# WatchMate vs Doyle Guides

The clearest difference is rating: Doyle Guides at 4.3 against WatchMate's 3.5. Doyle Guides also leads on review sentiment (60% vs 44%) and ratings volume (50 vs 11). WatchMate's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 18) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.6). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Doyle Guides sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. WatchMate asks for nothing beyond the download.

Doyle Guides holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 50 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 44% of WatchMate's written reviews are positive against 60% of Doyle Guides's.

WatchMate ships an update every 2 months, Doyle Guides every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | WatchMate | Doyle Guides |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/watchmate/id557485481/reviews) | **[4.3 (50 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/doyle-guides/id6466621237/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 11 | **50** |
| Positive reviews | 44.4% of reviews | **60.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 14 MB | 51 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Garmin New Zealand Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/557485484) | [Chris Doyle Publishing Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1707528206) |

## What reviewers say

### WatchMate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/watchmate/id557485481)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Doyle Guides

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/doyle-guides/id6466621237)

Access comprehensive sailing guides for the southern Caribbean, featuring nautical charts, regulations, services, and points of interest. The app offers an interactive map with user-generated comments and corrections, all free to use. In-app purchases provide access to detailed guide book content.

**Highlights:** Comprehensive sailing guides, Nautical charts and navigation, Interactive satellite map, 3000+ points of interest database, User comments and corrections, Island-specific content bundles

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

**In-app purchases (18)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Trinidad & Tobago - 1 month | $9.99 | per month |
| Martinique Sailing Guide | $19.99 | per month |
| St. Lucia Sailing Guide | $19.99 | per month |
| St. Vincent Sailing Guide | $19.99 | per month |
| Grenada Package - 1 month | $19.99 | per month |
| Trinidad Tobago Sailing Guide | $19.99 | per year |
| Martinique Sailing Guide | $24.99 | per year |
| St. Lucia Sailing Guide | $24.99 | per year |
| St. Vincent Sailing Guide | $24.99 | per year |
| Grenada Package - 12 months | $24.99 | per year |
| Southern Leeward Sailing Guide | $24.99 | per month |
| Northern Leeward Sailing Guide | $24.99 | per month |
| Windward Islands Guide | $29.99 | per month |
| BVI Cruising Guide | $29.99 | per year |
| Windward Islands Guide | $39.99 | per year |
| Virgin Islands Cruising Guide | $39.99 | per year |
| Leeward Islands Sailing Guide | $39.99 | per month |
| Leeward Islands Sailing Guide | $59.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is WatchMate free?

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

### Is Doyle Guides free?

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

### Which has better reviews, WatchMate or Doyle Guides?

Doyle Guides is rated higher. WatchMate averages 3.5 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Doyle Guides averages 4.3 from 50 ratings.

### Do WatchMate or Doyle Guides have ads?

Neither WatchMate nor Doyle Guides shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, WatchMate or Doyle Guides?

WatchMate ships an update every 2 months, and Doyle Guides every 5 weeks. Most recently, WatchMate was updated on October 8, 2026 and Doyle Guides on October 10, 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.*