Comparison

VMG Display vs Sail With Dan

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

Head to head
About

VMG Display

Features
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Turn your phone into a set of tools for your boat. It shows your position, speed and heading and by setting a course it calculates and displays the VMG in real time. Visualizza: - Speed (SOG) - Course (COG) - Boat Position (lat,lon) - Lolcal or UTC time - Set Bearing/Course (BRG) - Course Deviation - Velocity Made Good (VMG/VMC) no ads or subscriptions required

About

Sail With Dan

Features
Read full description

Sail With Dan is your essential helm instrumentation for coastal sailing. Speed, course, wind, and your next tack are all visible on a single screen. Built for real sailors, the app provides data exclusively in knotsβ€”no tourist units. The app does not use hidden paywalls for basic tools. A single subscription unlocks the complete feature set immediately. WHAT YOU GET Helm Instruments: Live SOG and COG from your phone’s GPS, alongside a dedicated magnetic compass page. Drift Calculation: A single, clear angle (Heading vs. COG) showing the combined effect of wind and current directly at the helm. Apparent Wind (AWA/AWS): A classic i60-style apparent wind instrument and wind dial for quick readability. Marine Weather: 7-day wind and wave forecasts powered by professional models (ECMWF, ICON, ARPEGE, GFS, and regional high-resolution models). Compare models side-by-side with the data source always clearly identified. GOTO & Passage Planning: Plan first, sail later. Whether you are sailing dead upwind, downwind, or under engine, the app automatically draws the optimal beat, gybe, or rhumb line. Smart Shore Check: Automatically prevents planned tacks from being drawn across land boundaries. (Note: does not detect rocks, shoals, or marine traffic). Coastal Distance Boundaries: Visual reference bars at 3, 6, or 12 NM from the OSM shoreline (for spatial awareness, not a legal baseline). Chart Tools: A two-tap chart ruler to instantly measure rhumb-line miles and bearings, plus interactive map objects (tap a buoy or charted area to see its name). Safety Features: An anchor watch alarm to wake you if the boat drags, and a one-tap Man Overboard (MOB) button to instantly mark your last GPS fix and guide you back. Tracks & Logbook: Record your tracks, export them as GPX/KML, and maintain a daily logbook. Includes a private catch log for your fishing trips. Night Mode: A red-on-black interface to preserve your night vision in the cockpit. Languages: Fully supported in English and Italian. SUBSCRIPTION & PRICING Access to the complete app requires an auto-renewable subscription. The lifetime purchase option is no longer available. Weekly Full Access: $1.99 / week Monthly Full Access: $4.99 / month Yearly Full Access: $39.99 / year (includes a 7-day free trial) Subscription Details: The local price applies as shown in the app and on the App Store. Payment will be charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. The subscription automatically renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current billing period. You can manage or cancel your subscription anytime in your device's Apple ID > Subscriptions settings. If you purchase the yearly plan during the free trial, any unused portion of the trial will be forfeited. Use the "Restore Purchases" button in the app if you change devices. NOT FOR PRIMARY NAVIGATION This application is an aid for situational awareness only. It is not a substitute for official paper or approved electronic navigation charts, a visual lookout, or a dedicated echo sounder. Depth and seabed data (for Europe) are generated via mathematical models, not direct surveys, and must absolutely not be used for shallow-water navigation. You are solely responsible for the safe navigation of your vessel. Technical Note: An internet connection is required to download new map tiles and fetch updated weather forecasts. Recently viewed sea areas remain cached on your phone for offline use. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.sailwithdan.app/en/privacy

Screenshots

VMG Display4 screens
Sail With Dan4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Sail With Dan at Free against VMG Display's $0.99. Sail With Dan also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 months). VMG Display's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ads (none vs shown). On device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Sail With Dan is free to download; VMG Display costs $0.99 up front. Sail With Dan sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $24.99 per year. VMG Display asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

VMG Display ships an update every 3 months, Sail With Dan every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 8, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences Β· 2 level
VMG Display versus Sail With Dan: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVMG DisplaySail With Dan
Price$0.99Free β€” better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 days β€” better
AdsNo β€” betterYes
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.0 β€” better15.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size6 MB41 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStudioZeroPixelDanilo vaccalluzzo

In-app purchases

None

VMG Display

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Sail With Dan

Subscriptions1
  • Annual Plan7 Days trial$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Full Access$69.99

Questions

Is VMG Display free?
VMG Display costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Sail With Dan free?
Sail With Dan is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do VMG Display or Sail With Dan have ads?
Sail With Dan shows ads; VMG Display does not.
Which is updated more often, VMG Display or Sail With Dan?
VMG Display ships an update every 3 months, and Sail With Dan every 3 days. Most recently, VMG Display was updated on September 8, 2026 and Sail With Dan on September 24, 2026.

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