Comparison

Marine Navigation vs ActiveCaptain®

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

Head to head
About

Marine Navigation

This app offers a one-time purchase offline GPS chartplotter, giving you lifetime ownership of your maps without subscriptions or data tracking. It provides reliable navigation for sailors and fishermen, with an optional PRO subscription for advanced features.

Highlights
  • Offline GPS chartplotter
  • One-time purchase, own forever
  • Proprietary S57 engine
  • Unlimited custom maps
  • Global offline tides
  • Fish forecast
Features
Read full description

MARINE NAVIGATION — Offline GPS Chartplotter You Own Forever Tired of apps renting your maps every year? Worried about your secret fishing spots being tracked or sold? It’s time to take back control. Marine Navigation is the GPS chartplotter you buy once and own for life. No hidden fees, no forced subscriptions. Since 2009, sailors, fishermen, and sea lovers have trusted us for reliable, offline navigation that respects their privacy. CHOOSE YOUR WAY TO NAVIGATE - Try Free: Download Marine Navigation Lite to explore the basics. - Full Version (One-Time Purchase): Get the complete offline chartplotter that’s yours forever. - Go PRO (Optional Subscription): Unlock professional-grade tools and navigate without limits. Your choice: own it once, or subscribe for more — total freedom. GO PRO — THE ULTIMATE NAVIGATION For the serious navigator, we built something extraordinary. The PRO version is more than just features; - PROPRIETARY S57 ENGINE: This is our masterpiece. Our custom S57 renderer brings official Electronic Navigational Charts (ENC) to your device with a speed and detail once reserved for systems costing thousands. - UNLIMITED CUSTOM MAPS: Our most revolutionary feature, supercharged. Scan a paper chart, import a satellite image of a wreck, or even use a treasure map. Our powerful georeferencing tool lets you turn any image into a fully navigable, offline chart in minutes. Your knowledge, mapped. - GLOBAL OFFLINE TIDES: Accurate tidal data for any point on the map, calculated on your device. No internet needed, powered by the high-precision FES2022b global model. - ADVANCED TOOLS: Overlay multiple maps, adjust transparency, and gain a level of control that competitors simply cannot match. - FISH FORECAST (NEW): Fish Forecast helps you plan fishing trips with an Activity Score, built from Solunar, plus real fishing weather and ocean conditions. YOUR DATA IS SACRED We respect your privacy. We don’t track you. We don’t analyze your locations. We never sell your data. Everything you save stays safely on your device. Your fishing spots remain yours — always. FULL VERSION — EVERYTHING YOU NEED - RELIABLE OFFLINE MAPS: Download your charts and navigate with confidence far from shore. Our entire download system has been rebuilt from the ground up based on user feedback for total clarity and control. - COMPLETE GPS NAVIGATION: Create routes, record tracks, set a visual anchor alarm, use the compass (true/magnetic), and monitor your speed and direction. - NEW! ADVANCED VISUAL WAYPOINTS: Take total control of your map. Organize your spots with a library of custom icons and colors, then go beyond a simple pin: turn your chart into an intelligent log. Tag any location with the exact bait that worked, the type of fishing, catch details, and other crucial conditions. - WIDE CHART SELECTION: Access NOAA Raster & ENC, ESRI Satellite Imagery, OpenSeaMap, Bathymetric Maps, and more. - USEFUL TOOLS: Basic weather, moon & sun phases, GPX import/export. WHY CHOOSE MARINE NAVIGATION? - Freedom of Choice: Buy once for life, or subscribe to PRO — you decide. - Privacy First: Your data stays on your device, period. - Unmatched Control: From official S57 charts to your own custom maps. - Trusted by Navigators Worldwide: Reliable and independent since 2009. IMPORTANT NOTICE Good seamanship requires the use of official charts. Marine Navigation is for use with other charts and cannot replace official charts. Use at your own risk. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION - The PRO subscription renews automatically unless turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. - You can manage or disable auto-renew in your iTunes Account Settings after purchase. --- Learn more on our official website: www.fishpoints.net Terms of Use: http://www.fishpoints.net/eula/ Privacy Policy: http://www.fishpoints.net/privacy-policy/ Try Marine Navigation and take the helm of your journey. The sea is yours.

About

ActiveCaptain®

This app connects your mobile device to compatible Garmin chartplotters, enabling wireless chart and map transfers, software updates, and route planning. It also provides access to a community of boaters for reviews and information on marinas and points of interest.

Highlights
  • Wireless chart and map transfer
  • Route and waypoint planning
  • ActiveCaptain Community for POI reviews
  • Chartplotter control via Helm feature
  • Easy software updates
  • OnDeck system monitoring
  • Garmin Quickdraw Community map sharing
Read full description

