Comparison

Boat Beacon vs Raymarine

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

Raymarine

This app connects to Raymarine marine electronics, allowing remote control and monitoring of radar, sonar, and chartplotters. Manage charts and stream data from compatible devices for a connected boating experience.

Highlights
  • View and control radar, sonar, and chartplotter
  • Remote boat monitoring
  • Manage LightHouse Charts
  • Stream and control legacy chartplotters
  • Connect with YachtSense Link router
Features
Read full description

The Raymarine App is the official digital companion for Raymarine chartplotters and connected boating. Use the Raymarine App to view and control radar, sonar, and chartplotter from your Axiom chartplotter display. Connect and monitor your boat remotely with the Raymarine YachtSense Link mobile router and manage your Raymarine LightHouse Charts right from your mobile device. The Raymarine mobile app also allows streaming and control of Raymarine legacy eS and gS Series chartplotter displays. Please note that Element chartplotter displays are not compatible with the screen mirroring feature. - We no longer support Raymarine eS and gS series chart plotters. Please ensure you're using a compatible device for the best experience. Terms of Use (EULA ) : https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Boat Beacon4 screens
Raymarine4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Boat Beacon at 61% against Raymarine's 12%. Boat Beacon also leads on rating (4.6 vs 1.5) and ratings volume (871 vs 17). Raymarine's advantage is price (Free vs $14.99). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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

Raymarine is free to download; Boat Beacon costs $14.99 up front. Boat Beacon sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Raymarine sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Boat Beacon holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 1.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Boat Beacon has 871 ratings behind it against 17, 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 12% of Raymarine's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Boat Beacon ships an update every 2 months, Raymarine every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Boat Beacon versus Raymarine: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBoat BeaconRaymarine
Price$14.99Free — better
Rating4.6 (871 ratings) — better1.5 (17 ratings)
Positive reviews61.1% of reviews — better12.2% of reviews
Number of ratings871 — better17
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#101 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size152 MB195 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPocket Mariner Ltd.Raymarine UK Limited

Customer experience

Boat Beacon

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

Raymarine

All ratings17 ratings
Positive5.9%
Neutral5.9%
Negative88.2%
Written reviews74 reviews
Positive12.2%
Neutral1.4%
Negative86.5%

User reviews

Boat Beacon

From 871 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Works great
  • 🚀 Excellent app
  • 🔒 Fantastic app
  • 💡 Useful navigation aid
  • 👍 Handy app

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes constantly
  • 🐛 Unreliable
  • 🐛 Doesn't work
  • 🐛 Useless
  • 🐛 Clunky UI

Raymarine

From 17 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Works when connected
  • 👍 Screen mirroring functional
  • 👍 Good for replicating screen
  • 👍 Can control plotter from iPad
  • 👍 Adds another touchscreen

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Fails to connect reliably
  • 🐛 Closes immediately
  • 🐛 Connection lost message
  • 🐛 Unusable due to crashing
  • 🐛 Continuously disconnects

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

Raymarine

Reported bugs

48 issues
  • Connection lost message
  • App closes immediately
  • Fails to connect reliably
  • Crashing frequently
  • Disconnects and drops Wi-Fi
Show 43 more
  • Poor connectivity
  • Bad resolution
  • Laggy performance
  • Crashes every time
  • Connects but no function
  • Needs internet to connect
  • Login server issues
  • Owner login fails
  • Pop-up never goes away
  • Screen rotation not working
  • Unstable connection
  • Grainy display
  • Ignores screen rotation
  • Constantly loses connection
  • Tiny text
  • Screen displayed sideways
  • Drops often
  • Cannot log in on iPhone
  • No alerts sent
  • SMS alerts not working
  • Support nonexistent
  • Wi-Fi dropping out
  • Cannot set up account
  • Chart download issues
  • Password incorrect message
  • App does not recognize Wi-Fi
  • Cannot set up boat
  • Password not recognized
  • Invalid login message
  • Doesn't work with Element series
  • Cannot interact with autopilot
  • App sees connection but no access
  • Frequently locks up
  • Slow reaction speed
  • Only read rights message
  • Password symbol issues
  • Account creation difficult
  • Fix pinch to zoom
  • Cannot create account
  • Data not in correct format
  • App does not recognize Wi-Fi connection
  • Login issues
  • Doesn't work with A series plotters

Requested features

22 requests
  • Improve resolution
  • Simplify connection process
  • Improve user-friendliness
  • Allow screen rotation
  • Add dark mode
Show 17 more
  • Fix pinch to zoom
  • Enable SMS alerts
  • Improve alert priority settings
  • Integrate with onboard network
  • Improve chart download process
  • Fix password symbol issues
  • Allow chart updates via app
  • Add demo mode
  • Improve UI/UX
  • Add pull-out sidebar
  • Remove redundant close bar
  • Improve screen real estate usage
  • Improve graphics
  • Make updates easier
  • Support Element series mirroring
  • Fix login issues
  • Support A series plotters

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
6 purchases

Raymarine

Subscriptions6
  • One Boat Monthly6 Months trial$19.991 Month
  • Two Boats Monthly6 Months trial$37.991 Month
  • One Boat Six Monthly6 Months trial$109.996 Months
Show 3 more
  • One Boat Yearly6 Months trial$199.991 Year
  • Two Boats 6 Months6 Months trial$209.996 Months
  • Two Boats 1 Year6 Months trial$399.991 Year

Questions

Is Boat Beacon free?
Boat Beacon costs $14.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Raymarine free?
Raymarine is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Boat Beacon or Raymarine?
Boat Beacon is rated higher. Boat Beacon averages 4.6 out of 5 from 871 ratings, while Raymarine averages 1.5 from 17 ratings.
Do Boat Beacon or Raymarine have ads?
Neither Boat Beacon nor Raymarine shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Boat Beacon or Raymarine?
Boat Beacon ships an update every 2 months, and Raymarine every 4 months. Most recently, Boat Beacon was updated on November 1, 2026 and Raymarine on October 29, 2026.

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