Comparison

Watch Chartplotter vs Surflens

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

Head to head
About

Watch Chartplotter

This performance marine GPS transforms your Apple Watch into a tactical racing computer. It provides real-time speed, VMG, distance to mark, and offline marine charts for competitive sailors and windsurfers. Plan courses on your iPhone and sync them directly to your watch for seamless navigation.

Highlights
  • Real-time VMG and speed metrics
  • Waypoint navigation with haptic feedback
  • Offline marine charts (NOAA, AHO, OpenSeaMap)
  • Water Lock mode
  • HealthKit integration for workout logging
  • Custom WMS and XYZ map server support
Features
Read full description

The Performance Marine GPS for Racing & Sailing Transform your Apple Watch into a powerful, tactical racing computer. Watch Chartplotter is designed for competitive sailors, windsurfers, and kite racers who demand real-time performance data right on their wrist. Leave the bulky electronics behind and get the critical metrics you need to sail faster and smarter. Optimize Your Performance with VMG Make better tactical decisions with live Velocity Made Good (VMG). See exactly how fast you are closing in on your next waypoint and adjust your heading to maximize your efficiency toward the mark. Essential Racing Metrics on Your Wrist Stay informed without losing focus. Get instant, glanceable access to your most vital data: Real-Time Speed: Track your current boatspeed in knots, mph, or km/h. Average & Max Speed: Monitor your session's performance and push for a new personal best. Precise Heading: See your current course and the bearing to your next waypoint. Distance to the mark: Know exactly how far you have to go. Compass bearing to the mark: Know which direction on a compass the next waypoint is. Seamless Waypoint Navigation Plan your course on your iPhone and sync it directly to your watch. The app automatically transitions to the next waypoint as you round a mark, with haptic feedback to keep you alerted without needing to look at the screen. Disable and optionally hide waypoints. Disabled waypoints will be skipped when automatically going to the next waypoint. Offline Marine Charts Navigate with confidence using NOAA MACHC (U.S, Parts of South and Central America, Caribbean, Netherlands and some Pacific Islands), Australian Hydrographic Office (Australia) and OpenSeaMap (Worldwide) charts. Download offline. Power users can also add custom WMS and XYZ map servers for specialized layers. Built for the Elements Water Lock: Prevents accidental screen touches from spray and waves. HealthKit Integration: Logs your racing sessions as workouts, tracking your route, heart rate, and calories burned. Pay Once, Race Forever. Enjoy all professional features with a single purchase. No subscriptions, no hidden fees. Perfect for dinghy racing, catamaran sailing, kite foiling, and any on-water activity where performance matters. Get the winning edge with Watch Chartplotter. Note: This app is not certified for navigation. It is not an official navigational chart and must not be used for navigation or any related operational decision-making. It is designed to support shore-based maritime awareness and analysis. Map and chart data copyright: NOAA, MACHC, Australian Hydrographic Office, OpenStreetMap, Thunderforest and Mapbox.

About

Surflens

This app uses AI to automatically record your surf rides when you place your iPhone on the beach. It processes and edits clips instantly, even offline, allowing you to review and improve your surfing.

Highlights
  • AI-powered automatic wave recording
  • Apple Watch camera control
  • Instant offline clip processing
  • Built-in surf video editor
  • Optimized camera and battery performance
  • Session review and progress tracking
Features
Read full description

Catch your wave. Surflens catches you. Surflens turns your iPhone on the beach into an AI-powered surf camera — helping you capture, review, and improve your surfing with ease. No filmer. No extra gear. Just your phone and the ocean. Plan your sessions around the surf forecast — and capture every wave when it matters most. Features: AI Surf Camera Place your iPhone on the beach (tripod or stable surface), and Surflens will automatically detect and record surfers riding waves — including you. Your camera acts as a smart wave tracker, capturing every ride in its view. Control from your wrist Use your Apple Watch as a surf watch to control the camera and see exactly where the lens is pointing — so you stay in frame during your surf session. Instant clip processing — even offline Your surf videos are processed instantly — enhanced, cropped, and ready to share. No internet required. Built-in surf video editor turns raw surf footage into clean clips. Optimized for performance Surflens automatically adapts camera settings and battery usage so you can capture more waves without interruption. Review and improve Watch your sessions, review your rides, and track your progress over time. Built for surfers No action camera. No drone. No complicated setup. Just your phone on the beach — and your waves, captured. Surflens is designed to make surf filming simple, accessible, and part of every session. Because every surfer deserves to see their ride. Our Terms of Use: https://surflens.ai/terms

Screenshots

Watch Chartplotter4 screens
Surflens4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Surflens at Free against Watch Chartplotter's $9.99. Surflens also leads on ratings volume (24 vs 1). Watch Chartplotter's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ads (none vs shown). On update cadence, device support and iOS requirement 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

Surflens is free to download; Watch Chartplotter costs $9.99 up front. Surflens sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Watch Chartplotter asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Watch Chartplotter holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Surflens has 24 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Watch Chartplotter's written reviews are positive against 92% of Surflens's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Watch Chartplotter ships an update weekly, Surflens fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Watch Chartplotter versus Surflens: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWatch ChartplotterSurflens
Price$9.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.7 (24 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better91.7% of reviews
Number of ratings124 — better
Update frequencyWeekly — betterFortnightly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS26.0 — better26.1
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB145 MB
Age rating4++17
DeveloperEvan HalleinWorkstories, Inc.

Customer experience

Watch Chartplotter

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Surflens

All ratings23 ratings
Positive95.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative4.3%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive91.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative8.3%

In-app purchases

None

Watch Chartplotter

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Surflens

Subscriptions2
  • Surflens Plus (Monthly)$7.991 Month
  • Surflens Plus (Yearly)7 Days trial$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Watch Chartplotter free?
Watch Chartplotter costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Surflens free?
Surflens is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Watch Chartplotter or Surflens?
Watch Chartplotter is rated higher. Watch Chartplotter averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Surflens averages 4.7 from 24 ratings.
Do Watch Chartplotter or Surflens have ads?
Surflens shows ads; Watch Chartplotter does not.
Which is updated more often, Watch Chartplotter or Surflens?
Watch Chartplotter ships an update weekly, and Surflens fortnightly. Most recently, Watch Chartplotter was updated on October 30, 2026 and Surflens on October 31, 2026.

Other comparisons