# Hip Charts vs Nautical Rules

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Nautical Rules at 100% against Hip Charts's 25%. Nautical Rules also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.5) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Hip Charts's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Nautical Rules holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 12 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 25% of Hip Charts's written reviews are positive against 100% of Nautical Rules's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hip Charts | Nautical Rules |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hip-charts/id6443591337/reviews) | **[5.0 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nautical-rules/id6756220989/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 8 | **12** |
| Positive reviews | 25.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 1 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Walk About Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/480229755) | [Joseph Kim](https://appshunter.io/developer/1855404156) |

## What reviewers say

### Hip Charts

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hip-charts/id6443591337)

Access NOAA nautical charts for free on your mobile devices. View charts online and download single areas for offline use. Additional features like multiple offline downloads and custom boundaries require a purchase.

**Highlights:** Unlimited online NOAA chart viewing, Download single chart areas for offline use, Automatic chart loading, Cellular and WiFi chart downloads, Custom download boundaries (paid)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Nautical Rules

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nautical-rules/id6756220989)

Master USCG Navigation Rules with a comprehensive question bank and smart study features. Track your progress, practice for exams, and study offline to navigate with confidence.

**Highlights:** 1,200+ practice questions, Inland and International waters coverage, Detailed explanations, Customizable tests, Offline study capability, Progress tracking dashboard, Accuracy by rule statistics

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hip Charts free?

Hip Charts is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Nautical Rules free?

Nautical Rules is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Hip Charts or Nautical Rules?

Nautical Rules is rated higher. Hip Charts averages 3.5 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Nautical Rules averages 5.0 from 12 ratings.

### Do Hip Charts or Nautical Rules have ads?

Neither Hip Charts nor Nautical Rules shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hip Charts or Nautical Rules?

Hip Charts ships an update every 3 weeks, and Nautical Rules every 3 weeks. Most recently, Hip Charts was updated on October 24, 2026 and Nautical Rules on October 24, 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.*