Boat Watch vs Boat Tracker +
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Boat Watch
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.
- Real-time AIS ship tracking
- Vessel identification and details
- Favorite boat tracking
- Arrival and departure alerts
- Augmented reality view
- Nautical chart integration
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Ever wanted to know more about ships and boats, or track a vessel around the globe? Boat Watch lets you spot and identify boats and ships in an instant. The Pro In-App purchase even sends you alerts when a boat you track sets sail or arrives - perfect for people with loved ones at sea, for tracking ferries and rescue vessels - or following cargo across the world! Boat Watch is free to use for 1 month and offers... * Spot any boat or ship via real-time AIS network * See the name, type and destination of each vessel * Set any boat as a favorite, and track it on the map * Search and find boats and places After 1 month a Pro upgrade is needed to continue getting live ship positions. Pro upgrade ( lifetime or yearly subscription):- * Real-time ship positions updates * Full boat information - picture, speed, where its from, etc. * Show boats' recent tracks * Set multiple favorite boats, to find them easily * Get alerts when a tracked boat arrives or departs * OpenSeaMap charts with buoys, lighthouses & shipping lanes * Filter ships on type to declutter the view and show more vessels of the type required. 3 other optional IAP upgrades are also available:- Live View upgrade ( one time purchase):- *Augmented Reality view to identify and spot boats using your camera *View boats true to scale and with Apple Maps amazing 3D views when zoomed in PortWatch (subscription):- - set a radar alarm ring around an area (0.5 to 10nm) - get notified when any ship is entering or exiting a port or area. Early alert for all ferries, cruise or cargo ships arriving at a port. - alerts when ships are passing or approaching a location. Great for folks who live by the water and want to know when a ship is approaching. You can set your gps position or the current map centre as the PortWatch location and the radar alert range from 0.5nm to 10nm. Fleet upgrade ( subscription): * Fleet - set and receive arrival and departure alerts for multiple boats Boat Watch also gives you the option to buy official NOAA nautical charts for the US and UKHO Admiralty derived charts for the UK&IE so you get the same view of the ocean as the ship's navigator. See the shipping channels, buoys, lights and hazards and why a ship is taking a particular route. Our ship coverage is global and amongst the best in the world. You can find out how our system works and check our coverage here :- http://pocketmariner.com/coverage Pocket Mariner are committed to providing great customer service and continually improve our Boat Watch apps. If you have any questions please email us via help@pocketmariner.com and we'll be happy to help. Terms of Use: http://seanav.net/termsofuse.php Privacy Policy: http://seanav.net/privacy.php Support: help@pocketmariner.com Subscriptions:- Pro and Fleet upgrade" subscriptions are yearly and will automatically renew at the end of the subscription period unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase, and will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. Subscriptions may be managed by the iTunes account holder and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to Account Settings after purchase. No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period NOT FOR NAVIGATION Boat Watch should only be used for basic navigation reference and should not be solely relied upon to determine precise locations, proximity, distance, or direction.
Boat Tracker +
Monitor real-time maritime activity with a live vessel tracking map. Search for ships by name or ID, view detailed information about vessels and ports worldwide, and save your favorite locations. Offers both free and premium subscription options for enhanced features.
- Real-time vessel and port tracking
- Live marine traffic map
- Search ships by name, MMSI, or IMO
- Detailed vessel and port information
- Save favorite ships and locations
- Fast and user-friendly interface
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Track vessels, monitor ports, and explore real-time maritime activity with our powerful and easy-to-use ship tracking app designed for boating enthusiasts, travelers, and marine professionals. Our app provides live vessel tracking with an interactive map that allows you to search ships by name, MMSI, or IMO number and view important details about vessels and ports worldwide. Whether you’re following cargo ships, cruise liners, yachts, or fishing boats, the app helps you stay connected to global marine traffic in real time. Access detailed vessel information including ship name, type, flag, current position, and route details. You can also explore port information, arrivals, departures, and active maritime traffic directly from your device. The app is designed with a clean and intuitive interface, making navigation simple and convenient for both casual users and advanced maritime enthusiasts. Key Features: - Real-time vessel and port tracking - Live marine traffic map - Search ships by name, MMSI, or IMO - Detailed vessel and port information - Save favorite ships and locations - Fast and user-friendly interface - Worldwide ship tracking support Free features include access to the live ship map and basic vessel information. Advanced vessel profiles, detailed port traffic, personalized maps, and enhanced search tools may require a premium subscription. Subscriptions & In-App Purchases: Weekly — $4.99 Monthly — $12.99 Yearly — $39.99 Lifetime — $59.99 Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current billing period. You can manage or cancel your subscription anytime in your device settings. Privacy Policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19HA5iTVvR-O93aqretn_GmX39cA8bqaFuBU6afc7_I0/edit?usp=sharing Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Boat Tracker + at 5.0 against Boat Watch's 4.6. Boat Tracker + also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 weeks) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). Boat Watch's advantage is ratings volume (3.8K vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Boat Watch sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per year and Boat Tracker + sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Boat Tracker + holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Boat Watch has 3.8K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Boat Watch ships an update every 6 weeks, Boat Tracker + every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Boat Watch | Boat Tracker + |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (3.8K ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 37.8% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 3.8K — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 30 MB | 106 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Pocket Mariner Ltd. | Angel Brown |
Customer experience
Boat Watch
Boat Tracker +
Bugs and requests
Boat Watch
Reported bugs
3 issues- Crashes and freezes
- Inability to track ships in certain regions
- Incorrect ship positions and directions
Requested features
4 requests- Route history for ships
- Improved cruise ship tracking
- Automatic notifications for ship movements
- More detailed ship information
Boat Tracker +
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Boat Watch
- PortWatch$1.991 Year
- BoatWatch Pro upgrade$1.991 Year
- Fleet Upgrade$5.991 Year
- Full Version Upgrade$4.99
- Live View$4.99
- NOAA US Charts$4.99
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- UK & IE Marine Charts$4.99
Boat Tracker +
- Weekly$4.997 Days
- Weekly-Trial3 Days trial$4.997 Days
- Monthly$12.991 Month
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- Yearly$39.991 Year
- Lifetime$59.99
Questions
Is Boat Watch free?
Is Boat Tracker + free?
Which has better reviews, Boat Watch or Boat Tracker +?
Do Boat Watch or Boat Tracker + have ads?
Which is updated more often, Boat Watch or Boat Tracker +?
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