# Great Depths vs Aqua Map Boating

The clearest difference is rating: Aqua Map Boating at 4.7 against Great Depths's 4.2. Aqua Map Boating also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (14K vs 12). Great Depths's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Great Depths sells 19 one-off in-app purchases and Aqua Map Boating sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Aqua Map Boating holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Aqua Map Boating has 14K ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 70% of Great Depths's written reviews are positive against 64% of Aqua Map Boating's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Great Depths ships an update every 6 weeks, Aqua Map Boating weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Great Depths | Aqua Map Boating |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/great-depths/id647627464/reviews) | **[4.7 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aqua-map-boating/id919552329/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 12 | **14K** |
| Positive reviews | **70.0% of reviews** | 64.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#68** |
| Size | 19 MB | 174 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Walk About Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/480229755) | [GEC s.r.l.](https://appshunter.io/developer/675562886) |

## What reviewers say

### Great Depths

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/great-depths/id647627464)

This app transforms your iOS device into a digital depth finder. It provides comprehensive US coastal and Great Lakes coverage with live tide data and nautical charts. Navigate safely and efficiently with offline chart storage and distance calculation features.

**Highlights:** Digital depth readouts, Live tide data, NOAA RNC nautical charts, Offline chart storage, Distance calculation, Automatic chart syncing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (19)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lake Michigan | Free | one-time |
| Huge East Coast Charts | Free | one-time |
| Mississippi and West Florida Coast | Free | one-time |
| Midwest Florida Coast | Free | one-time |
| Southwest Florida Coast | Free | one-time |
| Southeast Florida Coast | Free | one-time |
| Northern NC, Virginia and Delaware Coast | Free | one-time |
| The Chesapeake Bay | Free | one-time |
| New Jersey Coast and The Delaware River | Free | one-time |
| Connecticut and New York Coast | Free | one-time |
| Maine, New Hampshire and Northern Mass. | Free | one-time |
| All the Charts | Free | one-time |
| Florida Keys and the Dry Tortugas | Free | one-time |
| Lake Superior | Free | one-time |
| Northern SC and Southern NC | Free | one-time |
| The Border Lakes | Free | one-time |
| Lake Champlain | Free | one-time |
| Lake Erie | Free | one-time |
| Lake Champlain | $0.99 | one-time |


### Aqua Map Boating

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aqua-map-boating/id919552329)

**Currently charting:** #68 Top Grossing · Navigation (US App Store)

This app provides official, weekly updated nautical charts for marine navigation. It allows for offline map downloads, GPS track recording, and integration with onboard instruments. Enhance your boating safety and experience with advanced features like weather forecasts and AIS collision detection.

**Highlights:** Official NOAA nautical charts, Offline map downloads, GPS track recording, Tides and currents predictions, Anchor Alarm, NMEA instrument connectivity, AIS with collision detection

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

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Florida - NOAA Nautical chart | $4.99 | per year |
| Alabama to Texas charts | $4.99 | per year |
| Cape Cod to Chesapeake Charts | $4.99 | per year |
| New England - Nautical charts | $4.99 | per year |
| Virginia to Georgia - Charts | $4.99 | per year |
| Midwest-Minnesota lake charts | $4.99 | per year |
| Michigan & Great Lakes chart | $4.99 | per year |
| US - Nautical & Lakes charts | $9.99 | per year |
| Canada - nautical charts | $9.99 | per year |
| US & Canada - nautical charts | $14.99 | per year |
| Caribbean South Nautical chart | $14.99 | per year |
| Bermuda - nautical charts | $14.99 | per year |
| Aqua Map Expert | $14.99 | per year |
| Aqua Map Master | $24.99 | per year |
| Bahamas - Explorer Charts | $49.99 | per year |
| US & Canada - Nautical chart | $49.99 | one-time |
| Bahamas - Explorer Chartbooks | $139.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent navigation tool
- 👍 Easy to use and intuitive
- 🗺️ Detailed and accurate charts
- 💡 Helpful features like AIS, weather, and fuel prices
- 🤝 Responsive and helpful customer support

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional issues with map downloads and disappearing charts
- 🔍 Lack of intuitive route planning functionality
- 🔍 Slow map loading and tracking issues in certain areas
- 💰 Subscription model with additional costs for map downloads

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent GPS tracking and positioning
- Compatibility issues on older devices

**Requested features**

- Improved route planning and optimization
- Offline map caching and seamless downloads
- Tidal and wind data overlays
- Sync capabilities across devices


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Great Depths free?

Great Depths is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Aqua Map Boating free?

Aqua Map Boating is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Great Depths or Aqua Map Boating?

Aqua Map Boating is rated higher. Great Depths averages 4.2 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Aqua Map Boating averages 4.7 from 14K ratings.

### Do Great Depths or Aqua Map Boating have ads?

Neither Great Depths nor Aqua Map Boating shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Great Depths or Aqua Map Boating?

Great Depths ships an update every 6 weeks, and Aqua Map Boating weekly. Most recently, Great Depths was updated on October 23, 2026 and Aqua Map Boating on October 25, 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.*