Comparison

Navionics® Boating vs Aqua Map Boating

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

Head to head
About

Navionics® Boating

Access detailed nautical charts and advanced boating features offline on your mobile device. Plan trips with dock-to-dock guidance, check weather and tides, and connect with a community of boaters. Ideal for cruising, fishing, sailing, and diving.

Highlights
  • Offline nautical charts
  • HD bathymetry maps
  • Dock-to-dock route planning
  • Weather and tide forecasts
  • Community edits and recommendations
  • Track recording and sharing
Features
Read full description

Get up-to-date, detailed charts you can use offline plus a boatload of features on your mobile device, so they’re on hand wherever you go. The Boating app is a must-have for cruising, fishing, sailing, diving and all your activities on the water. Try it free for a limited time. To continue using charts and advanced features, you can purchase a yearly auto-renewable subscription*. A COMPLETE PACKAGE • INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED NAVIONICS® CHARTS: Use them offline along with multiple overlays, so you can be more aware of what’s above and below the water. - NAUTICAL CHART: Use this premier marine reference to study port plans, anchorages and safety depth contours, locate navaids, marine services and more. - SONARCHART™ HD BATHYMETRY MAPS: Extraordinary 1’ (0.5 meter) HD bottom contour detail is the ideal tool for locating new fishing areas. - U.S. GOVERNMENT CHARTS (NOAA): These are available within the following coverages: U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Caribbean to Brazil. - OVERLAYS: The relief shading overlay allows you to have a better understanding of bottom topography for improved fishing and diving. Sonar imagery reveals bottom hardness clearly and in vivid color on select lakes. Want more? Display satellite imagery on land and water. - MAP OPTIONS: Change chart-overlay combinations to customize chart views, activate night mode, highlight shallow areas, target multiple fishing ranges and more. - DAILY UPDATES: Benefit of thousands of daily updates worldwide. • TOOLS FOR PLANNING AND ENJOYING YOUR DAY - AUTO GUIDANCE+TM TECHNOLOGY**: Easily plan your trip with a suggested dock-to-dock path based on chart data and navigation aids. Get ETA, distance to arrival, heading to waypoint, fuel consumption and more. - WEATHER AND TIDES: Knowing conditions before heading out is crucial. Access real-time weather data, daily and hourly forecasts as well as wind, weather buoys, tides and currents. - MARKERS, TRACKS, DISTANCE: Place a marker on a good anchorage spot or where you reeled in a big fish. Record your track, take photos and videos within the app, and look back at your day anytime. Easily check distance among two points. • AN ACTIVE AND HELPFUL COMMUNITY - COMMUNITY EDITS and the ACTIVECAPTAIN® COMMUNITY: Obtain and contribute useful local knowledge along with thousands of fellow boaters, such as points of interest, navigation aids and valuable recommendations from people with firsthand experience of the local environment. - CONNECTIONS: Stay in touch with your friends and fellow boaters by sharing your live location, tracks, routes and markers to easily meet on the water or let them check out your adventures. - GPX IMPORT/EXPORT: Share your saved data outside the app or transfer it to your chartplotter. - SHARE MAP OBJECTS: Share a marina, repair shop or any other location outside the app. • EXTERNAL DEVICE-FRIENDLY FOR MORE FEATURES - PLOTTER SYNC: If you own a compatible chartplotter, sync it with the app to transfer routes and markers, activate, update or renew your Navionics chartplotter card subscription. - SONARCHART LIVE MAPPING FEATURE***: Connect with a compatible sonar/plotter, and create your own maps in real time while navigating. - AIS: Connect to a compatible AIS receiver with Wi-Fi® connectivity to see nearby marine traffic. Set a safe range, and receive visual and aural alerts to signal potential collisions. NOTES: *You can manage your subscription anytime, and you can turn auto-renewal off. **Auto Guidance+ is for planning purposes only and does not replace safe navigation operations ***Free features A tablet device with Wi-Fi connectivity locates your approximate position if it is connected to Wi-Fi. A tablet Wi-Fi + 3G model operates similarly to a phone device with GPS. Wi-Fi is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance. iOS is a trademark licensed to Apple, Inc.

