# Boat Watch vs Boat Tracker +

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Boat Watch | Boat Tracker + |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (3.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boat-watch-ship-tracking/id669023760/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boat-tracker-plus/id6752377965/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.8K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 37.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 30 MB | 106 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pocket Mariner Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/719592131) | [Angel Brown](https://appshunter.io/developer/1865146000) |

## 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


### Boat Tracker +

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boat-tracker-plus/id6752377965)

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly-Trial | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $59.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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.

---

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