Marine raster charts. - MOB and Anchor Watch. Let Friends and Family see where you are and where you're headed to with our free Boat Watch app or on web-based AIS systems like MarineTraffic which have free web viewers available. Arm all the crews in a race with Boat Beacon and have real time updates on the race positions on the water and back in the club house. Keep a watch and in touch with other boats in your flotilla when sailing in a group. Boat Beacon requires internet access to work. Most popular coastal areas have cellular data access extending 12 or more miles out to sea. Subscriptions The "AIS Sharing " subscription is monthly ($5.99) or yearly ($16.49), and will automatically renew at the end of the subscription period unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase, and will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. Subscriptions may be managed by the iTunes account holder and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to Account Settings after purchase. 
No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period. Terms of Use: http://seanav.net/termsofuse.php Privacy Policy: http://seanav.net/privacy.php Support: help@pocketmariner.com Your position can be shared and seen on all our apps without using an MMSI number. To be seen on Global AIS systems like MarineTraffic you need an MMSI number. In the US you can obtain one by visiting http://www.boatus.com/mmsi or email us for a free internet MMSI number. Please note that continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. NOT FOR NAVIGATION Boat Beacon should only be used for basic navigation reference and should not be solely relied upon to determine precise locations, proximity, distance, or direction. You will not be visible to other ships on VHF only AIS systems.

About

Pilot Dispatch

This software streamlines pilot dispatching with 24/7 reliability. It's designed with pilot input for maximum flexibility and customization, currently serving over 400 pilots across 12 organizations.

Highlights
  • 24/7/365 uptime
  • Streamlined dispatching process
  • Pilot-involved design
  • Flexible and customizable
  • Used by over 400 pilots
Features
Read full description

24/7/365...Never Down Technology Currently in use by over 400 pilots across 12 organizations around the country, our Pilot.DISPATCH™ software vastly improves and streamlines the daily dispatching process. We actively involve pilots in the design and functionality of our software to ensure it is the most flexible and customizable solution available.

Screenshots

Boat Beacon4 screens
Pilot Dispatch4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Pilot Dispatch at Free against Boat Beacon's $14.99. Pilot Dispatch also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 61%) and in-app purchases (none vs 6). Boat Beacon's advantage is ratings volume (868 vs 4) and chart position (#94 vs unranked). On update cadence and ads 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

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pilot Dispatch holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Boat Beacon has 868 ratings behind it against 4, 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 100% of Pilot Dispatch's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
Boat Beacon versus Pilot Dispatch: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBoat BeaconPilot Dispatch
Price$14.99Free — better
Rating4.6 (868 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews61.1% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings868 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#94 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size152 MB83 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPocket Mariner Ltd.Coe & Company, LLC

Customer experience

Boat Beacon

All ratings868 ratings
Positive92.1%
Neutral2.3%
Negative5.6%
Written reviews185 reviews
Positive61.1%
Neutral9.7%
Negative29.2%

Pilot Dispatch

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Boat Beacon

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Crashes when panning or changing settings
  • Phantom ships not disappearing
  • Inaccurate position data
  • Compatibility issues with older devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add marine charts
  • Improve search functionality
  • Offline mode
  • Integrate with other navigation apps

Pilot Dispatch

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Boat Beacon

Subscriptions2
  • AIS Share$5.991 Month
  • AIS Share$16.491 Year
One-time4
  • Anchor Watch and Man Overboard$4.99
  • Live View Upgrade$7.99
  • NOAA US Marine Charts$9.99
Show 1 more
  • UK & IE Marine Charts$12.99
None

Pilot Dispatch

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Boat Beacon free?
Boat Beacon costs $14.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Pilot Dispatch free?
Pilot Dispatch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Boat Beacon or Pilot Dispatch?
Pilot Dispatch is rated higher. Boat Beacon averages 4.6 out of 5 from 868 ratings, while Pilot Dispatch averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Boat Beacon or Pilot Dispatch have ads?
Neither Boat Beacon nor Pilot Dispatch shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Boat Beacon or Pilot Dispatch?
Boat Beacon ships an update every 2 months, and Pilot Dispatch every 2 months. Most recently, Boat Beacon was updated on September 30, 2026 and Pilot Dispatch on September 26, 2026.

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