Comparison

SeaNav US vs ActiveCaptain®

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

SeaNav US

Navigate boating trips with high-resolution NOAA marine charts for the USA and Great Lakes. Features include live AIS, augmented reality views, route planning, and offline chart access. Integrates with ActiveCaptain and external devices.

Highlights
  • High-resolution NOAA marine charts
  • Live AIS ship targets and collision alerts
  • Augmented Reality camera view
  • Route planning and tracking
  • Offline charts
  • ActiveCaptain integration
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Explore, Plan and Navigate your boating trips in real time and outstanding high-resolution with the latest NOAA Marine charts covering the USA and US Great Lakes. - Includes all US Coastal, ICW, Inland (USACE) and Great Lakes Digital Vector Charts - Buoys, lights etc. are tappable with bearing and distance - Free Apple Watch app - Live AIS Ship targets and collision alerts (requires Boat Beacon) - Seamless panning and zooming across charts - Unique live Augmented Reality camera view - Route Planning and tracking with Waypoints, ETA, XTE, etc. plus SeaNav autorouting - Offline charts - Route export and import to MFDs and other apps via gpx - ActiveCaptain Marinas, Anchorage, Hazards and reviews - US NOAA Raster charts available via IAP - Canadian charts via IAP - British Virgin Islands & Bermuda charts via IAP - External NMEA over Wifi SeaNav uses Digital Vector charts providing a wealth of benefits and advantages. Buoys, Lights, Bridges, Depth Contours, Depth Soundings, Rocks, Anchorage areas, NOAA Weather Buoys etc. are all selectable and have real time distance, bearing and detail information. Turn off layers to de-clutter the display and only show what is important at the time. Tides, moon and sun times and weather are also all available at your fingertips. SeaNav’s unique AR view mode allows you to view buoys, lights, ships, waypoints and track overlaid on your iPhone or iPad live camera view. With "AR LockOn" you can select a target on the chart and then be guided to it in the AR camera view. SeaNav lets you measure distances and bearings and record waypoints on routes. When at sea, the app’s Sailing HUD shows your position, Course over ground (COG), Speed over ground (SOG), Vector Made Good (VMG), Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA), Distance and bearing to next Waypoint. Waypoint reached alerts, auto-routing to the next waypoint and collision alerts. SeaNav comes with a free Apple Watch companion app . Lowrance, Simrad and B&G GoFree support included. Your purchase of SeaNav includes 12 months of free updates to the included US chart set. Further chart updates are then available via an in-app purchase. Charts for other regions including Canada may also be added to your product via optional in-app purchase. Our in-app purchases are 1 year subscriptions, which automatically renew at the end of the subscription period unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase, and will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. Pricing for our 1 year US Charts update subscription is US$9.99. Subscriptions may be managed by the iTunes account holder and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to Account Settings after purchase. 
No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period. Our Privacy Policy may be accessed via http://seanav.net/privacy.php Requires iPhone or iPad. GPS only required for real time route navigation. Optional Real time AIS, Tides and Weather information require an active internet connection. iPhone devices and iPads with a cellular modem already have a built-in GPS, even if they do not have an active service plan. If you have a WiFi-only iPad you will need an external GPS receiver or GPS feed to enable navigation. Please note that continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. NOT FOR NAVIGATION This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful. SeaNav should only be used for basic navigation reference and should not be solely relied upon to determine precise locations, proximity, distance, or direction. Terms of Use: http://seanav.net/termsofuse.php Privacy Policy: http://seanav.net/privacy.php Support: help@pocketmariner.com Third Party Licenses and Notices NOTICE: US Marine Charts are derived from official NOAA Electronic Navigational Charts.

About

ActiveCaptain®

This app connects your mobile device to compatible Garmin chartplotters, enabling wireless chart and map transfers, software updates, and route planning. It also provides access to a community of boaters for reviews and information on marinas and points of interest.

