Comparison

Sextant vs Messina Strait Currents

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

Head to head
About

Sextant

This app provides a comprehensive celestial navigation toolkit for sailors and enthusiasts. It allows users to navigate using celestial bodies like the sun, moon, planets, and stars, even when GPS is unavailable. The app guides users through taking sextant readings, performing calculations, and plotting positions on a map.

Highlights
  • Celestial body identification using camera and ephemeris
  • Sextant sight reduction with manual correction checks
  • Offline celestial navigation
  • Noon sight for latitude calculation
  • Line of position plotting on a real map
  • Polaris one-shot latitude
  • Solar Compass for deviation checks
Features
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A complete celestial navigation toolkit for sailors, students, and the curious. When the GPS quits, the sun, moon, planets, and stars still work. Sextant takes you all the way from a single sextant reading to a line of position on a map β€” with every correction shown, so you can check the math by hand if you want to. Point the camera at the sky The Sky tab labels every navigational body in view β€” the sun, the moon, all four navigational planets, and 58 navigational stars β€” using the magnetic compass and on-device ephemeris. Spot a star, tap its name, and a sight starts with that body identified and the time stamped. Sight with your camera, or a real sextant The camera flow uses gravity-based altitude with a roll lockout so a tilted phone can't slip a bad shot through. Multi-shot mode takes a series and saves the trimmed mean. Or just type your altitude from a brass sextant and let the app do the reduction. Every body you'll ever shoot Sun, moon, all four navigational planets β€” Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn β€” and all 58 standard navigational stars. Positions computed from astronomical models (Meeus, VSOP87, JPL Keplerian elements), not stale tables. Works fully offline. Noon Sight in one tap Take the sun's altitude at meridian passage; the app gives you latitude. It also predicts the exact UTC of local apparent noon so you know when to look. Plot your fix Every sight draws a line of position on a real map. Take more than one, apply dead reckoning between them, watch your running fix come together β€” exactly like the paper-chart workflow. Tools sailors actually use - Polaris one-shot latitude - Solar Compass β€” true bearing of the sun, for compass deviation checks - Starfinder β€” what's above the horizon right now - Reduction tables (dip, refraction, semi-diameter) - DMS / decimal converter Learn celestial navigation as you go Step through your first sight with a guided walk-through. Every screen has inline help, and every correction in the sight reduction β€” dip, refraction, semi-diameter, parallax β€” has an explanation a tap away. Check the app against your hand calculations, or let it do all the work. Share your work Export sight records as CSV or as a printable PDF work-form in the classic HO 229 layout. No subscription. No ads. No internet. One purchase, everything included.

About

Messina Strait Currents

Features
Read full description

Messina Strait Currents provides accurate tidal current predictions for the Strait of Messina, helping anyone navigating the Strait to plan crossings safely. Based on the official harmonic constants, the app calculates tidal current direction and intensity at the Messina Strait's two main reference points, Punta Pezzo and Ganzirri, and in the secondary areas of the Strait. Results are also displayed with a simple graph, providing a faster and more immediate overview of tidal current trends. Tidal currents in the Strait of Messina may exceed 6 knots. Knowing the expected current is recommended for a safe crossing. The app also provides: β€’ Sunrise and Sunset times β€’ Moonrise and Moonset times β€’ Moon phase β€’ Illuminated portion of the Moon Specifically designed for navigation in the Strait of Messina. Messina Strait Currents builds on the experience of the previous app, available on the App Store since 2012, with a completely redesigned layout and numerous improvements. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Sextant4 screens
Messina Strait Currents4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Messina Strait Currents at Free against Sextant's $9.99. Messina Strait Currents also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (17.6 vs 26.0). Sextant's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Messina Strait Currents is free to download; Sextant costs $9.99 up front. Messina Strait Currents sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per year. Sextant asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sextant ships an update every 3 weeks, Messina Strait Currents every 8 days. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences Β· 4 level
Sextant versus Messina Strait Currents: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSextantMessina Strait Currents
Price$9.99Free β€” better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviewsβ€”
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 8 days β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
MonetizationPaidβ€”
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.017.6 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size2 MB15 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperStolk.ccAldo Buongarzone

In-app purchases

None

Sextant

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Messina Strait Currents

Subscriptions1
  • 1 year$3.991 Year
One-time2
  • 7 days$0.99
  • 1 month$1.99

Questions

Is Sextant free?
Sextant costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Messina Strait Currents free?
Messina Strait Currents is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Sextant or Messina Strait Currents have ads?
Neither Sextant nor Messina Strait Currents shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Sextant or Messina Strait Currents?
Sextant ships an update every 3 weeks, and Messina Strait Currents every 8 days. Most recently, Sextant was updated on September 24, 2026 and Messina Strait Currents on September 24, 2026.

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