# SEAiq vs Coastal Explorer

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SEAiq at 61% against Coastal Explorer's 11%. SEAiq also leads on rating (4.7 vs 2.8) and ratings volume (194 vs 16). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SEAiq sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $15.00 per year and Coastal Explorer sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

SEAiq holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SEAiq has 194 ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of SEAiq's written reviews are positive against 11% of Coastal Explorer's.

SEAiq ships an update every 3 weeks, Coastal Explorer every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SEAiq | Coastal Explorer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (194 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seaiq/id529514298/reviews)** | [2.8 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/coastal-explorer/id1452017231/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **194** | 16 |
| Positive reviews | **61.3% of reviews** | 11.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 54 MB | 54 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sakhalin](https://appshunter.io/developer/517213477) | [Rose Point Navigation Systems, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1078421951) |

## What reviewers say

### SEAiq

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seaiq/id529514298)

This marine navigation app offers comprehensive charting capabilities, allowing users to load various standard chart formats and download NOAA charts. It includes essential navigation tools like waypoints, routes, and an anchor alarm, along with weather overlays and NMEA/AIS integration.

**Highlights:** Load custom S-57, S-63, iENC, BSB, KAP charts, Automatic NOAA chart downloads, Waypoints, routes, and tracks, Anchor alarm, Automatic weather downloads, NMEA and AIS integration

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Annual | $15.00 | per year |
| Upgrade for Premium Features | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Highly reliable navigation app
- 💡 Tons of features
- ✨ Clean and sensical interface
- 🚀 Versatile for plotting routes/waypoints
- 📊 Estimating AIS target crossing range

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😩 Tedious to plot a course
- 🔧 Complicated chart setup initially
- 🤔 Not user friendly
- 📚 Instructions not very helpful
- ⏳ Time wasted on simple things

**Reported bugs**

- No access to premium features after payment
- Chart downloads fail if app is not on screen
- App freezes when trying to delete
- App crashes

**Requested features**

- Simplify course plotting
- Add support for .MBTiles
- Add VMG feature
- Add support for .MBTiles
- Add support for .MBTiles


### Coastal Explorer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/coastal-explorer/id1452017231)

Plan and log your cruises with detailed nautical charts and weather forecasts. Enhance your experience with a subscription for offline access, real-time navigation, and integration with marine electronics.

**Highlights:** View NOAA and USACE nautical charts, Create routes and waypoints, Cloud synchronization, ActiveCaptain points of interest, US Coast Pilot information, Marine weather forecasts, Tide and current predictions

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $19.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $49.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SEAiq free?

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

### Is Coastal Explorer free?

Coastal Explorer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, SEAiq or Coastal Explorer?

SEAiq is rated higher. SEAiq averages 4.7 out of 5 from 194 ratings, while Coastal Explorer averages 2.8 from 16 ratings.

### Do SEAiq or Coastal Explorer have ads?

Neither SEAiq nor Coastal Explorer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SEAiq or Coastal Explorer?

SEAiq ships an update every 3 weeks, and Coastal Explorer every 2 weeks. Most recently, SEAiq was updated on October 23, 2026 and Coastal Explorer on October 24, 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.*