Highlights
  • Wireless chart and map transfer
  • Route and waypoint planning
  • ActiveCaptain Community for POI reviews
  • Chartplotter control via Helm feature
  • Easy software updates
  • OnDeck system monitoring
  • Garmin Quickdraw Community map sharing
Read full description

The free ActiveCaptain app creates a powerful connection between your compatible mobile device and Garmin chartplotter, charts, maps and the boating community. Whether you use your Garmin products for cruising, fishing, sailing or diving, this all-in-one app will help you enjoy your time on the water. Just pair the app with your compatible chartplotter to wirelessly transfer and access charts and maps, software updates, routes, waypoints and helpful feedback from the ActiveCaptain Community. And, with the purchase of the OnDeck™ hub(1), you can track and monitor your boat from virtually anywhere. Please note that this app is intended for Garmin chartplotter owners and is not recommended for use as a stand-alone navigational app. FEATURES AVAILABLE: - ONECHART™: > New Garmin Navionics+™ and premium Garmin Navionics Vision+™ cartography, featuring a Navionics® style appearance, advanced Auto Guidance+™ technology(2) and a one-year subscription to daily updates, is available now for North America and Europe, and coming soon to the rest of the world. Purchase our newest-generation charts or legacy BlueChart® g3 charts from your mobile device, and upload them to registered Garmin chartplotters on your vessel. You will get exceptional coverage, clarity and detail with charts that feature integrated Garmin and Navionics data and much more. Plus, the NOAA raster cartography(3) and premium features can be downloaded for free through the ActiveCaptain app. Visit Garmin.com/marinemaps. - PLAN A TRIP: Plan your trip, or e-scout a new fishing spot before you’re on the water. Then, transfer your data to your chartplotter where you can view your routes and waypoints. - USER DATA SYNC: Automatically back up and sync your data between your chartplotter and the ActiveCaptain app. - ACTIVECAPTAIN COMMUNITY: Join a community of boaters to get up-to-date feedback on marinas, boat ramps and other points of interest (POI). Check ratings, read reviews, and view pictures of POIs to make informed decisions on the water. Contribute your own POI, reviews and pictures from your compatible mobile device. - CONTROL YOUR CHARTPLOTTER: Using the built-in Helm™ feature, the ActiveCaptain app lets you view and control your compatible(4) chartplotter from your smartphone or tablet, even when someone else is at the helm(5). - EASY SOFTWARE UPDATES: Receive notifications about software updates from the app, and update your chartplotter wirelessly. - ONDECK HUB: Use the ActiveCaptain app to track, monitor and control any number of switches with the OnDeck system(1) from nearly anywhere. Door open? Bilge running? Peace of mind comes in the form of text alerts and updates. - GARMIN QUICKDRAWTM COMMUNITY: Download the latest 1’ HD contour maps shared by your fellow boaters, and sync with your chartplotter. You can also upload your own Quickdraw Contours map data. - SMART NOTIFICATIONS: Connect the app to your chartplotter, and turn on smart notifications(4) to see calls, text messages and more on the chartplotter display while your phone is somewhere safe and dry. FOOTNOTES 1)OnDeck hub sold separately and requires an active subscription plan 2)Auto Guidance+ is for planning purposes only and does not replace safe navigation operations 3)NOAA raster cartography cannot be viewed on echoMAP™ CHIRP and ECHOMAP™ Plus combos but can be viewed on mobile devices via the ActiveCaptain mobile app 4)Helm feature is not compatible with ECHOMAP series chartplotters 5)Check device compatibility on the ActiveCaptain app web page; visit https://www.garmin.com/c/marine/marine-apps/ End User License Agreement: https://www.garmin.com/en-US/legal/marine-mobile-eula/

Screenshots

SeaNav US4 screens
ActiveCaptain®4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ActiveCaptain® at Free against SeaNav US's $19.99. ActiveCaptain® also leads on ratings volume (5.2K vs 100) and review sentiment (59% vs 48%). SeaNav US's advantage is rating (4.3 vs 4.0) and device support (4 vs 2). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

