Skipper vs SailSpeed
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Skipper
Record your boat trips with real-time GPS data, weather, and crew information. Securely store your boating history and relive your adventures with detailed maps and statistics. Import/export GPX files and manage your logbook with powerful search and filtering options.
- Real-time GPS trip recording
- Log weather, crew, and boat details
- Access trip statistics
- Review adventures on maps
- Search and filter logbook entries
- Import/export GPX files
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Skipper is a simple yet powerful boating logbook app for iPhone and iPad. It allows you to automatically keep a permanent record of all your activities at sea and to securely store all your trips on your device to protect your entire boating history. If you love sailing or boating, Skipper is the perfect app! Features of Skipper: • Record your boat trips with your iPhone or iPad*: real-time GPS position, course, speed, duration, distance, track and more • Auto start recording your trips as soon as you leave your initial position • Log everything: weather, sea state, crew members, boat, departure/arrival places, sails used, engine hours, incidents, repairs, and more • Access accurate stats like distance, duration, average/top speed and more • Relive your adventures review your chronicles over time with beautiful maps • Search your logbook for name, notes or place and filter by crew member, boat, weather (wind force and direction) • Import/export GPX files • Nautical, metric and imperial units of measurement support Notes: • *Only the Wi-Fi + Cellular iPads have a built-in GPS, the Wi-Fi only iPads don't have a built-in GPS. • Skipper cannot be used as replacement for Automatic Identification System (AIS). • Continued use of GPS running in the background can decrease your device’s battery life: it is recommend to connect the device to a power outlet when possible. • GPS is completely independent of any Wi-Fi or Cellular data connection. • An Internet connection is required to download weather forecast and maps. • Maps provided by Apple. • Weather is provided by Apple. --- The first three recorded or imported activities are completely free of charge. Skipper+, an optional in-app subscription, unlocks unlimited activities. Development and ongoing maintenance are supported by Skipper+ subscribers. Thank you! Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at the confirmation of purchase. The subscription automatically renews unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage your subscription or turn off auto-renew by going to your App Store account settings after purchase. Cancellation of the current active subscription period is not allowed. • Privacy: https://skipper.alpennec.com/privacy • Terms and Conditions: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula
SailSpeed
Track your sailing speed, heading, and wind data with an outdoor-optimized display. Features a customizable race start timer and route mapping. Analyze your performance post-race.
- Speed and heading tracking
- Customizable race start timer
- Wind direction display (subscription)
- Route mapping overlay
- Outdoor-optimized display
- Bluetooth sensor connection (subscription)
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App for tracking sailing speed and direction, but also the wind. It has a display optimized for outdoor use. When you participate in a sailing race you can use the start timer. The timer can be adjusted to the wishes and needs of the user. It shows speed and heading and keeps track of race. If tracking is started it monitors the average speed, maximum speed, elapsed time and the distance covered. Wind direction is shown in a wind rose (subscripton required). App can make direct connection with a OpenWind BlueTooth sensor (subscripton required). In that case AWA, AWS, TWA and TWS is displayed in the app. It also has the ability to show a map and tracks the route in an overlay when map is selected and race is started. In setup menu landscape can be selected, the display will rotates accordingly, rearranging the speed or map and the heading for optimal visibility during the sail race. In the settings menu the user can select the units, and the scale of the map during the race tracking. Simply place your phone a a water tight casing on board of your boat, setup your settings and press start. The app will automatically keep tracking your progress, showing current speed and heading. Enjoy your sailing, optimize your speed during the race and analyze your data afterwards.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Skipper at 4.6 against SailSpeed's 3.8. Skipper also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 14 months) and ratings volume (36 vs 4). SailSpeed's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 79%). 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. Skipper sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days and SailSpeed sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Skipper holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Skipper has 36 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 79% of Skipper's written reviews are positive against 100% of SailSpeed's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Skipper ships an update every 10 days, SailSpeed every 14 months. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Skipper | SailSpeed |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (36 ratings) — better | 3.8 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 79.2% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 36 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days — better | Every 14 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 32 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Axel Le Pennec | i-Xp B.V. |
Customer experience
Skipper
SailSpeed
In-app purchases
Skipper
- Skipper+ Weekly$5.997 Days
- Skipper+ Weekly$7.997 Days
- Weekly2 variants$8.997 Days
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- Skipper+ Yearly$29.991 Year
- Yearly$35.991 Year
- Yearly$44.991 Year
- Yearly2 variants$49.991 Year
- Yearly3 Days trial$49.991 Year
- Skipper+ Lifetime$14.99
- Skipper+ Lifetime$99.99
- Lifetime$124.99
SailSpeed
- Plus yearly subscription$4.99
- BLE yearly subscription$24.99









