NV Charts GPS Navigation AIS vs Riptide GPS
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
NV Charts GPS Navigation AIS
This app provides digital nautical charts and navigation tools for safe boating. It offers offline chart downloads, real-time AIS tracking, and community-shared points of interest. Plan and share your routes with ease.
- Digital nautical charts
- Offline chart downloads
- Real-time AIS tracking
- Community points of interest
- Auto-routing
- GPX file export
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Enhance your navigation experience with a seamless navigation solution that provides up-to-date digital nautical charts, comprehensive harbour information, and a full suite of navigation features. The charts can be downloaded for offline use and offer exceptional compatibility with the NV Charts paper charts with a similar chart design. All currently valid editions of the NV Verlag / NV Charts nautical charts or inland charts | North Sea | Baltic Sea | Netherlands | Wadden Sea | Ijsselmeer | Sweden | Denmark | Germany | Norway | France | USA | Caribbean | Bahamas areas are compatible with the NV Charts App. Enjoy the best of both worlds - paper and digital: A perfect match is our popular combination package of high-quality digital charts and cleverly designed paper charts. Alternatively, you can also purchase digital nautical charts directly via the app with a convenient annual subscription that renews automatically. The integrated update service keeps the charts up to date. If it is not yet clear where the journey should go or no offline charts are activated, free online charts can be displayed for all NV Charts chart areas, even without a currently valid chart licence. Detailed and relevant information is essential for navigating safely on the water. With the NV Charts App, you are part of the BoatView community yourself. You can mark harbours, anchorages and navigation warnings on the digital nautical chart and also add pictures of interesting places that go beyond navigation, such as restaurants or popular attractions, and share them with the community. Others can respond directly with comments. The continuously edited content can be downloaded directly to be available offline. To make all the information easily accessible, the app offers a search function. You can explore the surroundings and search directly for place names as well as anchorages, harbours, ramps, waypoints, cranes, fuel stations or tide stations. The app also offers fast and flexible auto-routing, allowing you to navigate directly to your destination and edit a route manually. Navigation on board is even more fun together! You can share your tracks with friends or use the data outside the app and export it as a GPX file. You can easily share your favourite harbours and anchorages from the app via a link and coordinate your trip planning even better with everyone. The AIS function in the NV Charts App allows you to keep an eye on AIS signals in real time. A WiFi AIS receiver can be connected to the NV Charts App for this purpose. The AIS Class A and B targets and aids to navigation (ATON), as well as MOB AIS SART transponder emergency transmitters, are displayed, and the traffic situation can be better assessed. The NV Charts App can be installed and synchronized on multiple devices. NV Charts App - Features: + Search function + Autorouting for all distances and regions + Velocity Made Good (VMG) + Community Layer / Points of Interest(POI) + Free online boating charts preview for planning + In App Purchases of digital offline charts + Community Layer / Points of Interest(POI) + Reads all NV Chart chart areas + Easy download of the maps + Always the latest data + Seamless zoom and panning functions + Tide Forecast + Online weather + AIS Wifi Support + AIS Sart Beacon + AIS CPA function + Night mode + Anchor alarm + Position with GPS + Intuitive route planning + Course markings, markings, bearing ruler + Port information + Display of instruments + Synchronizing devices + Live Position Sharing + Social sharing of routes, tracks, positions Note: Continued use of GPS in the background can significantly reduce battery life.
Riptide GPS
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RIPTIDE GPS is a boating navigation app built for coastal skippers, day sailors, and weekend adventurers. Core GPS safety tools are free — no trial tricks, no paywall on essentials. FREE — INCLUDED NOW • Live GPS navigation with speed, heading & distance • Return to Launch — find your way back to where you started • Trip tracking — record where you’ve been • Safety screen — quick access to key safety info at sea • Marine conditions — tides & weather when you need them • Voice guidance for Return to Launch • 1 boat profile, last 10 trips & 3 saved spots PREMIUM — MORE FOR SERIOUS DAYS AFLOAT • Coastal navigation & saved-spot routing • Anchor alarm — background alerts if you drift off the hook • Unlimited trips, saved spots & photos • Multiple boats & maintenance log • Offline maps & GPX export • Full voice guidance on all navigation BUILT FOR REAL BOATING • Dark, readable interface — easy to see on deck, day or night • Works offline for GPS, trips & safety when signal is patchy • Optional account to sync your data and manage your profile RIPTIDE GPS is designed as a practical companion on the water — not a replacement for official charts, qualified navigation, or good seamanship. Always follow local regulations and use your own judgement at sea. Premium subscriptions are managed on the RIPTIDE GPS website (riptide.lynaria.com). The iOS app does not process in-app purchases. Privacy: riptide.lynaria.com/#/privacy Support: riptide.lynaria.com/#/support Terms of Use (EULA): https://riptide.lynaria.com/#/terms Privacy Policy: https://riptide.lynaria.com/#/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
NV Charts GPS Navigation AIS and Riptide GPS are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. NV Charts GPS Navigation AIS sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $49.99 per year and Riptide GPS sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
| Parameter | NV Charts GPS Navigation AIS | Riptide GPS |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (115 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 54.2% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 115 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 78 MB | 24 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | NV Chart Group GmbH | MY WEBSITE BUILDER LTD |
In-app purchases
NV Charts GPS Navigation AIS
- Baltic Sea and Kattegat$49.991 Year
- Norway$49.991 Year
- Netherlands$49.991 Year
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- Mediterranean East$49.991 Year
- France Atlantik$49.991 Year
- Croatia$49.991 Year
- Caribbean and Bermuda$49.991 Year
- Atlantic Islands$49.991 Year
- Florida and Bahamas$49.991 Year
- Northsea$49.991 Year
Riptide GPS
- Premium Monthly$2.991 Month
- Premium Yearly$24.991 Year
Questions
Is NV Charts GPS Navigation AIS free?
Is Riptide GPS free?
Do NV Charts GPS Navigation AIS or Riptide GPS have ads?
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