Comparison

Pathfinder Sailing vs North Sails Sailscan

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

Head to head
About

Pathfinder Sailing

Features
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The Pathfinder Sailing App for the iPhone and Apple Watch is the Ultimate App for Sailboat Racing. This app helps you get better starts, hit the wind shifts, and sail faster. Racing screens provide input on your starts, boat speed, wind shift management, and current trends—right on your iPhone or Apple Watch. Race replay and analysis allow you to view your race and performance details and compare your boat track over a Google map with other boats in your fleet using the Pathfinder app. Live Map shows your boat's location and track over several different map backgrounds, including NOAA charts where available. The Marks & Courses screen allows you to create marks, import gpx files for marks and courses, and drop marks on the Live Map. You can then navigate to them via the Navigate screen or Live Map. You can also select a free and provided NOAA current GRIB or a paid GRIB from another service such as Tidetech or Mercator. Two plans are offered: - Pathfinder Plus Plan with sailing instrument integration - Pathfinder Basic plan, which uses your iPhone's GPS Post-race virtual replay provides metrics analysis to improve your sailing performance. You must purchase a monthly or annual subscription to access this content and all race screens within the app after the 14-day free trial period. App features: - Race Timer with audible output to time your starts more effectively. Supports custom time countdown. - Start screens to nail your starts by precisely pinging your start line and tracking the Distance Below Line and your required Speed to Start. - Speed screen to compare your actual performance to polar target speeds and wind angles to get up to speed faster (Plus Plan) - Compare your real-time performance to your polars for real-time feedback on speed and wind angles (Plus Plan) - Visualize wind shift trends to understand the oscillations and better predict shifts (Plus Plan) - Understand the impact of tidal current on your boat and whether you are sailing into a different current with Live Map and NOAA current GRIB (all plans) - Record your races and replay them - Track your performance metrics after the race - Export race logs in JSON or Expedition format for offline analysis Free trial - If you subscribe to the Pathfinder Sailing app, your first 14 days are free. A paid subscription is required beyond the free trial period to access the content. You will be billed for the monthly or annual subscription at the end of the trial. Your subscription will automatically renew at the end of the subscription period. By using this app, you agree to the Pathfinder Sailing Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy at pathfindersailing.com EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Terms and Conditions: https://pathfindersailing.com/termsandconditions/ Privacy Policy: https://pathfindersailing.com/privacy/

About

North Sails Sailscan

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AI Sailscanning app developed by Northsails. User can scan and compare sailshapes using North's auto-scanning AI technology. Enhanced sail shape, rig tune and performance development through instant scanning. Scans can be exported and stored.

Screenshots

Pathfinder Sailing4 screens
North Sails Sailscan4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: North Sails Sailscan at none against Pathfinder Sailing's 3. North Sails Sailscan also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads, 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

Both are free to download. Pathfinder Sailing sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. North Sails Sailscan asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pathfinder Sailing ships an update every 3 weeks, North Sails Sailscan every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 4 level
Pathfinder Sailing versus North Sails Sailscan: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPathfinder SailingNorth Sails Sailscan
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhone, iPod, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size34 MB154 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperPathfinder Sailing LLCNorth Sails Limited

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Pathfinder Sailing

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly Basic Subscription1 Month trial$9.991 Month
  • Monthly Subscription1 Month trial$19.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription1 Month trial$190.001 Year
None

North Sails Sailscan

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Pathfinder Sailing free?
Pathfinder Sailing is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is North Sails Sailscan free?
North Sails Sailscan is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Pathfinder Sailing or North Sails Sailscan have ads?
Neither Pathfinder Sailing nor North Sails Sailscan shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pathfinder Sailing or North Sails Sailscan?
Pathfinder Sailing ships an update every 3 weeks, and North Sails Sailscan every 4 days. Most recently, Pathfinder Sailing was updated on November 4, 2026 and North Sails Sailscan on October 31, 2026.

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