# Celestial Navigator vs Nautical Calculator Preview

The clearest difference is rating: Nautical Calculator Preview at 5.0 against Celestial Navigator's 2.0. Nautical Calculator Preview also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 9 months). Celestial Navigator's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Nautical Calculator Preview holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively.

Celestial Navigator ships an update every 9 months, Nautical Calculator Preview every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 12, 2026 and August 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Celestial Navigator | Nautical Calculator Preview |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/celestial-navigator/id696927722/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nautical-calculator-preview/id1534074231/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 42.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 32 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Omar reis](https://appshunter.io/developer/687921629) | [The Vu Cong](https://appshunter.io/developer/1532372627) |

## What reviewers say

### Celestial Navigator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/celestial-navigator/id696927722)

This app assists with celestial navigation training by providing a perpetual almanac, star finder chart with animation, and tools for calculating lines of position and meridian passages. It can utilize device sensors for real-time chart positioning, though a marine sextant is still required for actual navigation.

**Highlights:** Perpetual almanac, Animated star finder chart, Line of position calculation, Meridian passage calculation, Real-time sensor integration, Celestial object data

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Nautical Calculator Preview

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nautical-calculator-preview/id1534074231)

This app provides comprehensive tools for marine navigation, including real-time ship movement, route planning, and advanced sailing calculations. It also offers features for collision avoidance, maneuvering, and learning maritime regulations and signaling.

**Highlights:** Real-time ship movement, Route planning, Mercator and Great Circle sailing, Collision avoidance, Maneuvering calculations, COLREGs and maritime signaling, Offline GPS

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Celestial Navigator free?

Celestial Navigator is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Nautical Calculator Preview free?

Nautical Calculator Preview is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Celestial Navigator or Nautical Calculator Preview?

Nautical Calculator Preview is rated higher. Celestial Navigator averages 2.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Nautical Calculator Preview averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Celestial Navigator or Nautical Calculator Preview have ads?

Nautical Calculator Preview shows ads; Celestial Navigator does not.

### Which is updated more often, Celestial Navigator or Nautical Calculator Preview?

Celestial Navigator ships an update every 9 months, and Nautical Calculator Preview every 3 weeks. Most recently, Celestial Navigator was updated on August 12, 2026 and Nautical Calculator Preview on August 7, 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.*