# SeaNav US vs ActiveCaptain®

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | SeaNav US | ActiveCaptain® |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $19.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.3 (100 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seanav-us/id632635827/reviews)** | [4.0 (5.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/activecaptain/id1116089313/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 100 | **5.2K** |
| Positive reviews | 48.5% of reviews | **59.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #197 | **#31** |
| Size | 76 MB | 196 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 18.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pocket Mariner Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/719592131) | [Garmin](https://appshunter.io/developer/411046952) |

## What reviewers say

### SeaNav US

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seanav-us/id632635827)

**Currently charting:** #197 Top Paid · Navigation (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weather charts | $7.49 | per year |
| NOAA US Raster charts | $9.99 | per year |
| Bermuda and BVI Charts | $12.99 | per year |
| UK Charts | $13.99 | per year |
| US Chart Updates | $19.99 | per year |
| Canada Charts | $29.99 | per year |
| Man Overboard & Anchor Watch | $4.99 | one-time |


### ActiveCaptain®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/activecaptain/id1116089313)

**Currently charting:** #31 Top Grossing · Navigation, #177 Top Free · Navigation (US App Store)

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

**In-app purchases (18)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| NSUS007R-U.S. East | $74.99 | per year |
| NSUS006R-U.S. South | $74.99 | per year |
| g4 U.S. Lakes & Rivers Built-i | $99.99 | per year |
| NSUS001L-U.S. & Canada | $99.99 | per year |
| g4 Vision U.S. South | $129.99 | per year |
| g4 Vision U.S. East | $129.99 | per year |
| GN+ US & Coast Canada Built-In | $149.99 | per year |
| U.S. LakeVü Detail Map | $59.99 | one-time |
| US+Great Lakes Detail Map | $99.99 | one-time |
| BlueChart g3+LakeVu g3 Built-I | $99.99 | one-time |
| LUS100F - Download | $149.99 | one-time |
| GN+ U.S. South | $149.99 | one-time |
| GN+ U.S. East | $149.99 | one-time |
| VUS010R - Download | $174.99 | one-time |
| GN+ U.S. & Canada | $199.99 | one-time |
| HXUS604X - Download | $219.99 | one-time |
| GNV+ U.S. East | $249.99 | one-time |
| GNV+ U.S. South | $249.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Seamless integration with Garmin devices
- 💡 Useful for planning trips and managing waypoints
- 🚀 Convenient for updating software and charts
- 👍 Great app for Garmin users

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and connection issues
- 🔍 Limited chart and mapping functionality compared to competitors
- 🤔 Difficult to transfer data between devices
- 🤔 Confusing and not very intuitive user interface
- 💰 Expensive for the features provided

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


## Frequently asked 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 #31. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*