# Boat Watch vs Cruise Ship Tracker

The clearest difference is monetization model: Boat Watch at free with in-app purchases against Cruise Ship Tracker's subscription. Boat Watch also leads on ratings volume (3.8K vs 361). Cruise Ship Tracker's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 weeks) and review sentiment (50% vs 38%). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Boat Watch sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per year and Cruise Ship Tracker sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Boat Watch holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Boat Watch has 3.8K ratings behind it against 361, 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 Cruise Ship Tracker'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, Cruise Ship Tracker every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Boat Watch | Cruise Ship Tracker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (3.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boat-watch-ship-tracking/id669023760/reviews)** | [4.4 (361 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cruise-ship-tracker/id6503229331/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.8K** | 361 |
| Positive reviews | 37.8% of reviews | **50.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | — | **#171** |
| Size | 30 MB | 108 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 17.2 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pocket Mariner Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/719592131) | [Velocity Raptor Incorporated](https://appshunter.io/developer/296937260) |

## 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


### Cruise Ship Tracker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cruise-ship-tracker/id6503229331)

**Currently charting:** #171 Top Grossing · Travel (US App Store)

Track cruise ships globally in real-time, view port webcams, and manage your cruise history. Plan upcoming trips with checklists and countdown widgets, and check live weather conditions at sea.

**Highlights:** Real-time ship tracking on map, Cruise port information and webcams, Personal cruise logbook, Countdown widgets for upcoming cruises, Cruise planning checklists, Live weather and conditions at sea

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Yearly (Secret Discount) | $9.99 | per year |
| Monthly Pass | $9.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Lifetime. | $9.99 | one-time |
| Plus One-Month | $19.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Boat Watch free?

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

### Is Cruise Ship Tracker free?

Cruise Ship Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Boat Watch or Cruise Ship Tracker?

Boat Watch is rated higher. Boat Watch averages 4.6 out of 5 from 3.8K ratings, while Cruise Ship Tracker averages 4.4 from 361 ratings.

### Do Boat Watch or Cruise Ship Tracker have ads?

Neither Boat Watch nor Cruise Ship Tracker shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Boat Watch or Cruise Ship Tracker?

Boat Watch ships an update every 6 weeks, and Cruise Ship Tracker every 3 weeks. Most recently, Boat Watch was updated on November 1, 2026 and Cruise Ship Tracker on November 4, 2026.

---

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