Comparison

SpotBuoy vs SailboatRacer

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

Head to head
About

SpotBuoy

Features
Read full description

Manage your SpotBuoys and visualize the course setup with this app. Wind tracker will help you to keep track of the wind shifts through out the day.

About

SailboatRacer

This app provides AI-powered coaching and advanced race analytics for competitive sailors. It offers real-time GPS tracking, speed polar analysis, and personalized race briefings based on forecasts and historical data.

Highlights
  • AI-powered personalized coaching
  • Real-time GPS race tracking
  • Automatic tack and gybe detection
  • Speed polar analysis
  • Sail trim guide
  • Race day briefing with wind forecast
  • Extensive boat database
Features
Read full description

SailboatRacer is the AI-powered racing platform for club sailors. Get personalized coaching from Claude AI, advanced race analytics, and everything you need to perform at your best — from the dock to the finish line. AI SAILING COACH Your personal coach, powered by Claude AI. Get a pre-race brief based on tonight's forecast and your fleet, or ask for a season debrief and Claude will dig through your race history to find exactly where you're losing time — all driven by your actual boat data, PHRF rating, and results, not generic advice. Available on the Racer plan and above. GPS RACE MODE Track your race in real time: a live map with your GPS track, VMG vs. polar overlay, automatic tack and gybe detection, and PHRF corrected time — plus a shareable race link so your crew can follow along. Background tracking keeps recording even with the screen off. GPS CRUISE MODE Log every trip. Track your route, share your position live, bookmark anchorages, and post mid-trip updates. Your full trip history is saved and synced to sailboatracer.com. SPEED POLARS See your boat's theoretical speed at every wind angle across six wind speeds, built from its real SA/D, D/L, and hull speed — so you know your VMG-optimal upwind and downwind angles before you race. SAIL TRIM GUIDE Rig settings, sail trim, and crew calls for light, medium, and heavy air across every point of sail. The cheat sheet that lives in your pocket. RACE DAY BRIEFING A live wind forecast for your race night, a sail recommendation pulled from your actual inventory, and rig tuning notes — powered by Open-Meteo and personalized to your home water. 11,000+ BOAT DATABASE Search any sailboat and get its SA/D ratio, D/L ratio, hull speed, and full specs instantly, or compare any two boats head-to-head. ONE ACCOUNT — WEB + MOBILE Already use sailboatracer.com? Log in with the same account. Your boat, race history, AI coaching, and clubs sync automatically. The web app is your deep-analytics home base; the iPhone app is built for the dock and the cockpit. Whether you're chasing a podium finish or just trying to beat last Wednesday's time, SailboatRacer turns your data into a real edge on the water. EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

SpotBuoy4 screens
SailboatRacer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SpotBuoy at none against SailboatRacer's 4. SpotBuoy also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.5). On price, ads and device support 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. SailboatRacer sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. SpotBuoy asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
SpotBuoy versus SailboatRacer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpotBuoySailboatRacer
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequency—Every 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.1 — better26.5
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB26 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMurat AlmatBleuTech Ventures, LLC

In-app purchases

None

SpotBuoy

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

SailboatRacer

Subscriptions4
  • Racer Monthly1 Month trial$4.991 Month
  • Captain Monthly1 Month trial$9.991 Month
  • Racer Annual$39.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Captain Annual$79.991 Year

Questions

Is SpotBuoy free?
SpotBuoy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SailboatRacer free?
SailboatRacer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do SpotBuoy or SailboatRacer have ads?
Neither SpotBuoy nor SailboatRacer shows ads.

Other comparisons