Comparison

Handy GPS vs AngelNav

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

Head to head
About

Handy GPS

Navigate the outdoors with this comprehensive tool. Record waypoints, track logs, and find your way home using UTM or lat/lon coordinates. Supports offline maps and data export for planning and sharing.

Highlights
  • UTM and Lat/Lon coordinate support
  • Waypoint recording and navigation
  • Track log recording
  • Offline map tile downloads
  • KML/GPX file import and export
  • Magnetic compass and elevation profile
  • Sun and moon rise/set times
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

The perfect companion for your next outdoor adventure. Seek, find, record and return home with Handy GPS. This app is a real navigation tool designed for outdoors sports like hiking, bushwalking, mountain biking, kayaking and trail riding. It allows you to work in UTM or lat/lon coordinates. Features: * View your current location in UTM or Lat/Lon formats. * Record and/or manually enter waypoints in UTM, Lat/Lon, or MGRS. * Goto a waypoint, with optional audio proximity alarm and spoken directions. * Record a track log. * Show your current location, waypoints and tracklogs on a map. * Export waypoints and tracklogs to a KML file for viewing in Google Earth, or to a GPX file. * Export waypoints to a comma delimited (CSV) text file. * Import KML or GPX files and view in the app. * Email your current location to a friend. * Odometer to keep track of how far you've gone. * Magnetic compass. * Elevation profile. * Compute sun and moon rise and set times. * Supports both metric and US/imperial units. * Supports datums WGS84, GDA94, AGD66 and AGD84. (Use WGS84 for NAD83) * Allows entry of parameters for a custom datum (e.g. ED50, SAD69, OSGB36, GDA2020 etc), as well as supporting affine parameters for local grid systems. * Can display your location a normal grid ref, an MGRS grid ref (WGS84 datum only), or as a UK Ordinance Survey (OS) grid ref. * Can download offline map tiles for use where there is no cellular coverage. * Can import pre-prepared state or country-level base maps from a zip file. * Optional walk timer. * Email your current waypoints and tracklogs as a KML file. * Take photos from within the app to be stored with the current session. Disclaimer: Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. To save battery power you can close the app from the task manager. The developer accepts no responsibility for you getting lost while using this app.

About

AngelNav

This app allows sailors to perform traditional navigation directly on their device, offering a digital alternative to paper charts and instruments. It supports various chart types and integrates with GNSS data for real-time navigation, with options for advanced features and chart subscriptions.

Highlights
  • Traditional navigation techniques on screen
  • Full chart plotter with raster chart support
  • GNSS data integration (GPS, NMEA, SignalK)
  • AIS target display
  • Waypoint and route management
  • Track recording and display
  • Simulation mode
Features
Read full description

AngelNav is a new app for iOS developed in collaboration with Tom Cunliffe. Primarily it is a full chart plotter currently favouring raster charts, but it has many additional features including the ability to carry out traditional navigation directly on the screen. The capacity to generate classical chart work is vitally important in the event of a GPS failure, but hitherto has required pencil, plotters, and paper charts. AngelNav allows traditional techniques to be carried out using an iPad or iPhone screen instead of a paper chart. An estimated position can be plotted, position lines drawn from sighted bearings and fixes recorded. Course-to-steer diagrams are readily constructed. AngelNav can read most types of raster chart including the UKHO subscription charts, as well as KAP/BSB files and GeoTIFF files. It can easily create georeferenced satellite charts for offline use. AngelNav can take GNSS navigation data from a variety of sources, including the device's stand-alone GPS, the boat's NMEA over WiFi, and SignalK. It will also display AIS information if available. Annual subscriptions are available as in-app purchases for UKHO, SHOM, and Imray charts covering the whole of the UK, France, Spain, the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. These are divided into folios so that you can subscribe only to the charts that you need. The app is free to use in its basic form, with additional functions and charts available as in-app purchases. This allows a user to fully evaluate the app without charge, and then to purchase the features and charts required. Free features: Chart plotter (Demo chart included) Traditional navigation techniques Waypoints and Routes Track recording and display Reads navigational data Simulation mode Paid for features (in-app purchases): Open KAP/BSB files Open GeoTIFF files Open Satellite charts Display AIS targets (if AIS information is available) Tidal information for the British Isles Subscription Charts: Charts derived from UKHO data covering the coastal waters of the British isles, the Atlantic coast of Spain and Portugal including the Atlantic islands. SHOM charts of the coasts of France Imray charts of of the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and others Key features: Brand new app written from the ground up Carry out traditional navigation techniques on screen Free to download to for evaluation, with in-app purchases to add only the features required Frequent updates of subscription charts including handling of notice to mariners Custom keyboard for entry of waypoint latitude and longitude Open KPA/BSB and GeoTIFF files (in-app purchase required) Create Satellite charts for off line use (in-app purchase required) Display AIS targets on the chart (in-app purchase required) NOTE: The continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life

Screenshots

Handy GPS4 screens
AngelNav4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: AngelNav at Free against Handy GPS's $9.99. Handy GPS's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 22) and review sentiment (88% vs 75%). On rating, update cadence, ads 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

AngelNav is free to download; Handy GPS costs $9.99 up front. AngelNav sells 22 in-app purchases, starting at $24.99 per year. Handy GPS asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Handy GPS against 5.0 for AngelNav. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Handy GPS has 10 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 88% of Handy GPS's written reviews are positive against 75% of AngelNav's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Handy GPS versus AngelNav: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHandy GPSAngelNav
Price$9.99Free — better
Rating4.9 (10 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews87.5% of reviews — better75.0% of reviews
Number of ratings10 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#123 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.5
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB120 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAnthony DunkSailTrack Limited

Customer experience

Handy GPS

All ratings10 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews16 reviews
Positive87.5%
Neutral12.5%
Negative0.0%

AngelNav

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews20 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative5.0%

In-app purchases

None

Handy GPS

No in-app purchases

22 purchases

AngelNav

Subscriptions14
  • UKHO BF1$24.991 Year
  • UKHO BF3$24.991 Year
  • UKHO BF8$24.991 Year
Show 11 more
  • UKHO AO2$24.991 Year
  • UKHO MS2$24.991 Year
  • UKHO MS1$24.991 Year
  • UKHO MS3$24.991 Year
  • UKHO BF7$24.991 Year
  • UKHO.BN1$24.991 Year
  • SHOM FF4$24.991 Year
  • Imray ID100$69.991 Year
  • Imray ID40$69.991 Year
  • Imray ID70$69.991 Year
  • Imray ID60$69.991 Year
One-time8
  • UKTides 24$1.99
  • KAP files$4.99
  • Satellite charts$4.99
Show 5 more
  • AIS$4.99
  • Instruments$4.99
  • GeoPDF files$4.99
  • GeoTIFF files$4.99
  • BITides 25$6.99

Questions

Is Handy GPS free?
Handy GPS costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is AngelNav free?
AngelNav is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Handy GPS or AngelNav?
AngelNav is rated higher. Handy GPS averages 4.9 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while AngelNav averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Handy GPS or AngelNav have ads?
Neither Handy GPS nor AngelNav shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Handy GPS or AngelNav?
Handy GPS ships an update every 5 weeks, and AngelNav every 5 weeks. Most recently, Handy GPS was updated on September 18, 2026 and AngelNav on September 21, 2026.

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