# Celestial Navigator vs Binnacle

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Binnacle at 100% against Celestial Navigator's 43%. Binnacle also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.2) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 9 months). Celestial Navigator's advantage is ratings volume (5 vs 1) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

Binnacle holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Celestial Navigator has 5 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 43% of Celestial Navigator's written reviews are positive against 100% of Binnacle's.

Celestial Navigator ships an update every 9 months, Binnacle every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Celestial Navigator | Binnacle |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.2 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/celestial-navigator/id696927722/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/binnacle-nautical-calculator/id6523426668/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 42.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 32 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Omar reis](https://appshunter.io/developer/687921629) | [Danylo Budylkin](https://appshunter.io/developer/6778012130) |

## 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


### Binnacle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/binnacle-nautical-calculator/id6523426668)

This navigation app provides tools for maritime professionals and sailing enthusiasts. It offers features like true wind calculation, celestial navigation, ETA estimation, logbook management, and port search. Stay informed with real-time NavArea warnings for safer voyages.

**Highlights:** True Wind Calculation, Celestial Navigation Tools, ETA Estimation, LogBook Management, UNLOCODE Search, NavArea Warnings

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Celestial Navigator free?

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

### Is Binnacle free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Celestial Navigator or Binnacle?

Binnacle is rated higher. Celestial Navigator averages 3.2 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Binnacle averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Celestial Navigator or Binnacle have ads?

Neither Celestial Navigator nor Binnacle shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Celestial Navigator or Binnacle?

Celestial Navigator ships an update every 9 months, and Binnacle every 2 weeks. Most recently, Celestial Navigator was updated on October 23, 2026 and Binnacle on October 9, 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.*