# Boat Beacon vs Anchor & Course

The clearest difference is price: Anchor & Course at Free against Boat Beacon's $14.99. Anchor & Course also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). Boat Beacon's advantage is chart position (#65 vs unranked) and device support (4 vs 2). On ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Anchor & Course 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 Anchor & Course sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Boat Beacon ships an update every 2 months, Anchor & Course every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Boat Beacon | Anchor & Course |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $14.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.6 (866 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boat-beacon/id494877039/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **866** | — |
| Positive reviews | 61.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | **#65** | — |
| Size | 152 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 18.2 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pocket Mariner Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/719592131) | [Michal Sidorczyk](https://appshunter.io/developer/1828200699) |

## What reviewers say

### Boat Beacon

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

**Currently charting:** #65 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


### Anchor & Course

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/anchor-and-course/id6748950708)

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full access 1 month | $1.99 | per month |
| Full access 6 months | $9.99 | per 6 months |
| Full access 1 year | $14.99 | per year |
| 1-Month Access (One-Time) | $2.99 | one-time |
| 6-Months Access (One-Time) | $12.99 | one-time |
| 1-Year Access (One-Time) | $17.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Full Access | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Boat Beacon free?

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

### Is Anchor & Course free?

Anchor & Course is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Boat Beacon or Anchor & Course have ads?

Neither Boat Beacon nor Anchor & Course shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Boat Beacon or Anchor & Course?

Boat Beacon ships an update every 2 months, and Anchor & Course every 3 weeks. Most recently, Boat Beacon was updated on September 24, 2026 and Anchor & Course on September 10, 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.*