ActiveCaptain® is free to download; SeaNav US costs $19.99 up front. SeaNav US sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $7.49 per year and ActiveCaptain® sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $74.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SeaNav US holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ActiveCaptain® has 5.2K ratings behind it against 100, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 48% of SeaNav US's written reviews are positive against 59% of ActiveCaptain®'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SeaNav US ships an update every 4 months, ActiveCaptain® every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
SeaNav US versus ActiveCaptain®: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSeaNav USActiveCaptain®
Price$19.99Free — better
Rating4.3 (100 ratings) — better4.0 (5.2K ratings)
Positive reviews48.5% of reviews59.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1005.2K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#197#30 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better18.5
Further details — not scored
Size76 MB196 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPocket Mariner Ltd.Garmin

Customer experience

SeaNav US

All ratings100 ratings
Positive85.0%
Neutral3.0%
Negative12.0%
Written reviews33 reviews
Positive48.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative51.5%

ActiveCaptain®

All ratings5,159 ratings
Positive72.9%
Neutral3.7%
Negative23.4%
Written reviews1,221 reviews
Positive59.0%
Neutral4.4%
Negative36.6%

Bugs and requests

SeaNav US

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

ActiveCaptain®

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Charts and maps not loading properly
  • Waypoints and routes not syncing correctly
  • Constant prompts to purchase additional charts
  • Compatibility issues with older Garmin devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to duplicate and edit existing routes
  • Sync user data across multiple devices
  • Improved chart detail and coverage
  • Animated tides and currents
  • Better integration with other navigation apps

In-app purchases

7 purchases

SeaNav US

Subscriptions6
  • Weather charts$7.491 Year
  • NOAA US Raster charts1 Month trial$9.991 Year
  • Bermuda and BVI Charts$12.991 Year
Show 3 more
  • UK Charts$13.991 Year
  • US Chart Updates$19.991 Year
  • Canada Charts$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Man Overboard & Anchor Watch$4.99
18 purchases

ActiveCaptain®

Subscriptions7
  • NSUS007R-U.S. East$74.991 Year
  • NSUS006R-U.S. South$74.991 Year
  • g4 U.S. Lakes & Rivers Built-i$99.991 Year
Show 4 more
  • NSUS001L-U.S. & Canada$99.991 Year
  • g4 Vision U.S. South$129.991 Year
  • g4 Vision U.S. East$129.991 Year
  • GN+ US & Coast Canada Built-In$149.991 Year
One-time11
  • U.S. LakeVü Detail Map$59.99
  • US+Great Lakes Detail Map$99.99
  • BlueChart g3+LakeVu g3 Built-I$99.99
Show 8 more
  • LUS100F - Download$149.99
  • GN+ U.S. South$149.99
  • GN+ U.S. East$149.99
  • VUS010R - Download$174.99
  • GN+ U.S. & Canada$199.99
  • HXUS604X - Download$219.99
  • GNV+ U.S. East$249.99
  • GNV+ U.S. South$249.99

Questions

Is SeaNav US free?
SeaNav US costs $19.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is ActiveCaptain® free?
ActiveCaptain® is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SeaNav US or ActiveCaptain®?
SeaNav US is rated higher. SeaNav US averages 4.3 out of 5 from 100 ratings, while ActiveCaptain® averages 4.0 from 5.2K ratings.
Do SeaNav US or ActiveCaptain® have ads?
Neither SeaNav US nor ActiveCaptain® shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SeaNav US or ActiveCaptain®?
SeaNav US ships an update every 4 months, and ActiveCaptain® every 3 months. Most recently, SeaNav US was updated on October 16, 2026 and ActiveCaptain® on October 18, 2026.
Which is more popular, SeaNav US or ActiveCaptain®?
SeaNav US currently peaks at #197 in the App Store charts, and ActiveCaptain® at #30. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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