Comparison

SeaNav US vs Argo Navigation

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

Argo Navigation

This free marine navigation app provides NOAA charts, depth surveys, and points of interest for US waters. It allows users to plot routes, share locations, and access community-reported hazards. Premium features offer advanced routing, weather forecasts, and tide predictions.

Highlights
  • NOAA charts and USACE depth surveys
  • 500,000+ marinas, anchorages, and fuel docks
  • Community-reported hazards
  • Route plotting with ETA and fuel use
  • Live location sharing
  • Offline chart downloads
  • Marine weather and tides
Features
Read full description

Argo is a boat navigation app you can actually use for free. Not a trial. You get NOAA charts and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers depth surveys for US waters, 500,000+ marinas, anchorages and fuel docks, hazards reported by other boaters, and routes you plot yourself, with ETA and fuel use. On your first trip, open the map to see how deep it is and read what other boaters say about the anchorage before you drop the hook. A hundred trips in, you're checking how old the Army Corps survey is before you run a shoaling inlet, or laying out a few route options and picking one underway. Think of Argo as the boating buddy who knows every good dock bar and never asks for gas money. FREE FOR EVERY BOATER Navigate • Up-to-date NOAA charts plus Army Corps (USACE) surveys you can filter by survey date • Shoal areas, dredged channels, restricted areas and recommended tracks on the coast and inland rivers • See your GPS position and speed on the chart • Search buoys, beacons, lights, wrecks and mile markers • Record your track and use Return to follow it back • Depth shading presets, including two built for bright sun glare Plan • Search 500,000+ places, from boat ramps and moorings to non-ethanol fuel and dock bars • Read reviews from boaters who've been there • Plot your own route on the map and see distance, ETA and fuel use • A trip log of everywhere you've been Connect • See other Argo boaters on the water and share your live location with family ashore • Join your boat club, marina or rally group • Share routes, places and trips, and post photos and video • Report hazards and see the ones other boaters have reported • Keep fishing spots private or share them with your group One account works on every phone and tablet you own, free. ARGO PREMIUM, WHEN YOU WANT MORE Smarter routes • Autoroute plans around shallow water, hazards and restricted areas based on your boat's draft, height and safety buffer • Run inside or outside, or set Autoroute to stay in the marked channel • Save several routes to your chart, start a track, and choose between them underway • Have a sailboat and a powerboat? Save both, each with its own draft and height Marine weather and tides • 7-day marine forecast: weather, wind, wave height and period, tides and currents • Wind, rain and lightning overlays on your chart • 6,000+ tide and current stations on your chart, with predictions as far ahead as you want • Tide variance right next to your depth gauge On the water • Offline charts download automatically around your location and home port, for when you lose signal • Connect over NMEA (Wi-Fi gateway) for depth, speed and heading from your electronics, plus AIS targets • Custom depth shading and contours, so shallow water and fishing drop-offs stand out • Distance, time, bearing and course to your next turn, always in view Logbook and planning tools • Import and export GPX routes and tracks between Argo and your chartplotter • Download a PDF trip report to document sea time toward your captain's license Coverage: US coastal waters, the ICW, inland lakes and rivers, Canada and the Caribbean. WHO'S BEHIND ARGO Argo is family-owned. Our founder, Captain Jeff, grew up boating on the Chesapeake Bay. He built Argo so the local knowledge usually shared between friends at the dock is on the map for everyone. Many of our features started as boater requests. Send yours to support@argonav.io. Argo is a navigation aid. Always check official charts and conditions, and use your own judgment on the water. Plan. Navigate. Connect. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.argonav.io/privacy/

Screenshots

SeaNav US4 screens
Argo Navigation4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Argo Navigation at Free against SeaNav US's $19.99. Argo Navigation also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.3) and review sentiment (85% vs 48%). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and chart position 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

Argo Navigation 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 Argo Navigation sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Argo Navigation holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Argo Navigation has 6.2K ratings behind it against 100, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 48% of SeaNav US's written reviews are positive against 85% of Argo Navigation's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SeaNav US ships an update every 4 months, Argo Navigation every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
SeaNav US versus Argo Navigation: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSeaNav USArgo Navigation
Price$19.99Free — better
Rating4.3 (100 ratings)4.9 (6.2K ratings) — better
Positive reviews48.5% of reviews84.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1006.2K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
Best chart rank#196#91 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size76 MB139 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPocket Mariner Ltd.ARGO TECHNOLOGIES, LLC

Customer experience

SeaNav US

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

Argo Navigation

All ratings6,206 ratings
Positive97.9%
Neutral0.7%
Negative1.3%
Written reviews221 reviews
Positive84.6%
Neutral2.3%
Negative13.1%

Bugs and requests

SeaNav US

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Argo Navigation

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Login/account creation issues
  • Slow map loading times

Requested features

3 requests
  • Improved offline map capabilities
  • Integration with marine weather data
  • Enhanced route planning tools

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
4 purchases

Argo Navigation

Subscriptions4
  • Monthly Canada Charts14 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Argo Premium Monthly14 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • Argo Canada Charts14 Days trial$9.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Argo Premium14 Days trial$39.991 Year

Questions

Is SeaNav US free?
SeaNav US costs $19.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Argo Navigation free?
Argo Navigation is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SeaNav US or Argo Navigation?
Argo Navigation is rated higher. SeaNav US averages 4.3 out of 5 from 100 ratings, while Argo Navigation averages 4.9 from 6.2K ratings.
Do SeaNav US or Argo Navigation have ads?
Neither SeaNav US nor Argo Navigation shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SeaNav US or Argo Navigation?
SeaNav US ships an update every 4 months, and Argo Navigation every 4 days. Most recently, SeaNav US was updated on November 6, 2026 and Argo Navigation on November 7, 2026.
Which is more popular, SeaNav US or Argo Navigation?
SeaNav US currently peaks at #196 in the App Store charts, and Argo Navigation at #91. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

Other comparisons