Boat Instruments vs Sailing Master M
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Boat Instruments
This app provides AIS, GPS, and instrument data for boats, acting as a companion to onboard systems or a standalone GPS tool. It displays real-time data like depth, speed, and wind, and shows the position and course of nearby vessels with collision warnings.
- AIS and GPS data display
- Real-time instrument readings
- Collision detection warnings
- Configurable instrument pages
- NMEA bridge connectivity via WiFi
- Target position and course tracking
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AIS, GPS and instruments for your boat. Essential and useful companion to boat instrumentation or to complement the GPS functions of your device. The app connects through Wifi to NMEA bridges that transmit instrumentation and AIS data. You can configure flexible pages of analog and digital instruments, which display realistic gauges and panels: ● Depth, speed, course, wind, location, rudder, rpm. More instruments in future versions. The AIS screen shows relative position, speed and course for nearby targets that the on board AIS receiver is reporting. A minimum safe distance can be used to show warnings about potential collisions. The relative direction of travel of targets is shown in colours to indicate relative position in 5, 10 and 20 minutes. ● Relative course and speed, collision detection, forecast position. ABOUT US Imray is the leading publisher of nautical charts, books and apps. Our charts, designed and published in England for nearly 200 years, feature popular, carefully edited and award-winning cartography. Look out for other applications in the Marine Navigation Series from Imray Follow us on Twitter @imray_charts Facebook @imraynautical LANGUAGES English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese
Sailing Master M
This app provides comprehensive sailing data and performance optimization on various Apple devices. It displays over 35 sailing measurements from boat instruments, polars tables, and nautical charts, offering detailed wind, route, and map views. Connectivity is established through NMEA 0183 Wi-Fi gateways.
- Configurable data displays
- 35+ sailing measurements
- Wind, route, and map displays
- NMEA 0183 Wi-Fi connectivity
- Polars table integration
- Nautical chart overlays
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Sailing Master M offers comprehensive sailing data and performance optimization information on iPhones, iPads, iWatches, and ActiveLook smart glasses. The application provides configurable pages and data displays, utilizing over 35 sailing measurements from the boat’s instruments, polars tables, and nautical charts. On phones and pads, the Data and Analog Displays can include minimum and maximum values and time series graphs. The Wind Display provides wind, heading, route, and speed information. The Route Display shows the expected wind conditions on the next legs. The Map Display shows the vessel with direction, tacking and downwind laylines on a nautical chart, or the wind laylines in another location. The connectivity is through NMEA 0813 Wi-Fi gateways such as B&G Vulcan, Zeus, GoFree, Yacht Devices, Signal K, Actisense, and ShipModul. The application has evolved from its initial focus on NMEA data display to encompass a comprehensive suite of features. Consequently, the app’s name has been revised from 'Display0183M' to 'Sailing Master M'. For further information, please refer to the user’s guide available on the app’s website or within the app itself. Terms of use: The app is delivered under the Apple End User License Agreement (EULA, https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/) The following libraries and services are used: - Kitura/BlueSocket, published under the Apache 2.0 license - A modified version of GPX package, published under BSD 3-Clause License and copyrighted by Ioannis Silks - OpenStreetMap licensed under the Open Data Commons Open Database License (ODbL, https://opendatacommons.org/licenses/odbl/) by the OpenStreetMap Foundation Licence, and ©OpenStreetMap contributors. OpenSeaMap, which is licensed under the Open Data Commons (ODbL) license, and ©OpenSeaMap contributors The supported NMEA 0183 sentences are: - BWR: Bearing and distance to waypoint - DBS: Depth below surface - DBT: Depth below transducer. - DPT: depth of water. - CGA: Global Positioning System Fix data - GLL: Geographic position Latitude/Longitude - HDG: Heading magnetic - HDM: Heading magnetic - HDT: Heading true - MWD: undocumented, wind direction, wind speed - MTW: water temperature °C - MWV: Wind speed and angle (A,T) - RMB: XTE, range to destination, bearing to destination, destination closing velocity . - RMC: Speed over ground - RSA: Rudder sensor angle - VHW: Water speed and heading - VLW: Distance travelled through water - VPW: Speed - measured parallel to wind - VTG: Course over ground (T or M), speed over ground - VWR: Wind direction (A), wind speed (A) - WCV: Waypoint closure velocity - XDR: air temperature (°C), water temperature (°C) and barometric pressure (mbar). - XTE: Cross track error The data items from NMEA and polars are: - Waypoint bearing - Waypoint distance - Time to Waypoint - VMG waypoint - Cross track error - Depth - Heading - Heading - Course - Course - Water speed - Speed over ground - Water temperature - Air temperature - Air pressure - Wind speed apparent - Wind angle apparent - Wind speed true - Wind direction - Wind direction - VMG Wind - Latitude, Longitude - Waypoint laititude, longitude - Water Distance after reset - Total water distance - Ground distance after reset - Total ground distance - Velocity made good towards wind - Heel - Rudder - Boat target speed through the water - Boat speed of target speed (%) - Beat VMG boat target speed through the water - Run VMG boat target speed through the water - GPS based trip distance - Leeway
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Sailing Master M at Free against Boat Instruments's $6.99. Boat Instruments's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 17). On update cadence, 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
Sailing Master M is free to download; Boat Instruments costs $6.99 up front. Sailing Master M sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $11.99 per year. Boat Instruments asks for nothing beyond the download.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 13, 2026.
| Parameter | Boat Instruments | Sailing Master M |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $6.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 17 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 19 MB | 25 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | FB Imray Laurie Norie & Wilson GmbH | Pekka Leppanen |
Customer experience
Boat Instruments
Sailing Master M
In-app purchases
Boat Instruments
No in-app purchases
Sailing Master M
- Pro annual14 Days trial$11.991 Year
Questions
Is Boat Instruments free?
Is Sailing Master M free?
Do Boat Instruments or Sailing Master M have ads?
Which is updated more often, Boat Instruments or Sailing Master M?
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