Watch Chartplotter vs Surflens
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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.
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.
- 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
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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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
Watch Chartplotter ships an update weekly, Surflens fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Watch Chartplotter | Surflens |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | 4.7 (24 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 91.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 24 — better |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Fortnightly |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Ad-supported — better |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 — better | 26.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 10 MB | 145 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | +17 |
| Developer | Evan Hallein | Workstories, Inc. |
Customer experience
Watch Chartplotter
Surflens
In-app purchases
Watch Chartplotter
No in-app purchases
Surflens
- Surflens Plus (Monthly)$7.991 Month
- Surflens Plus (Yearly)7 Days trial$49.991 Year
Questions
Is Watch Chartplotter free?
Is Surflens free?
Which has better reviews, Watch Chartplotter or Surflens?
Do Watch Chartplotter or Surflens have ads?
Which is updated more often, Watch Chartplotter or Surflens?
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