Comparison

Boat Watch vs Boat Tracker +

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Real-time AIS ship tracking
  • Vessel identification and details
  • Favorite boat tracking
  • Arrival and departure alerts
  • Augmented reality view
  • Nautical chart integration
Features
Read full description

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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Read full description

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

Boat Watch4 screens
Boat Tracker +4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Boat Watch versus Boat Tracker +: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBoat WatchBoat Tracker +
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (3.8K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews37.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings3.8K — better1
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS17.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB106 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPocket Mariner Ltd.Angel Brown

Customer experience

Boat Watch

All ratings3,844 ratings
Positive89.9%
Neutral3.9%
Negative6.2%
Written reviews325 reviews
Positive37.8%
Neutral5.8%
Negative56.3%

Boat Tracker +

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

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

7 purchases

Boat Watch

Subscriptions3
  • PortWatch$1.991 Year
  • BoatWatch Pro upgrade$1.991 Year
  • Fleet Upgrade$5.991 Year
One-time4
  • Full Version Upgrade$4.99
  • Live View$4.99
  • NOAA US Charts$4.99
Show 1 more
  • UK & IE Marine Charts$4.99
5 purchases

Boat Tracker +

Subscriptions4
  • Weekly$4.997 Days
  • Weekly-Trial3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Monthly$12.991 Month
Show 1 more
  • Yearly$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$59.99

Questions

Is Boat Watch free?
Boat Watch is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Boat Tracker + free?
Boat Tracker + is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Boat Watch or Boat Tracker +?
Boat Tracker + is rated higher. Boat Watch averages 4.6 out of 5 from 3.8K ratings, while Boat Tracker + averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Boat Watch or Boat Tracker + have ads?
Neither Boat Watch nor Boat Tracker + shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Boat Watch or Boat Tracker +?
Boat Watch ships an update every 6 weeks, and Boat Tracker + every 3 weeks. Most recently, Boat Watch was updated on November 1, 2026 and Boat Tracker + on October 25, 2026.

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