Comparison

Safe Boating vs Satellite Tracker by Star Walk

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

Head to head
About

Safe Boating

This app provides essential resources for boaters on Canada's West Coast. Plan voyages with tidal, wind, and weather data, and access safety equipment and navigation light requirements. It also offers tools for location sharing, emergency procedures, and radio channel summaries.

Highlights
  • Voyage planning resources
  • Safety equipment checklists
  • Navigation light requirements
  • Fueling procedures
  • VHF radio channel summary
  • Location sharing via email
  • Emergency procedures
Features
Read full description

Safe Boating is a must have app for all boaters on the West Coast of Canada. Plan your next voyage with links to useful voyage planning resources such as tidal, wind, weather and fishing information. Transport Canada required safety equipment and navigation light requirements are also included. Run through the useful checklists with your crew as well as review suggestions for recommended equipment. 

After planning your trip you will need fuel. The cruising section walks you through safe fueling procedures and even includes a fluid volume conversion tool which is particularly useful for visiting boaters. While on the radio it is handy to see the included summary of all the VHF radio channels used locally. Don’t forget to refer to the right of way rules and lateral and cardinal buoy information. 

A “where am I” feature allows you to email your location and picture to anyone you wish and shows the position on a map. You can find and map a location by latitude and longitude and also get a distance and bearing to that location from your current one. This feature is great for responding to distress calls where a lat / long are given on the radio. 

It’s nice to know the help section has your back. From phone numbers to call for a tow, to emergency radio procedures with samples, you will know exactly what to do if you need help. Distress signals are shown and man overboard, breakdown, sinking, fire, and grounding procedures are also included. While relaxing at your destination read up on the latest news from the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue’s live Twitter feed. SAR Tools included for Search and Rescue crews.

 Compatible with:
iPhone4, iPhone4s, iPhone5+, iPhone6+, iPod Touch 4 or 5+, iPad 3 or 4+ IOS 11 or above. Published by Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCMSAR).

About

Satellite Tracker by Star Walk

Track satellites in real-time, including the ISS and Starlink. Get predictions for upcoming passes and set alerts. Explore satellite orbits and trajectories with various viewing modes.

Highlights
  • Real-time satellite tracking
  • Satellite flyby timer
  • Pass predictions
  • Customizable location
  • Fly-with-satellite view
  • Satellite orbit over Earth
Features
Read full description

Observe the International Space Station in the sky above you and find out where human-made satellites are right now with SATELLITE TRACKER by STAR WALK! MAIN FEATURES - Real-time satellite tracking - The most outstanding satellites - Satellite flyby timer & pass predictions - Hand-picked passes & customizable location - Fly-with-satellite view - Satellite orbit over Earth Enjoy the easy and comfortable real-time satellite tracking with SATELLITE TRACKER! ► Select a satellite from the list and see its current location in the sky in real-time or track satellite live orbiting Earth. You can track the most famous and brightest satellites, SpaceX’s Stalinks, communications and weather forecasting satellites, and much more! ► At the top of the main screen, the flyby timer counts the amount of time left until the next flyby of the selected satellite over your location. Tap the down arrow to open the list of passes that will be visible from your location in the nearest future. ► Get precise predictions when satellites are visible in the sky above your location. The list of passes allows you to set any alert (one or more) for the satellite's pass that you’d like to witness. Switch between the app’s modes (Globe view, Satellite View, and Sky view) by tapping the round icons at the bottom of the screen. -> Choose Satellite View to enjoy the 3D image of a satellite flying over Earth with the real speed and location. -> Globe view allows you to see a satellite’s trajectory around the Earth's 3D model and on the Earth’s map. -> Find the satellites in the sky by following the arrow pointer with the Sky View mode. The app contains ads. The ISS is available by default. With SATELLITES LIVE subscription, you get an instant ad-free access to tracking satellites live orbiting over Earth and in the sky, the timer for the next appearance, and alerts about the nearest flybys. SATELLITES LIVE is a renewable subscription with a 1-week FREE trial that gives you access to content from within the app on an ongoing basis. Payment will be charged to your iTunes account. At the end of each subscription duration (1 month), the subscription will automatically renew until you choose to cancel it, and your account will be charged for renewal 24 hours before the end of the current period. Users can manage their subscriptions in their account settings on the App Store. Privacy policy: https://vitotechnology.com/privacy-policy.html Terms of use: https://vitotechnology.com/terms-of-use.html Never miss satellites passing by in the sky with SATELLITE TRACKER!

Screenshots

Safe Boating4 screens
Satellite Tracker by Star Walk4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Safe Boating at none against Satellite Tracker by Star Walk's 10. Safe Boating also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (90% vs 58%). On price, update cadence 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Satellite Tracker by Star Walk sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per month. Safe Boating asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Safe Boating versus Satellite Tracker by Star Walk: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSafe BoatingSatellite Tracker by Star Walk
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.6 (70K ratings) — better
Positive reviews90.0% of reviews — better57.7% of reviews
Number of ratings—70K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size34 MB331 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRoyal Canadian Marine Search and RescueVito Technology Inc.

Customer experience

Safe Boating

Written reviews10 reviews
Positive90.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative0.0%

Satellite Tracker by Star Walk

All ratings70,274 ratings
Positive91.1%
Neutral4.0%
Negative4.9%
Written reviews574 reviews
Positive57.7%
Neutral8.5%
Negative33.8%

Bugs and requests

Safe Boating

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Satellite Tracker by Star Walk

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Unsubscribe button not working
  • Compass issues causing incorrect orientation
  • Occasional crashes and freezes

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more satellite tracking options
  • Improve pass timing accuracy
  • Provide offline mode for remote use
  • Allow tracking of HAM radio satellites
  • Add more detailed satellite information

In-app purchases

None

Safe Boating

No in-app purchases

10 purchases

Satellite Tracker by Star Walk

Subscriptions8
  • Real Time Satellite Tracking7 Days trial$0.491 Month
  • Satellite Tracker Premium: 1m$0.991 Month
  • Real Time Satellite Tracking7 Days trial$0.993 Months
Show 5 more
  • Satellite Tracker Premium: 1m$1.991 Month
  • Satellite Tracker Premium: 1m3 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Satellite Tracker Premium: 1y$5.991 Year
  • Satellite Tracker Premium: 1y$7.991 Year
  • Satellite Tracker Premium: 1y3 Days trial$7.991 Year
One-time2
  • Lifetime Premium Access Sale$4.99
  • Lifetime Premium Access$9.99

Questions

Is Safe Boating free?
Safe Boating is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Satellite Tracker by Star Walk free?
Satellite Tracker by Star Walk is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Safe Boating or Satellite Tracker by Star Walk have ads?
Satellite Tracker by Star Walk shows ads; Safe Boating does not.
Which is updated more often, Safe Boating or Satellite Tracker by Star Walk?
Safe Boating ships an update every 2 months, and Satellite Tracker by Star Walk every 2 months. Most recently, Safe Boating was updated on October 23, 2026 and Satellite Tracker by Star Walk on November 1, 2026.

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