# Boat Beacon vs SEAiq

The clearest difference is price: SEAiq at Free against Boat Beacon's $14.99. SEAiq also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Boat Beacon's advantage is chart position (#79 vs unranked) and ratings volume (873 vs 194). On rating, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

SEAiq 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 SEAiq sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $15.00 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Boat Beacon against 4.7 for SEAiq. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 873 and 194 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 61% and 61% positive.

Boat Beacon ships an update every 2 months, SEAiq every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Boat Beacon | SEAiq |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $14.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.6 (873 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boat-beacon/id494877039/reviews) | **[4.7 (194 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seaiq/id529514298/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **873** | 194 |
| Positive reviews | 61.1% of reviews | **61.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#79** | — |
| Size | 152 MB | 54 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pocket Mariner Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/719592131) | [Sakhalin](https://appshunter.io/developer/517213477) |

## What reviewers say

### Boat Beacon

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

**Currently charting:** #79 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


### SEAiq

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seaiq/id529514298)

This marine navigation app offers comprehensive charting tools, allowing users to load various chart formats and automatically download NOAA charts for the US. It includes features like waypoints, routes, tracks, weather overlays, and NMEA/AIS integration for enhanced seafaring.

**Highlights:** Load custom charts (S-57, S-63, BSB, KAP), Automatic NOAA chart downloads (US), Waypoint and route planning, Track recording and display, Night color modes, Anchor alarm, Weather overlays (wind & isobar), NMEA and AIS integration

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Annual | $15.00 | per year |
| Upgrade for Premium Features | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Highly reliable navigation app
- 💡 Tons of features
- ✨ Clean and sensical interface
- 🚀 Versatile for plotting routes/waypoints
- 📊 Estimating AIS target crossing range

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😩 Tedious to plot a course
- 🔧 Complicated chart setup initially
- 🤔 Not user friendly
- 📚 Instructions not very helpful
- ⏳ Time wasted on simple things

**Reported bugs**

- No access to premium features after payment
- Chart downloads fail if app is not on screen
- App freezes when trying to delete
- App crashes

**Requested features**

- Simplify course plotting
- Add support for .MBTiles
- Add VMG feature
- Add support for .MBTiles
- Add support for .MBTiles


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Boat Beacon free?

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

### Is SEAiq free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Boat Beacon or SEAiq?

SEAiq is rated higher. Boat Beacon averages 4.6 out of 5 from 873 ratings, while SEAiq averages 4.7 from 194 ratings.

### Do Boat Beacon or SEAiq have ads?

Neither Boat Beacon nor SEAiq shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Boat Beacon or SEAiq?

Boat Beacon ships an update every 2 months, and SEAiq every 2 weeks. Most recently, Boat Beacon was updated on November 10, 2026 and SEAiq on November 6, 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.*