# Boat Instruments vs Messina Strait Currents

The clearest difference is price: Messina Strait Currents at Free against Boat Instruments's $6.99. Messina Strait Currents also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 2 months). Boat Instruments's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 17.6). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Messina Strait Currents is free to download; Boat Instruments costs $6.99 up front. Messina Strait Currents sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per year. Boat Instruments asks for nothing beyond the download.

Boat Instruments ships an update every 2 months, Messina Strait Currents every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Boat Instruments | Messina Strait Currents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $6.99 | **Free** |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Size | 19 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [FB Imray Laurie Norie & Wilson GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1871410394) | [Aldo Buongarzone](https://appshunter.io/developer/445250102) |

## What reviewers say

### Boat Instruments

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boat-instruments/id594170910)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Messina Strait Currents

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/messina-strait-currents/id6799481803)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 year | $3.99 | per year |
| 7 days | $0.99 | one-time |
| 1 month | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Boat Instruments free?

Boat Instruments costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Messina Strait Currents free?

Messina Strait Currents is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Boat Instruments or Messina Strait Currents have ads?

Neither Boat Instruments nor Messina Strait Currents shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Boat Instruments or Messina Strait Currents?

Boat Instruments ships an update every 2 months, and Messina Strait Currents every 8 days. Most recently, Boat Instruments was updated on October 13, 2026 and Messina Strait Currents on October 15, 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.*