Comparison

WatchMate vs BlueROV Control

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

BlueROV Control

Features
Read full description

There is an easier way to control your BlueROV. Instead of carrying a bulky PC with QGroundControl you can use your iPad. BlueROV Control is an app with an intuitive user interface and all the features you need. You can use an on-screen joystick or connect Bluetooth Game Controller (preferred). It now supports BlueOS from Blue Robotics and also connects to Newton Gripper and Ping1D, Ping360 sonars. Please see the Help section in the app for connection setup. You can use all features of Blue Control for free except video recording. Your contribution with subscription helps develop future updates.

Screenshots

WatchMate4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: WatchMate at none against BlueROV Control's 2. WatchMate also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). On price, update cadence and ads 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. BlueROV Control sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. WatchMate asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

WatchMate ships an update every 2 months, BlueROV Control monthly. The most recent releases landed on June 1, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
WatchMate versus BlueROV Control: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWatchMateBlueROV Control
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.5 (11 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews44.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings11 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB47 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGarmin New Zealand LtdDeep Blue d.o.o.

In-app purchases

None

WatchMate

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

BlueROV Control

Subscriptions2
  • Subscription Monthly$8.991 Month
  • Subscription Yearly3 Days trial$54.991 Year

Questions

Is WatchMate free?
WatchMate is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BlueROV Control free?
BlueROV Control is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do WatchMate or BlueROV Control have ads?
Neither WatchMate nor BlueROV Control shows ads.
Which is updated more often, WatchMate or BlueROV Control?
WatchMate ships an update every 2 months, and BlueROV Control monthly. Most recently, WatchMate was updated on June 1, 2026 and BlueROV Control on September 22, 2026.

Other comparisons