Comparison

WatchMate vs Raymarine

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

Head to head
About

WatchMate

This app provides remote control and situational awareness for your Vesper Marine AIS Transponder. View AIS targets, manage alarms, and control transponder settings directly from your mobile device.

Highlights
  • View AIS targets
  • Manage collision prevention alarms
  • Control Anchor Watch alarm
  • View GPS position, course, and speed
  • Remote control transponder settings
  • Configure vessel AIS static data
  • Perform firmware upgrades
Read full description

The WatchMate App connects with your Vesper Marine AIS Transponder to place remote control functionality and situational awareness in the palm of your hand on your iPhone or on your iPad. The WatchMate App becomes the user interface for configuring and remote control of your Vesper Marine AIS Transponder, especially where it does not have its own display such as the Vesper Marine XB-8000. - View AIS Targets received by your Vesper Marine AIS Transponder. - Setup and manage collision prevention alarm profiles. - Manage your MOB alarms. - Control and view your Anchor Watch alarm. - View your AIS Transponder's own GPS Position, Course and Speed. - Check the operational status of your AIS Transponder. - Remote control of your AIS Transponder settings. - Switch easily between Silent Mode and Normal Transmitting mode. - Configure your Vessel's AIS Static data. (MMSI, Call Sign, Vessel Type, Vessel Size) - Perform firmware upgrades. Connects to your WatchMate device's WIFI access point or by being on the same wifi network. - Supports Vesper Marine XB-8000 AIS Transponder. - Supports Vesper Marine WatchMate Vision®. The complex nature of our innovative WatchMate App makes coding mishaps difficult to eliminate despite the superhuman efforts of our developers so please remember Vesper Marine does not warrant that this product is error-free. As the adventurous user it's your job to exercise common sense and the best navigational judgement you can muster. Although we think the WatchMate App is awesome nothing beats using all your human senses, so best you still rely on these at least as much as you rely on the WatchMate App for making navigational safety decisions. Our advice is; even with the WatchMate App it’s still a clever idea to maintain a permanent watch and use more than one aid for navigation.

About

Raymarine

This app connects to Raymarine marine electronics, allowing remote control and monitoring of radar, sonar, and chartplotters. Manage charts and stream data from compatible devices for a connected boating experience.

Highlights
  • View and control radar, sonar, and chartplotter
  • Remote boat monitoring
  • Manage LightHouse Charts
  • Stream and control legacy chartplotters
  • Connect with YachtSense Link router
Features
Read full description

The Raymarine App is the official digital companion for Raymarine chartplotters and connected boating. Use the Raymarine App to view and control radar, sonar, and chartplotter from your Axiom chartplotter display. Connect and monitor your boat remotely with the Raymarine YachtSense Link mobile router and manage your Raymarine LightHouse Charts right from your mobile device. The Raymarine mobile app also allows streaming and control of Raymarine legacy eS and gS Series chartplotter displays. Please note that Element chartplotter displays are not compatible with the screen mirroring feature. - We no longer support Raymarine eS and gS series chart plotters. Please ensure you're using a compatible device for the best experience. Terms of Use (EULA ) : https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

WatchMate4 screens
Raymarine4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: WatchMate at 3.5 against Raymarine's 1.5. WatchMate also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 6) and review sentiment (44% vs 12%). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support 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

Both are free to download. Raymarine sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. WatchMate asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

WatchMate holds the better App Store score, 3.5 against 1.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 17 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 44% of WatchMate's written reviews are positive against 12% of Raymarine's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

WatchMate ships an update every 2 months, Raymarine every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
WatchMate versus Raymarine: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWatchMateRaymarine
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.5 (11 ratings) — better1.5 (17 ratings)
Positive reviews44.4% of reviews — better12.2% of reviews
Number of ratings1117 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB195 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGarmin New Zealand LtdRaymarine UK Limited

Customer experience

WatchMate

All ratings11 ratings
Positive45.5%
Neutral27.3%
Negative27.3%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive44.4%
Neutral22.2%
Negative33.3%

Raymarine

All ratings17 ratings
Positive5.9%
Neutral5.9%
Negative88.2%
Written reviews74 reviews
Positive12.2%
Neutral1.4%
Negative86.5%

Bugs and requests

WatchMate

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Raymarine

Reported bugs

48 issues
  • Connection lost message
  • App closes immediately
  • Fails to connect reliably
  • Crashing frequently
  • Disconnects and drops Wi-Fi
Show 43 more
  • Poor connectivity
  • Bad resolution
  • Laggy performance
  • Crashes every time
  • Connects but no function
  • Needs internet to connect
  • Login server issues
  • Owner login fails
  • Pop-up never goes away
  • Screen rotation not working
  • Unstable connection
  • Grainy display
  • Ignores screen rotation
  • Constantly loses connection
  • Tiny text
  • Screen displayed sideways
  • Drops often
  • Cannot log in on iPhone
  • No alerts sent
  • SMS alerts not working
  • Support nonexistent
  • Wi-Fi dropping out
  • Cannot set up account
  • Chart download issues
  • Password incorrect message
  • App does not recognize Wi-Fi
  • Cannot set up boat
  • Password not recognized
  • Invalid login message
  • Doesn't work with Element series
  • Cannot interact with autopilot
  • App sees connection but no access
  • Frequently locks up
  • Slow reaction speed
  • Only read rights message
  • Password symbol issues
  • Account creation difficult
  • Fix pinch to zoom
  • Cannot create account
  • Data not in correct format
  • App does not recognize Wi-Fi connection
  • Login issues
  • Doesn't work with A series plotters

Requested features

22 requests
  • Improve resolution
  • Simplify connection process
  • Improve user-friendliness
  • Allow screen rotation
  • Add dark mode
Show 17 more
  • Fix pinch to zoom
  • Enable SMS alerts
  • Improve alert priority settings
  • Integrate with onboard network
  • Improve chart download process
  • Fix password symbol issues
  • Allow chart updates via app
  • Add demo mode
  • Improve UI/UX
  • Add pull-out sidebar
  • Remove redundant close bar
  • Improve screen real estate usage
  • Improve graphics
  • Make updates easier
  • Support Element series mirroring
  • Fix login issues
  • Support A series plotters

In-app purchases

None

WatchMate

No in-app purchases

6 purchases

Raymarine

Subscriptions6
  • One Boat Monthly6 Months trial$19.991 Month
  • Two Boats Monthly6 Months trial$37.991 Month
  • One Boat Six Monthly6 Months trial$109.996 Months
Show 3 more
  • One Boat Yearly6 Months trial$199.991 Year
  • Two Boats 6 Months6 Months trial$209.996 Months
  • Two Boats 1 Year6 Months trial$399.991 Year

Questions

Is WatchMate free?
WatchMate is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Raymarine free?
Raymarine is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, WatchMate or Raymarine?
WatchMate is rated higher. WatchMate averages 3.5 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Raymarine averages 1.5 from 17 ratings.
Do WatchMate or Raymarine have ads?
Neither WatchMate nor Raymarine shows ads.
Which is updated more often, WatchMate or Raymarine?
WatchMate ships an update every 2 months, and Raymarine every 4 months. Most recently, WatchMate was updated on October 8, 2026 and Raymarine on October 18, 2026.

Other comparisons