Comparison

Sight Calc vs Ditch

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Sight Calc

This app is a specialized calculator for sight reductions using the Law of Cosines method. It's designed for students learning celestial navigation and requires manual input of LHA, declination, and approximate latitude.

Highlights
  • Law of Cosines sight reduction
  • Manual LHA, declination, and latitude input
  • Input as degrees/minutes or decimal degrees
  • Continuous computation of Hc, Z, and Zn
  • Supports North/South latitude and declination conventions
  • Clear and clear entry functions
  • Convert minutes to decimal degrees
Features
Read full description

Sight Calc is a specialized calculator for calculating sight reductions via the "Law of Cosines" method. It does not use Nautical Almanac data, so you must first compute LHA (Local Hour Angle) and declination, and determine your approximate latitude. It is designed particularly for students learning celestial navigation, such as the Celestial Navigation courses taught by the United States Power Squadrons®. If you are unfamiliar with how to do sight reductions, some good resources are available from the United States Power Squadrons® at www.usps.org. In particular, this calculator is useful in conjunction with Form SR96a, www.usps.org/eddept/n/files/sr96a.pdf Inputs may be entered as two numbers: Degrees - left column Minutes - right column Or enter as decimal degrees (e.g., 44.48833). Sight Calc will prompt you to enter six number in sequence: LHA (degrees) LHA (minutes) Lat (degrees) Lat (minutes) Dec (degrees) Dec (minutes) In v 2.0 you may enter values in any sequence. Hc, Z and Zn are continuously computed and displayed. Be sure to enter North Latitude as a positive number and South Latitude as a NEGATIVE number. Sight Calc will take the absolute value of Latitude in the law of cosines formula, but needs the hemisphere to calculate azimuth (Zn). Similarly, enter Declination as positive if North and negative if South. (Note: this differs from version 1.x of Sight Calc.) If you want to do repeated calculations with some of the same numbers, just enter the changed numbers. To start over fresh at any time, press "C" to clear everything. "CE" key clears the Current Entry. Optionally, use the "o" key to convert minutes to decimal degrees, add that to the degrees field, and clear the minutes field. This has no effect on the calculation. Please report any bugs or suggestions to: sightcalc@nuvocom.com

About

Ditch

Enhance your boating experience with intelligent routing and accurate arrival time predictions. Visualize historical vessel traffic and customize charts for a personalized view of waterways, ensuring safer and more confident journeys on the water.

Highlights
  • AI-powered smart routing
  • Accurate ETA predictions
  • Historical AIS data visualization
  • Customizable marine charts
  • Live navigation view
  • Up-to-date waterway information
Features
Read full description

Ditch: Boat Navigation Reimagined. Ditch empowers captains with smarter, safer routes and unparalleled confidence on the water. Try it free for two weeks! SMART PATH™ Our unique routing algorithm analyzes billions of data points, including historical AIS data, to create the safest, most efficient path for your boat. It's like having years of local knowledge distilled into every journey. SMART ETA No more guessing arrival times. Ditch factors in the slower no-wake zones, and your cruising speed, to provide more accurate ETAs, taking the guesswork out of your journey. Ditch is not designed to replace your existing navigation tools, but to enhance them. Think of it as your trusted second opinion, providing an extra layer of confidence so you can focus on enjoying your time on the water. Additional Key Features AIS DATA See where other boats have traveled. Visualize historical AIS data directly on your charts to identify popular and safe routes. CUSTOMIZABLE CHARTS Tailor your charts to your needs. Filter data based on local captains, recency, and boat length, to get a personalized view of the waterways. LIVE NAVIGATION VIEW See real-time updates on route distance, time to arrival, and SOG while underway. UP-TO-DATE DATA We prioritize the freshest most recent information. CONSTANTLY EVOLVING Our routing AI algorithm is always learning and improving. UNPARALLELED DETAIL Combining NOAA charts, USACE surveys, and historical AIS. AI POWERED Our cutting-edge technology analyzes millions of miles of real-world boating data. SIMPLE & INTUITIVE Our uncluttered interface puts the focus on your route, making navigation effortless and enjoyable. EFFORTLESS EXPLORATION Focus on the joy of boating, not just navigation. After your free trial, enjoy a full year of Ditch for only $29.99. Download Ditch today and experience the boat navigation reimagined! Terms of Use: https://ditchnavigation.com/ditch-terms-of-use/ Privacy Policy: https://ditchnavigation.com/privacy-policy/

Screenshots

Sight Calc4 screens
Ditch4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Ditch at Free against Sight Calc's $1.99. Ditch also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 11 months) and chart position (#189 vs unranked). Sight Calc's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 3.9) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). On ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

Ditch is free to download; Sight Calc costs $1.99 up front. Ditch sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $24.99 per year. Sight Calc asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Sight Calc holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 22 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 82% of Sight Calc's written reviews are positive against 64% of Ditch's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sight Calc ships an update every 11 months, Ditch monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and August 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Sight Calc versus Ditch: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSight CalcDitch
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (7 ratings) — better3.9 (22 ratings)
Positive reviews82.4% of reviews — better64.3% of reviews
Number of ratings722 — better
Update frequencyEvery 11 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank—#189 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB72 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNUVOCOM INCORPORATEDExtent Devices LLC

Customer experience

Sight Calc

All ratings7 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive82.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative17.6%

Ditch

All ratings22 ratings
Positive72.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative27.3%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive64.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative35.7%

In-app purchases

None

Sight Calc

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Ditch

Subscriptions2
  • Ditch Student Subscription14 Days trial$24.991 Year
  • Ditch Annual iOS Subscription14 Days trial$29.991 Year

Questions

Is Sight Calc free?
Sight Calc costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ditch free?
Ditch is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Sight Calc or Ditch?
Sight Calc is rated higher. Sight Calc averages 5.0 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Ditch averages 3.9 from 22 ratings.
Do Sight Calc or Ditch have ads?
Neither Sight Calc nor Ditch shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Sight Calc or Ditch?
Sight Calc ships an update every 11 months, and Ditch monthly. Most recently, Sight Calc was updated on September 10, 2026 and Ditch on August 4, 2026.

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