About

Aqua Map Boating

This app provides official, weekly updated nautical charts for marine navigation. It allows for offline map downloads, GPS track recording, and integration with onboard instruments. Enhance your boating safety and experience with advanced features like weather forecasts and AIS collision detection.

Highlights
  • Official NOAA nautical charts
  • Offline map downloads
  • GPS track recording
  • Tides and currents predictions
  • Anchor Alarm
  • NMEA instrument connectivity
  • AIS with collision detection
Features
Read full description

Free 14-day trial for all subscriptions   Aqua Map offers weekly updated OFFICIAL NAUTICAL CHARTS (NOAA) for marine navigation. Purchase a chart subscription for the area of your interest, download the map areas for offline use, and connect your onboard instruments for a complete experience. ● BASIC FEATURES - Switch between manual and auto route planning modes - Record your GPS tracks - Store and share your navigation data (markers, routes, and recorded tracks) - Display tides and currents predictions and simulations - Increase your safety with Anchor Alarm - Enable Live Sharing to interact with the Aqua Map community - Display points of interest from the "ActiveCaptain" and "Waterway Guide" communities ● EXPERT SUBSCRIPTION Note: this subscription does not include charts; it must be paired with a chart subscription. - Marine forecasts (wind, waves, currents, gusts, salinity, sea surface temperature + weather information for any point on the map) - Overlay satellite images on the charts - Advanced AnchorLink with anchorage mirroring and email/telegram notifications for greater peace of mind while anchored, even if you are away from the boat - Connect your NMEA instruments via WiFi (autopilot, depth sounder, wind sensor, compass, GPS) and use their data on the app - AIS with automatic collision detection - Route Explorer for real-time information on all elements along your route ● MASTER SUBSCRIPTION FOR THE BEST NAVIGATION EXPERIENCE Note: this subscription does not include charts; it must be paired with a chart subscription. - All features of the EXPERT subscription are included in the MASTER subscription. + LOCAL DATA: > US: Army Corps of Engineers surveys for safe navigation in shallow waters > US: LNMs and "List of Lights" navaids from the Coast Guard. > Canada: NAVWARNs from the Coast Guard. > France: Warnings, Notices and Regulations from the PING > Denmark: Warnings and Notices from the DMA > Western Australia: temporary Notices from the Transport WA   ● PURCHASE OPTIONS To access the charts, you need to purchase a chart subscription for the area of interest. Optionally, you can add the Expert subscription or the Master subscription to unlock extra navigation features and additional data. Subscription payments will be made through your account (Apple ID). The annual subscription will automatically renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before expiration. You can manage your subscription and disable automatic renewal in the account settings section after purchase. Terms of use: https://www.aquamap.app/terms-and-conditions Privacy policy: https://www.aquamap.app/privacy-policy

Screenshots

Navionics® Boating4 screens
Aqua Map Boating4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Aqua Map Boating at 65% against Navionics® Boating's 22%. Aqua Map Boating also leads on rating (4.7 vs 2.9) and update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks). Navionics® Boating's advantage is chart position (#5 vs #88). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Both are free to download. Navionics® Boating sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $49.99 per year and Aqua Map Boating sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Aqua Map Boating holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Aqua Map Boating has 14K ratings behind it against 2.4K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 22% of Navionics® Boating's written reviews are positive against 65% of Aqua Map Boating's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Navionics® Boating ships an update every 6 weeks, Aqua Map Boating weekly. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Navionics® Boating versus Aqua Map Boating: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNavionics® BoatingAqua Map Boating
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.9 (2.4K ratings)4.7 (14K ratings) — better
Positive reviews22.3% of reviews64.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2.4K14K — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#5 — better#88
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size154 MB174 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGarminGEC s.r.l.

