# SEAiq USA vs Hip Charts

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SEAiq USA at 76% against Hip Charts's 25%. SEAiq USA also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.3) and ratings volume (501 vs 7). Hip Charts's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On price, update cadence, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SEAiq USA sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $10.00 per year. Hip Charts asks for nothing beyond the download.

SEAiq USA holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SEAiq USA has 501 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of SEAiq USA's written reviews are positive against 25% of Hip Charts's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SEAiq USA | Hip Charts |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (501 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seaiq-usa/id519545162/reviews)** | [3.3 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hip-charts/id6443591337/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **501** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | **75.5% of reviews** | 25.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 54 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sakhalin](https://appshunter.io/developer/517213477) | [Walk About Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/480229755) |

## What reviewers say

### SEAiq USA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seaiq-usa/id519545162)

Navigate US waterways with detailed NOAA and US Army Corps of Engineers charts. Features include waypoints, routes, tracks, weather overlays, and an anchor alarm. Offers a 7-day evaluation period before an in-app upgrade is required for full functionality.

**Highlights:** NOAA and US Army Corps of Engineers charts, Waypoints, routes, and tracks, Night color modes, Anchor alarm, Automatic weather download, Chart measuring tools, NMEA and AIS support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Annual | $10.00 | per year |
| Upgrade for Premium Features | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 📊 Accurate and detailed navigation charts
- 💰 Excellent value for price
- 🆓 Free NOAA chart downloads
- 📱 Works offline after chart download
- 🚢 AIS data integration

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐢 Slow performance on older devices
- ❌ No way to delete imported tracks
- ❌ Cannot rename imported tracks
- ⚠️ Discontinued Active Captain data support
- 🔐 Limited free version features

**Reported bugs**

- Chart download failures with error messages
- App incompatibility with iOS 8 updates causing loss of purchase
- Performance degradation on iPad 3 and older devices
- Slow zoom and pan responsiveness
- Active Captain integration not fully functional in free version

**Requested features**

- Delete and rename imported tracks functionality
- Track export as CSV spreadsheet with date, time, course, speed, location
- International chart support in free version
- Precipitation weather integration
- More prominent waypoint highlighting when route not selected


### Hip Charts

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hip-charts/id6443591337)

Access NOAA nautical charts for free on your mobile devices. View charts online and download single areas for offline use. Additional features like multiple offline downloads and custom boundaries require a purchase.

**Highlights:** Unlimited online NOAA chart viewing, Download single chart areas for offline use, Automatic chart loading, Cellular and WiFi chart downloads, Custom download boundaries (paid)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SEAiq USA free?

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

### Is Hip Charts free?

Hip Charts is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, SEAiq USA or Hip Charts?

SEAiq USA is rated higher. SEAiq USA averages 4.7 out of 5 from 501 ratings, while Hip Charts averages 3.3 from 7 ratings.

### Do SEAiq USA or Hip Charts have ads?

Neither SEAiq USA nor Hip Charts shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SEAiq USA or Hip Charts?

SEAiq USA ships an update every 3 weeks, and Hip Charts every 3 weeks. Most recently, SEAiq USA was updated on September 23, 2026 and Hip Charts on September 5, 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.*