Comparison

Stage Hunter vs VesselSpot

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

Head to head
About

Stage Hunter

Discover optimal viewing locations for Grand Tour cycling stages with detailed maps and route information. Plan your trip efficiently, find prime spots, and optimize your race-day experience, even without internet access.

Highlights
  • Detailed maps of Grand Tour stages
  • Optimized viewing spot suggestions
  • Offline route data access
  • Stage distance and altitude information
  • Elevation profiles for each stage
  • Preview locations with 'look around' feature
Features
Read full description

Planning to attend a Grand Tour stage? Discover the best viewing spots to cheer on your favorite riders with our detailed maps. Optimize your experience and catch as many stages as possible while minimizing travel hassle. Whether you're seeking prime camping locations or want to ensure an early arrival, we've got you covered. Don't worry if you don't have internet access - all route data is available offline. Select a tour to see all stages on a single map. Zoom in for detailed stage information, including distance and altitude gain. Each stage detail sheet offers an elevation profile, so you can find the perfect spot along the route. Use the "look around" feature to preview locations and easily open in your map app for seamless trip planning. For armchair commentators, Stage Hunter provides the same detailed information. Analyze potential attack points and examine key sections of the course, including those crucial final kilometers leading to the finish line. Access the first three stages of every tour for free. After that, you need a season pass, available as an in-app purchase and valid for the current racing season.

About

VesselSpot

Features
Read full description

See what's on the water, live. VesselSpot tracks ships, ferries, and boats in real time on a beautiful, map-first display powered by live AIS - built to be fast, honest, and genuinely useful. LIVE, REAL-TIME TRACKING Vessels move on the map as they broadcast, so what you see is happening now. - Smooth, interactive map - pan to any coastline, harbor, bay, or shipping lane - Vessels color-coded by type: cargo, tanker, passenger, fishing, tug - Tap any vessel for its name, type, speed, course, heading, and destination - Trails show where a tracked boat has been REAL VESSEL PHOTOS Many vessels show an actual photo on their details page - including the full Washington State Ferries fleet, Kitsap Transit fast ferries, the Victoria Clipper, fireboats, Coast Guard cutters, and more. YOUR FLEET, ALWAYS THERE - Save the vessels you care about and watch them on the map - See clear LIVE or OFFLINE status at a glance - Your fleet keeps each boat's last-known position even when it sails out of range - tap to jump straight to it - Pull to refresh, remove with a tap FIND ANY VESSEL - Search by name, MMSI, or IMO - Recent searches at your fingertips SIMPLE AND HONEST No account required. No ads. Start free, and every feature is included when you upgrade to Pro. Built for boaters, ferry riders, ship spotters, harbor watchers, and anyone tracking a loved one's ship or just curious about what's out on the water. Live AIS coverage follows shore-based receivers, so it is strongest along coasts, harbors, bays, and shipping lanes. Not to be used for navigation. VesselSpot is for informational and situational-awareness purposes only. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Stage Hunter4 screens
VesselSpot4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: VesselSpot at 15.0 against Stage Hunter's 17.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Stage Hunter sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and VesselSpot sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Stage Hunter ships an update every 5 days, VesselSpot weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
Stage Hunter versus VesselSpot: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStage HunterVesselSpot
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size40 MB31 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRico BeckerVikorus, LLC

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Stage Hunter

One-time2
  • Season Pass 2024$6.99
  • Season Pass 2025$7.99
2 purchases

VesselSpot

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Annual$14.991 Year

Questions

Is Stage Hunter free?
Stage Hunter is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is VesselSpot free?
VesselSpot is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Stage Hunter or VesselSpot have ads?
Neither Stage Hunter nor VesselSpot shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Stage Hunter or VesselSpot?
Stage Hunter ships an update every 5 days, and VesselSpot weekly. Most recently, Stage Hunter was updated on October 30, 2026 and VesselSpot on October 24, 2026.

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