# WatchMate vs Anchor & Course

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: WatchMate at none against Anchor & Course's 7. WatchMate also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.2). Anchor & Course's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Anchor & Course sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. WatchMate asks for nothing beyond the download.

WatchMate ships an update every 2 months, Anchor & Course every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on June 1, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | WatchMate | Anchor & Course |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.5 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/watchmate/id557485481/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **11** | — |
| Positive reviews | 44.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 14 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 18.2 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Garmin New Zealand Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/557485484) | [Michal Sidorczyk](https://appshunter.io/developer/1828200699) |

## 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


### Anchor & Course

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/anchor-and-course/id6748950708)

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full access 1 month | $1.99 | per month |
| Full access 6 months | $9.99 | per 6 months |
| Full access 1 year | $14.99 | per year |
| 1-Month Access (One-Time) | $2.99 | one-time |
| 6-Months Access (One-Time) | $12.99 | one-time |
| 1-Year Access (One-Time) | $17.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Full Access | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is WatchMate free?

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

### Is Anchor & Course free?

Anchor & Course is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do WatchMate or Anchor & Course have ads?

Neither WatchMate nor Anchor & Course shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, WatchMate or Anchor & Course?

WatchMate ships an update every 2 months, and Anchor & Course every 3 weeks. Most recently, WatchMate was updated on June 1, 2026 and Anchor & Course on September 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.*