Comparison

Chief Mate vs Dona

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

Head to head
About

Chief Mate

Easily manage all your boat's essential information, from maintenance schedules and inventory to crew tasks and important documents. Collaborate with your team, create custom checklists, and stay on top of your vessel's upkeep for a safer and more enjoyable boating experience.

Highlights
  • Centralize boat information
  • Collaborate with crew
  • Track and maintain components
  • Create maintenance schedules
  • Manage inventory and supplies
  • Create and share checklists
  • Store important documents
Features
Read full description

Managing Your Boat Has Never Been Easier* The Chief Mate is the simplest and most efficient way to manage, view, and share essential information for your boat. Stay on top of the wave with maintenance recurrence, taking and sharing responsibilities, and accessing a library of experiences from fellow boaters and recommended maintenance experts. Share tasks, utilize checklists, add videos and notes, and get updated when tasks are done. Create and share your own checklists to maximize your safe and fun time, both dockside and out at sea. *FOR ALL HANDS ON DECK* *The Ultimate App for Boating Enthusiasts* Crafted with insights from seasoned captains and passionate boaters, The Chief Mate was born from a desire for a superior tool to organize boat data effortlessly. This app is designed to evolve with your needs, continuously improving through feedback from water enthusiasts like you. It’s not just a tool—it’s a dynamic companion that grows and adapts, making boat management a breeze. *Key Features for Boaters:* • Centralize All Your Boat Information*: Keep a thorough, portable database of detailed specs, inventory, supplies, maintenance tasks, documents, and checklists all in one place. • Collaborate Seamlessly with Your Crew or Friends*: Assign, track, and complete essential tasks as part of your boating routine, ensuring maintenance recurrence and sharing responsibilities efficiently. Receive notifications when crew members complete assigned tasks, and watch as priority colors change—keep everything shipshape and you’re good to go. • Track and Maintain All Components*: Keep detailed records of all onboard equipment, from life rafts to navigation systems, ensuring everything is accounted for and in working order. Include fishing gear, water toys, and more, with pictures, locations, technical data, and your own manuals. • Create a Recommended Maintenance Schedule*: Set up and manage maintenance schedules to ensure your boat remains in top condition, providing peace of mind and reliability. • Keep Maintenance Records*: Track and schedule maintenance activities, ensuring all tasks are completed on time. • Manage Inventory and Supplies*: Categorize and track all onboard items, from life jackets to spares, making it easy to find what you need when you need it. • Create and Share Detailed Checklists*: Develop custom lists for departures, arrivals, safety checks, and more, to streamline your boating operations. Share your experiences to ensure safe navigation and enjoyable days on the water. • Documents: Store and share important details such as passwords, fishing licenses, insurance information, and identifications. Make notes and access documents online and offline, ensuring you always have crucial information at your fingertips. • Notifications and Task Manager*: Get notifications when tasks need attention and color-code them as priorities change, keeping you informed and on track. • Water Toys Management*: Track and maintain even your water toys, ensuring everything is ready for use. • Track One Boat or Many*: Manage multiple vessels with ease, keeping all information organized and accessible. • Access a Wealth of Knowledge from Fellow Boaters*: Tap into a rich library of experiences, best practices, and recommendations from other boaters and maintenance experts. Adopt tasks or checklists created by seasoned sailors, complete with tutorials and special recommendations—benefit from the wisdom of those who have been there and done that. The Chief Mate is your right-hand for boat management, and it will grow with your needs and feedback. Anchors aweigh!"

About

Dona

This minimalist task manager helps you quickly capture and organize ideas with drag-and-drop functionality. Focus on what matters most today by visualizing tasks via widgets or Siri/Shortcuts. Optimized gestures ensure zero friction in managing your to-do list.

Highlights
  • Instant idea capture
  • Drag & drop organization
  • Widget support
  • Siri/Shortcuts integration
  • Zero friction gestures
  • Focus on task completion
Read full description

This minimalist task manager lets you capture ideas instantly, then organize them with effortless drag & drop to finally focus only on what really matters today. Add tasks and visualize them in seconds via the widget or Siri / Shortcuts. Every gesture is optimized for zero friction. Focus on finishing tasks, not on managing a tool.

Screenshots

Chief Mate4 screens
Dona4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chief Mate at none against Dona's 2. Chief Mate also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). Dona's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (7 vs 1). On price, rating, 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. Dona sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Chief Mate asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Chief Mate against 5.0 for Dona. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dona has 7 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chief Mate ships an update every 4 months, Dona weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Chief Mate versus Dona: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChief MateDona
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings17 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, Mac
Requires iOS15.1 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVictor MonesYanice BOADY

Customer experience

Chief Mate

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Dona

All ratings7 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Chief Mate

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Dona

Subscriptions1
  • Dona +1 Month trial$0.991 Month
One-time1
  • Dona+ Lifetime$8.99

Questions

Is Chief Mate free?
Chief Mate is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Dona free?
Dona is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Chief Mate or Dona?
Chief Mate and Dona are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 7 ratings respectively.
Do Chief Mate or Dona have ads?
Neither Chief Mate nor Dona shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Chief Mate or Dona?
Chief Mate ships an update every 4 months, and Dona weekly. Most recently, Chief Mate was updated on October 5, 2026 and Dona on October 3, 2026.

Other comparisons