# MarineTraffic vs Air Borealis

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Air Borealis at none against MarineTraffic's 5. MarineTraffic's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 6 weeks) and chart position (#21 vs unranked). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MarineTraffic sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Air Borealis asks for nothing beyond the download.

MarineTraffic ships an update every 10 days, Air Borealis every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MarineTraffic | Air Borealis |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (65K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marinetraffic-ship-tracking/id563910324/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **65K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 49.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | **#21** | — |
| Size | 157 MB | 81 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [MarineTraffic Applications LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1668374750) | [Air Borealis Limited Partnership](https://appshunter.io/developer/1808875675) |

## What reviewers say

### MarineTraffic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marinetraffic-ship-tracking/id563910324)

**Currently charting:** #21 Top Grossing · Travel (US App Store)

Track vessels live worldwide using AIS data. View ship positions, movements, and voyage history with detailed vessel information and enhanced weather monitoring. Unlock advanced features for deeper visibility and extended coverage with a Pro plan.

**Highlights:** Live vessel tracking worldwide, Ship positions and movements, Voyage history and key events, Detailed vessel information, Enhanced maps with weather monitoring, Fleet monitoring and alerts

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mobile Pro Plan | $4.99 | per month |
| Mobile Pro Plan | $29.99 | per year |
| Route Planner | $0.99 | one-time |
| Access Plus 24 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Augmented Reality | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate location tracking
- 👍 Useful for maritime enthusiasts
- 🔍 Provides detailed ship information
- 🌍 Good worldwide coverage
- 🙌 Helpful for monitoring loved ones at sea

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Paywall for many features
- 🕰️ Delayed or outdated ship positions
- 🤔 Confusing interface and navigation
- 🔍 Limited free features
- 🔋 Drains device battery

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes or freezes
- Inconsistent or unreliable ship data
- Difficulty canceling subscriptions
- Compatibility issues with newer devices

**Requested features**

- Real-time ship tracking
- Improved map and interface design
- More free features and data access
- Ability to track multiple ships simultaneously
- Integration with other maritime apps and services


### Air Borealis

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/air-borealis/id6744682880)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MarineTraffic free?

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

### Is Air Borealis free?

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

### Do MarineTraffic or Air Borealis have ads?

Neither MarineTraffic nor Air Borealis shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, MarineTraffic or Air Borealis?

MarineTraffic ships an update every 10 days, and Air Borealis every 6 weeks. Most recently, MarineTraffic was updated on November 11, 2026 and Air Borealis on November 5, 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.*