# Boat Beacon vs Skipper

The clearest difference is price: Skipper at Free against Boat Beacon's $14.99. Skipper also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (79% vs 61%). Boat Beacon's advantage is ratings volume (869 vs 36) and chart position (#59 vs unranked). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Skipper 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 Skipper sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days. 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 4.6 for Skipper. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Boat Beacon has 869 ratings behind it against 36, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 61% of Boat Beacon's written reviews are positive against 79% of Skipper's.

Boat Beacon ships an update every 2 months, Skipper weekly. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Boat Beacon | Skipper |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $14.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.6 (869 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boat-beacon/id494877039/reviews)** | [4.6 (36 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skipper-ships-logbook/id671764434/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **869** | 36 |
| Positive reviews | 61.1% of reviews | **79.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#59** | — |
| Size | 152 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pocket Mariner Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/719592131) | [Axel Le Pennec](https://appshunter.io/developer/671697425) |

## What reviewers say

### Boat Beacon

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

**Currently charting:** #59 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


### Skipper

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skipper-ships-logbook/id671764434)

Record your boat trips with real-time GPS data, weather, and crew information. Securely store your boating history and relive your adventures with detailed maps and statistics. Import/export GPX files and manage your logbook with powerful search and filtering options.

**Highlights:** Real-time GPS trip recording, Log weather, crew, and boat details, Access trip statistics, Review adventures on maps, Search and filter logbook entries, Import/export GPX files

**Features:** iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Skipper+ Weekly | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Skipper+ Weekly | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly | $8.99 | per 7 days |
| Skipper+ Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $35.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $44.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Skipper+ Lifetime | $14.99 | one-time |
| Skipper+ Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime | $124.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Boat Beacon free?

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

### Is Skipper free?

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

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

Boat Beacon is rated higher. Boat Beacon averages 4.6 out of 5 from 869 ratings, while Skipper averages 4.6 from 36 ratings.

### Do Boat Beacon or Skipper have ads?

Neither Boat Beacon nor Skipper shows ads.

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

Boat Beacon ships an update every 2 months, and Skipper weekly. Most recently, Boat Beacon was updated on October 29, 2026 and Skipper on October 29, 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.*