NAUTICAL CHART SYMBOLS GUIDE vs Navily
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
NAUTICAL CHART SYMBOLS GUIDE
This app provides a comprehensive reference for nautical chart symbols and abbreviations, including international standards and supplementary national symbols. It's designed for learning, revision, and quick lookups with a searchable index and offline access.
- International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) symbols
- Supplementary US and UK national symbols
- Fully searchable index
- Tap & Enlarge feature
- Offline access
- Bonus emergency tips
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SYMBOLS USED ON NAUTICAL CHARTS SPECIFIED BY THE INTERNATIONAL HYDROGRAPHIC ORGANIZATION (IHO), PLUS INTERNATIONAL ABBREVIATIONS AND SUPPLEMENTARY NATIONAL SYMBOLS USED BY THE U.S. AND U.K. HYDROGRAPHIC OFFICES. >>> FULL APP — AD FREE | NO IN-APP PURCHASES | NO SUBSCRIPTION ************ FEATURES and BENEFITS ************ - Perfect for reference, learning & revision - Hi-res graphics - Tap & Enlarge feature for greater detail - Fully searchable index to all the symbols - Always with you on your iPhone or iPad - No internet connection needed ************ LATEST UPDATE INCLUDES ************ * Updated for current iPhone and iOS versions * Save frequently used chart symbols to My Chart Symbols for quicker reference * Jump back to recently viewed pages, with older pages neatly grouped in one menu * Improved favourite and Home controls for clearer, more consistent navigation * Refined layout and spacing throughout the app ************ Plus FREE Bonus Content from "Safe Skipper" ************ "CHART SYMBOLS & ABBREVIATIONS" provides quick reference to the "INT 1" symbols specified by the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) for use on International marine charts. There are five main sections in this app, each with lettered sub-sections organized into categories to guide users through the hundreds of symbols. The main sections are: GENERAL - chart layouts, positions, distances, directions and compass. TOPOGRAPHY - landmarks, ports and coastal land features. HYDROGRAPHY - tides, currents, depths, nature of the seabed, underwater obstructions, tracks, areas, limits and hydrographic terms. NAVIGATION AIDS & SERVICES - lights, buoys, fog signals, radar, radio, services and small craft facilities. INDEX & ABBREVIATIONS - international abbreviations and index to symbols and abbreviations. SUPPLEMENTARY NATIONAL SYMBOLS Supplementary National Symbols for nautical charts used by the United States and United Kingdom are included at the end of each section. ************* FREE Bonus Content from "Safe Skipper" ***************************** A bonus section has tips on how to deal with emergencies including: Abandon ship; Dismasting; Distress Signals; Engine Failure; Fire Fighting; Flares; Getting a tow; Helicopter rescue; Holed hull; Man overboard; Medical emergency; Mayday; Panpan; Securité. INDEX The index is an A-Z of symbols and abbreviations and enables the user to quickly look up the symbols and see them in context with others in the same categories. This app is based on the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office's print publication "Chart 5011 (INT 1) EDITION 2" Admiralty Charts Publication and "Chart No.1 United States of America Nautical Chart Symbols, Abbreviations and Terms". NOTE: ECDIS symbols used to display Electronic Navigational Chart (ENC) data on Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS) as specified by the IHO are available in our app ELECTRONIC NAUTICAL CHART SYMBOLS & ABBREVIATIONS. We have an ongoing program of marine navigation and boating safety apps, so please contact us with any ideas or features that you would like to see included. Safe boating!
Navily
This app serves as a comprehensive mobile cruising guide for boaters. It offers a vast database of marinas and anchorages, user-generated reviews and photos, and seamless berth booking across Europe. Connect with other users and marinas through in-app chat and receive real-time warnings.
