Comparison

Celestial Navigator vs Meridian Nav

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

Head to head
About

Celestial Navigator

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
Read full description

Celestial Navigation Calculator with - perpetual Almanac - star finder chart with animation. Use phone sensor for altitude. - calculation of lines of position ( intercept/delta ) - celestial object data - meridian passage calculation - running fix support - astronomical position calculations with two or more altitude observations - Hipparchus 150 star catalog - World chart with lines and position Program can be set to use device's sensors (gyro, compass) to position the star finder chart in real time. Capture celestial object approximate altitude. Correct Altitude with a Marine Sextant reading (not included). You still need a marine sextant to do celestial navigation, but the phone sensors may be used for training. Software for iPhone and iPad, with the same features. e-book with manual and celestial navigation tutorial.

About

Meridian Nav

This app provides comprehensive offline marine navigation tools for sailors. It offers GPS tracking, offline chart display, route management, and various celestial and navigational calculations. All features are accessible without an internet connection.

Highlights
  • Offline GPS position monitoring
  • Offline chart and waypoint display
  • .rtz route import and management
  • Navigation calculations
  • Celestial body data
  • Sun/moon event times
Features
Read full description

Meridian is a celestial navigation toolkit built at sea by a working deck officer — fully offline, because mid-ocean is exactly where you need it. SIGHT REDUCTION Compute Hc, Zn and intercept for the Sun, Moon, four planets and 63 navigational stars. Enter your DR position, date/time and sextant altitude — get your line of position. COMPASS ERROR Check gyro error by azimuth of any celestial body — the daily routine, without the almanac and tables. Magnetic variation (WMM2025) is built in for magnetic compass work. STAR FINDER A polar sky-dome view shows exactly which bodies are observable right now from your position — plan your twilight sights before stepping out on the bridge wing. Includes an azimuth-scatter view for picking the best LOP geometry. SUN / MOON Rise, set, meridian passage and twilight times for any position and date. MARINE CHART — FULLY OFFLINE A custom offline vector chart with world time-zone (ZD) boundaries, DST awareness, ports and waypoint routes. Import route files (.rtz / .rou) straight from your ECDIS. CLOCK PLAN Generate the entire voyage's retard/advance schedule from your route — including DST transitions and solar-zone departures. Reorder or edit the changes, then export a clean calendar-style PDF or Excel notice, ready to post on board. UNIT CONVERTER The conversions a navigator actually uses, in two taps. ACCURACY & VALIDATION Every body — Sun, Moon, planets and 63 navigational stars — is cross-checked against JPL ephemeris data (the same source behind the official Nautical Almanac) to arc-minute agreement. Star positions are computed for the current date from the ESA Hipparcos catalogue. Sun azimuth verified at sea against a ship's bridge calculator, and against NOAA's solar calculator (0.000° difference). MADE FOR Deck officers who want a fast backup and sanity check, cadets and officers studying celestial navigation, and anyone who believes a navigator should still be able to find a ship without a satellite. No account. No ads. No subscription. No internet required. One-time purchase. IMPORTANT Meridian is a reference and training aid for celestial navigation. It is not a certified navigation system and does not replace official nautical publications, charts, or type-approved equipment.

Screenshots

Celestial Navigator4 screens
Meridian Nav4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Meridian Nav at 100% against Celestial Navigator's 43%. Meridian Nav also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 9 months). Celestial Navigator's advantage is price (Free vs $0.99) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). On 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

Celestial Navigator is free to download; Meridian Nav costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Celestial Navigator ships an update every 9 months, Meridian Nav every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Celestial Navigator versus Meridian Nav: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCelestial NavigatorMeridian Nav
PriceFree — better$0.99
Rating2.0 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews42.9% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsEvery 6 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size32 MB36 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOmar reisSEUNGHYEOK CHOI

Customer experience

Celestial Navigator

All ratings3 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive42.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative57.1%

Meridian Nav

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Celestial Navigator

No in-app purchases

None

Meridian Nav

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Celestial Navigator free?
Celestial Navigator is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Meridian Nav free?
Meridian Nav costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Celestial Navigator or Meridian Nav have ads?
Neither Celestial Navigator nor Meridian Nav shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Celestial Navigator or Meridian Nav?
Celestial Navigator ships an update every 9 months, and Meridian Nav every 6 days. Most recently, Celestial Navigator was updated on October 11, 2026 and Meridian Nav on October 5, 2026.

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