# Sea Depth vs BlueHelm Boating

The clearest difference is rating: BlueHelm Boating at 5.0 against Sea Depth's 4.2. Sea Depth's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and ratings volume (16 vs 1). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sea Depth sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $99.99 per year and BlueHelm Boating sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

BlueHelm Boating holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sea Depth has 16 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Sea Depth ships an update every 5 days, BlueHelm Boating every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sea Depth | BlueHelm Boating |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sea-depth/id6747972372/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bluehelm-boating/id6781840043/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **16** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 106 MB | 49 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Seadepth Charts, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1823642107) | [Blue Helm LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6781840045) |

## What reviewers say

### Sea Depth

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sea-depth/id6747972372)

Visualize detailed underwater terrain with high-resolution bathymetric charts. Gain deeper insights into seafloor structure, contours, and terrain for offshore activities. Includes optional data overlays and waypoint management for enhanced situational awareness.

**Highlights:** High-resolution shaded-relief bathymetry, Detailed depth contours with intelligent labeling, Optional data overlays (pipelines, bottom composition), GPX waypoint import/export, Drift Test tool, Offline chart access

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Charts Access | $99.99 | per year |
| Western GOA 50% | $150.00 | one-time |
| Eastern GOA 30% | $209.99 | one-time |
| Cental GOA 20% | $239.99 | one-time |
| Eastern GOA 20% | $239.99 | one-time |
| Cental GOA | $300.00 | one-time |
| Western GOA | $300.00 | one-time |
| Eastern GOA | $300.00 | one-time |
| Florida-West Coast | $300.00 | one-time |
| South Florida/Northern Bahamas | $300.00 | one-time |


### BlueHelm Boating

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bluehelm-boating/id6781840043)

This app provides advanced navigation tools for boaters, including an anchor alarm, trip planning with smart routing, and marine weather forecasts. It also acts as a personalized AI guide for your vessel, offering offline access to your boat's systems and procedures.

**Highlights:** Anchor-drift alarm, Live float plans, Marine weather forecasts, AI-powered boat guide, Offline vessel procedures, Smart water routing, Find nearest marinas and fuel docks

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| BlueHelm Premium | $9.99 | per month |
| Crew Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Captain Monthly | $17.99 | per month |
| Add a Boat | $49.00 | per year |
| Add a Boat (2nd) | $49.00 | per year |
| Add a Boat (3rd) | $49.00 | per year |
| BlueHelm Premium | $59.99 | per year |
| Crew Annual | $99.00 | per year |
| Captain Annual | $199.00 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sea Depth free?

Sea Depth is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is BlueHelm Boating free?

BlueHelm Boating is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Sea Depth or BlueHelm Boating?

BlueHelm Boating is rated higher. Sea Depth averages 4.2 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while BlueHelm Boating averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Sea Depth or BlueHelm Boating have ads?

Neither Sea Depth nor BlueHelm Boating shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sea Depth or BlueHelm Boating?

Sea Depth ships an update every 5 days, and BlueHelm Boating every 4 days. Most recently, Sea Depth was updated on October 28, 2026 and BlueHelm Boating on October 25, 2026.

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