# Boat Watch vs FerryWatch

The clearest difference is rating: Boat Watch at 4.6 against FerryWatch's 4.0. Boat Watch also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 9 months). FerryWatch's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and review sentiment (50% vs 38%). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Boat Watch sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per year. FerryWatch asks for nothing beyond the download.

Boat Watch holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Boat Watch has 3.9K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 38% of Boat Watch's written reviews are positive against 50% of FerryWatch's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Boat Watch ships an update every 6 weeks, FerryWatch every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Boat Watch | FerryWatch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (3.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boat-watch-ship-tracking/id669023760/reviews)** | [4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ferrywatch/id1013624915/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.9K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 37.8% of reviews | **50.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 30 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pocket Mariner Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/719592131) | [Dogfish Technologies, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1197710360) |

## What reviewers say

### Boat Watch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boat-watch-ship-tracking/id669023760)

Track ships and boats globally in real-time. Identify vessels, view their details, and receive alerts for arrivals and departures. Explore nautical charts and use augmented reality for an enhanced viewing experience.

**Highlights:** Real-time AIS ship tracking, Vessel identification and details, Favorite boat tracking, Arrival and departure alerts, Augmented reality view, Nautical chart integration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PortWatch | $1.99 | per year |
| BoatWatch Pro upgrade | $1.99 | per year |
| Fleet Upgrade | $5.99 | per year |
| Full Version Upgrade | $4.99 | one-time |
| Live View | $4.99 | one-time |
| NOAA US Charts | $4.99 | one-time |
| UK & IE Marine Charts | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent for ship tracking
- 📍 Accurate ship location information
- 🗺️ Useful NOAA chart overlay
- 👍 Great app for enthusiasts

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent ship detection
- 💰 Excessive in-app purchases
- 🔍 Limited search functionality
- 🕰️ Outdated ship position data

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes and freezes
- Inability to track ships in certain regions
- Incorrect ship positions and directions

**Requested features**

- Route history for ships
- Improved cruise ship tracking
- Automatic notifications for ship movements
- More detailed ship information


### FerryWatch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ferrywatch/id1013624915)

This app helps travelers by providing real-time information on Washington State Ferry sailings. It allows users to track favorite routes, view upcoming departures, and check the availability of drive-up spaces on vessels, simplifying travel planning around Puget Sound.

**Highlights:** Real-time ferry sailing information, Favorite route tracking, Next departing ferry alerts, Drive-up space availability, Companion Apple Watch app, Location-based departure finder

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Boat Watch free?

Boat Watch is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is FerryWatch free?

FerryWatch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Boat Watch or FerryWatch?

Boat Watch is rated higher. Boat Watch averages 4.6 out of 5 from 3.9K ratings, while FerryWatch averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Boat Watch or FerryWatch have ads?

FerryWatch shows ads; Boat Watch does not.

### Which is updated more often, Boat Watch or FerryWatch?

Boat Watch ships an update every 6 weeks, and FerryWatch every 9 months. Most recently, Boat Watch was updated on November 6, 2026 and FerryWatch on November 1, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*