# Boat Beacon vs NavLink US

The clearest difference is price: Boat Beacon at $14.99 against NavLink US's $30.99. Boat Beacon also leads on rating (4.6 vs 3.0) and ratings volume (868 vs 2). NavLink US's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.6). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Boat Beacon costs $14.99 and NavLink US $30.99 up front. Boat Beacon sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and NavLink US sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Boat Beacon holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Boat Beacon has 868 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Boat Beacon ships an update every 2 months, NavLink US every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Boat Beacon | NavLink US |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$14.99** | $30.99 |
| Rating | **[4.6 (868 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boat-beacon/id494877039/reviews)** | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/navlink-us/id804666182/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **868** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 61.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#34** | — |
| Size | 152 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **11.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pocket Mariner Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/719592131) | [DigitalYacht Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/394667310) |

## What reviewers say

### Boat Beacon

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

**Currently charting:** #34 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


### NavLink US

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/navlink-us/id804666182)

This marine navigation app transforms your Apple device into a full-featured chart plotter. It displays real-time GPS positions on NOAA charts, overlays AIS data, and allows for waypoint and route planning. Features include augmented reality views and weather buoy data.

**Highlights:** Real-time GPS plotting on NOAA charts, AIS overlay with compatible systems, Waypoint and route planning, Augmented reality HorizonView, Weather buoy data, A-B chart ruler

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weather charts | $7.99 | per year |
| UK Charts | $16.99 | per year |
| US Chart Updates | $19.99 | per year |
| Canadian Charts | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Boat Beacon free?

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

### Is NavLink US free?

NavLink US costs $30.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Boat Beacon or NavLink US?

Boat Beacon is rated higher. Boat Beacon averages 4.6 out of 5 from 868 ratings, while NavLink US averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Boat Beacon or NavLink US have ads?

Neither Boat Beacon nor NavLink US shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Boat Beacon or NavLink US?

Boat Beacon ships an update every 2 months, and NavLink US every 6 months. Most recently, Boat Beacon was updated on October 20, 2026 and NavLink US on October 3, 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.*