- 35,000+ marinas and anchorages
- 350,000+ community photos and comments
- Easy berth booking in 700+ European marinas
- In-app chat with users and marinas
- Real-time anchorage warnings
- Emergency SOS feature
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With over 1.2 million boaters worldwide, Navily is the all-in-one boating and sailing app to discover safe anchorages, book marinas with ease, and cruise with confidence. Whether you're planning a day trip, a sailing holiday, a coastal cruise, or an offshore adventure, Navily gives you everything you need in one place. Trusted by sailors, cruisers, and recreational boaters around the world, Navily helps you plan routes, discover the best marinas and anchorages, and make every journey easier. Explore more than 35,000 marinas and anchorages backed by 500,000+ trusted reviews and photos from the Navily community and our marina partners. Why choose Navily? - A growing community with over 1.2 million boaters worldwide - 35,000+ marinas and anchorages - 500,000+ reviews and photos - 700+ bookable marinas - Smart route planning and distance calculations - Navily Protection Scores to find the best anchorages - Live chat with nearby boaters - Real-time anchorage alerts - Emergency SOS feature- ask the community for help! Plan smarter boating routes. Spend less time searching and more time sailing. Compare nearby marinas and anchorages, calculate distances, filter results to match your preferences, discover the best locations to anchor with Navily Weather Protection Scores, and build routes with automatic itinerary planning. Whether you're cruising the Mediterranean or exploring the Caribbean, Navily helps you make better decisions before you leave the dock Sail with confidence. - Access over 500,000 community reviews and photos to find the perfect stop, including: - Depth and seabed information - Wind and swell protection - Marina facilities and services - Local tips from experienced boaters - Real photos from fellow sailors - Every review is automatically translated, allowing you to benefit from the knowledge of our international boating community. - Stay connected through community chat, receive real-time anchorage alerts, and access essential services both ashore and at sea. When you're off the grid, Offline Mode keeps important information available whenever you need it. Unlock even more with Navily Premium. Upgrade to Navily Premium and enjoy: - View a 72-hour anchorage protection score before you drop anchor - Filters the map to your preferences and boat requirements - AI-powered summaries of all community comments - Offline-mode, no internet needed. Navily is also available in French, Spanish, German and Italian. Want to help us improve Navily? Find us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and share your stories with us, we are passionate about what we do! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/navilyApp Twitter: https://twitter.com/navilyapp Instagram: http://instagram.com/navilyapp Blog : http://blog.navily.com/ Website : https://www.navily.com/ Privacy policy : https://www.navily.com/privacy Terms of Use : https://www.navily.com/cgu
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Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Navily at Free against NAUTICAL CHART SYMBOLS GUIDE's $1.99. Navily also leads on review sentiment (94% vs 50%) and rating (4.8 vs 3.5). NAUTICAL CHART SYMBOLS GUIDE's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and chart position (#152 vs unranked). On ads, device support and iOS requirement 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
Navily is free to download; NAUTICAL CHART SYMBOLS GUIDE costs $1.99 up front. Navily sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.49 per year. NAUTICAL CHART SYMBOLS GUIDE asks for nothing beyond the download.
Navily holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Navily has 836 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of NAUTICAL CHART SYMBOLS GUIDE's written reviews are positive against 94% of Navily's.
NAUTICAL CHART SYMBOLS GUIDE ships an update every 80 months, Navily every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 26, 2026.
| Parameter | NAUTICAL CHART SYMBOLS GUIDE | Navily |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.5 (2 ratings) | 4.8 (836 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | 93.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 836 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 80 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Best chart rank | #152 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 41 MB | 242 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | The Other Hat | The Navigation Family |
Customer experience
NAUTICAL CHART SYMBOLS GUIDE
Navily
Bugs and requests
NAUTICAL CHART SYMBOLS GUIDE
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Navily
Reported bugs
3 issues- Booking cancellations not working
- Spinning icon issue with past bookings
- Difficulty accessing messages from map view
Requested features
5 requests- Offline map downloads
- Improved route planning tools
- Live chat with other users
- Customizable notifications
- Better integration with navigation apps
In-app purchases
NAUTICAL CHART SYMBOLS GUIDE
No in-app purchases
Navily
- Navily Premium$9.491 Year
- Navily Premium$18.491 Year
- Navily Premium$24.991 Year
- Navily Premium 30 days$17.99









