Comparison

Hull Speed vs SailNav GPS

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

Head to head
About

Hull Speed

This app provides sailors with a clear and accurate GPS speedometer displaying speed in knots. It features a live trend graph to help optimize sail trim and can show your theoretical hull speed for easy comparison. It is designed for privacy with no ads or tracking.

Highlights
  • Accurate GPS speed in knots
  • Live speed trend graph
  • Theoretical hull speed display
  • Apple Watch app with Keep Awake mode
  • Completely private, no tracking or ads
Features
Read full description

Hull Speed is a simple speedometer for sailors. It shows your speed over the water in knots — big, clear, and accurate — on your iPhone and Apple Watch, with nothing else to clutter the display. Built for trimming sails: make a small adjustment, then watch the live trend graph to see if the speed changed. FEATURES • Accurate GPS speed in knots, updated every second, using the same Doppler method as dedicated marine instruments — no paddlewheel to foul or calibrate. • A live speed graph on a steady, fixed scale, so a small gain from a trim change is easy to spot. • Enter your boat's waterline length and Hull Speed draws your theoretical hull speed right on the graph — see at a glance how close you are to it. • Apple Watch app with a Keep Awake mode that holds the screen on while you sail. • Completely private — your location is used only to compute speed on your device, and is never stored, sent, or shared. No accounts, no ads, no tracking.

About

SailNav GPS

Features
Read full description

SailNav GPS is your essential sailing companion, designed exclusively for Apple Watch. GPS-only — no internet connection required, so it works wherever you sail. DASHBOARD All your essential sailing data at a glance: speed over ground, course over ground, heading, and your exact position. NAVIGATION Navigate to a waypoint or follow a route with ease. Clear heading guidance, distance to go, and estimated time of arrival — always visible. ANCHOR ALARM Drop anchor and get alerted if you drift out of range. Customize your radius, alarm delay, and alerts, and watch your live position relative to the anchor. MAN OVERBOARD (MOB) Mark a man overboard position instantly with a long press from anywhere in the app, and get clear direction and distance back to them, fast. TRIP RECORDING Track time, distance, average speed, and maximum speed during your trip. SETTINGS Choose your appearance, coordinate format, and distance and speed units to match how you sail. Built by sailors, for sailors. Focus on what matters on the water. Tip: for the best experience while sailing, set Return to Clock to "After 1 Hour" in your Watch settings (Apple Watch → Settings → General → Return to Clock), so SailNav GPS stays easily accessible when you raise your wrist underway.

Screenshots

Hull Speed1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: SailNav GPS at daily against Hull Speed's every 5 weeks. SailNav GPS also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hull Speed ships an update every 5 weeks, SailNav GPS daily. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Hull Speed versus SailNav GPS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHull SpeedSailNav GPS
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS16.613.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPeter ZinkIlan Hankin

In-app purchases

None

Hull Speed

No in-app purchases

None

SailNav GPS

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Hull Speed free?
Hull Speed is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SailNav GPS free?
SailNav GPS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Hull Speed or SailNav GPS have ads?
Neither Hull Speed nor SailNav GPS shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hull Speed or SailNav GPS?
Hull Speed ships an update every 5 weeks, and SailNav GPS daily. Most recently, Hull Speed was updated on October 25, 2026 and SailNav GPS on October 4, 2026.

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