The free ActiveCaptain app creates a powerful connection between your compatible mobile device and Garmin chartplotter, charts, maps and the boating community. Whether you use your Garmin products for cruising, fishing, sailing or diving, this all-in-one app will help you enjoy your time on the water. Just pair the app with your compatible chartplotter to wirelessly transfer and access charts and maps, software updates, routes, waypoints and helpful feedback from the ActiveCaptain Community. And, with the purchase of the OnDeck™ hub(1), you can track and monitor your boat from virtually anywhere. Please note that this app is intended for Garmin chartplotter owners and is not recommended for use as a stand-alone navigational app. FEATURES AVAILABLE: - ONECHART™: > New Garmin Navionics+™ and premium Garmin Navionics Vision+™ cartography, featuring a Navionics® style appearance, advanced Auto Guidance+™ technology(2) and a one-year subscription to daily updates, is available now for North America and Europe, and coming soon to the rest of the world. Purchase our newest-generation charts or legacy BlueChart® g3 charts from your mobile device, and upload them to registered Garmin chartplotters on your vessel. You will get exceptional coverage, clarity and detail with charts that feature integrated Garmin and Navionics data and much more. Plus, the NOAA raster cartography(3) and premium features can be downloaded for free through the ActiveCaptain app. Visit Garmin.com/marinemaps. - PLAN A TRIP: Plan your trip, or e-scout a new fishing spot before you’re on the water. Then, transfer your data to your chartplotter where you can view your routes and waypoints. - USER DATA SYNC: Automatically back up and sync your data between your chartplotter and the ActiveCaptain app. - ACTIVECAPTAIN COMMUNITY: Join a community of boaters to get up-to-date feedback on marinas, boat ramps and other points of interest (POI). Check ratings, read reviews, and view pictures of POIs to make informed decisions on the water. Contribute your own POI, reviews and pictures from your compatible mobile device. - CONTROL YOUR CHARTPLOTTER: Using the built-in Helm™ feature, the ActiveCaptain app lets you view and control your compatible(4) chartplotter from your smartphone or tablet, even when someone else is at the helm(5). - EASY SOFTWARE UPDATES: Receive notifications about software updates from the app, and update your chartplotter wirelessly. - ONDECK HUB: Use the ActiveCaptain app to track, monitor and control any number of switches with the OnDeck system(1) from nearly anywhere. Door open? Bilge running? Peace of mind comes in the form of text alerts and updates. - GARMIN QUICKDRAWTM COMMUNITY: Download the latest 1’ HD contour maps shared by your fellow boaters, and sync with your chartplotter. You can also upload your own Quickdraw Contours map data. - SMART NOTIFICATIONS: Connect the app to your chartplotter, and turn on smart notifications(4) to see calls, text messages and more on the chartplotter display while your phone is somewhere safe and dry. FOOTNOTES 1)OnDeck hub sold separately and requires an active subscription plan 2)Auto Guidance+ is for planning purposes only and does not replace safe navigation operations 3)NOAA raster cartography cannot be viewed on echoMAP™ CHIRP and ECHOMAP™ Plus combos but can be viewed on mobile devices via the ActiveCaptain mobile app 4)Helm feature is not compatible with ECHOMAP series chartplotters 5)Check device compatibility on the ActiveCaptain app web page; visit https://www.garmin.com/c/marine/marine-apps/ End User License Agreement: https://www.garmin.com/en-US/legal/marine-mobile-eula/

Screenshots

Marine Navigation4 screens
ActiveCaptain®4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ActiveCaptain® at Free against Marine Navigation's $19.99. ActiveCaptain® also leads on review sentiment (57% vs 30%) and chart position (#23 vs unranked). Marine Navigation's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 18) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months). On ads, monetization model, 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

ActiveCaptain® is free to download; Marine Navigation costs $19.99 up front. ActiveCaptain® sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $74.99 per year. Marine Navigation asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Marine Navigation ships an update weekly, ActiveCaptain® every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Marine Navigation versus ActiveCaptain®: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMarine NavigationActiveCaptain®
Price$19.99Free — better
Rating—4.0 (5K ratings) — better
Positive reviews29.5% of reviews56.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings—5K — better
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#23 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size107 MB195 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperMarco PalaferriGarmin

Customer experience

Marine Navigation

Written reviews44 reviews
Positive29.5%
Neutral9.1%
Negative61.4%

ActiveCaptain®

All ratings5,011 ratings
Positive72.9%
Neutral3.7%
Negative23.4%
Written reviews890 reviews
Positive56.5%
Neutral4.6%
Negative38.9%

Bugs and requests

Marine Navigation

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

ActiveCaptain®

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Charts and maps not loading properly
  • Waypoints and routes not syncing correctly
  • Constant prompts to purchase additional charts
  • Compatibility issues with older Garmin devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to duplicate and edit existing routes
  • Sync user data across multiple devices
  • Improved chart detail and coverage
  • Animated tides and currents
  • Better integration with other navigation apps

In-app purchases

None

Marine Navigation

No in-app purchases

18 purchases

ActiveCaptain®

Subscriptions7
  • NSUS007R-U.S. East$74.991 Year
  • NSUS006R-U.S. South$74.991 Year
  • g4 U.S. Lakes & Rivers Built-i$99.991 Year
Show 4 more
  • NSUS001L-U.S. & Canada$99.991 Year
  • g4 Vision U.S. South$129.991 Year
  • g4 Vision U.S. East$129.991 Year
  • GN+ US & Coast Canada Built-In$149.991 Year
One-time11
  • U.S. LakeVü Detail Map$59.99
  • US+Great Lakes Detail Map$99.99
  • BlueChart g3+LakeVu g3 Built-I$99.99
Show 8 more
  • LUS100F - Download$149.99
  • GN+ U.S. South$149.99
  • GN+ U.S. East$149.99
  • VUS010R - Download$174.99
  • GN+ U.S. & Canada$199.99
  • HXUS604X - Download$219.99
  • GNV+ U.S. East$249.99
  • GNV+ U.S. South$249.99

Questions

Is Marine Navigation free?
Marine Navigation costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is ActiveCaptain® free?
ActiveCaptain® is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Marine Navigation or ActiveCaptain® have ads?
Neither Marine Navigation nor ActiveCaptain® shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Marine Navigation or ActiveCaptain®?
Marine Navigation ships an update weekly, and ActiveCaptain® every 3 months. Most recently, Marine Navigation was updated on September 24, 2026 and ActiveCaptain® on September 27, 2026.

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