Customer experience

Navionics® Boating

All ratings2,354 ratings
Positive41.9%
Neutral11.0%
Negative47.1%
Written reviews1,109 reviews
Positive22.3%
Neutral12.1%
Negative65.6%

Aqua Map Boating

All ratings13,793 ratings
Positive93.9%
Neutral3.0%
Negative3.1%
Written reviews299 reviews
Positive64.9%
Neutral9.0%
Negative26.1%

User reviews

Navionics® Boating

From 2.4K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great navigation app
  • 🗺️ Detailed charts and maps
  • ⚓ Useful for boating and sailing
  • 💰 Good value for money

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🔒 Login issues and unreliable offline access
  • 💰 Expensive subscription model
  • 🗺️ Inaccurate or outdated map data

Aqua Map Boating

From 14K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent navigation tool
  • 👍 Easy to use and intuitive
  • 🗺️ Detailed and accurate charts
  • 💡 Helpful features like AIS, weather, and fuel prices
  • 🤝 Responsive and helpful customer support

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional issues with map downloads and disappearing charts
  • 🔍 Lack of intuitive route planning functionality
  • 🔍 Slow map loading and tracking issues in certain areas
  • 💰 Subscription model with additional costs for map downloads

Bugs and requests

Navionics® Boating

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • GPS signal loss and position tracking issues
  • Inability to download or access previously purchased maps
  • Constant requirement to log in, even offline

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add anchor alarm feature
  • Improve route planning and waypoint functionality
  • Provide better support for multiple devices
  • Enhance user interface and customization options

Aqua Map Boating

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Inconsistent GPS tracking and positioning
  • Compatibility issues on older devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improved route planning and optimization
  • Offline map caching and seamless downloads
  • Tidal and wind data overlays
  • Sync capabilities across devices

In-app purchases

15 purchases

Navionics® Boating

Subscriptions15
  • Norway$49.991 Year
  • Baltic Sea3 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Australia & New Zealand7 Days trial$49.991 Year
Show 12 more
  • Africa & Middle East7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Mexico, Caribbean to Brazil7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Indian Ocean and South China7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Pacific Islands7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • US & Canada7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • UK, Ireland & Holland7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Chile, Argentina&Easter Island$49.991 Year
  • China Sea & Japan$49.991 Year
  • Central and West Europe7 Days trial$59.991 Year
  • Mediterranean & Black Sea7 Days trial$59.991 Year
  • Adriatic & Ionian Seas7 Days trial$69.991 Year
  • Scandinavia S. & Germany N.$99.991 Year
17 purchases

Aqua Map Boating

Subscriptions15
  • Florida - NOAA Nautical chart14 Days trial$4.991 Year
  • Alabama to Texas charts14 Days trial$4.991 Year
  • Cape Cod to Chesapeake Charts14 Days trial$4.991 Year
Show 12 more
  • New England - Nautical charts14 Days trial$4.991 Year
  • Virginia to Georgia - Charts14 Days trial$4.991 Year
  • Midwest-Minnesota lake charts14 Days trial$4.991 Year
  • Michigan & Great Lakes chart14 Days trial$4.991 Year
  • US - Nautical & Lakes charts14 Days trial$9.991 Year
  • Canada - nautical charts14 Days trial$9.991 Year
  • US & Canada - nautical charts14 Days trial$14.991 Year
  • Caribbean South Nautical chart14 Days trial$14.991 Year
  • Bermuda - nautical charts14 Days trial$14.991 Year
  • Aqua Map Expert14 Days trial$14.991 Year
  • Aqua Map Master14 Days trial$24.991 Year
  • Bahamas - Explorer Charts14 Days trial$49.991 Year
One-time2
  • US & Canada - Nautical chart$49.99
  • Bahamas - Explorer Chartbooks$139.99

Questions

Is Navionics® Boating free?
Navionics® Boating is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Aqua Map Boating free?
Aqua Map Boating is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Navionics® Boating or Aqua Map Boating?
Aqua Map Boating is rated higher. Navionics® Boating averages 2.9 out of 5 from 2.4K ratings, while Aqua Map Boating averages 4.7 from 14K ratings.
Do Navionics® Boating or Aqua Map Boating have ads?
Neither Navionics® Boating nor Aqua Map Boating shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Navionics® Boating or Aqua Map Boating?
Navionics® Boating ships an update every 6 weeks, and Aqua Map Boating weekly. Most recently, Navionics® Boating was updated on November 1, 2026 and Aqua Map Boating on November 1, 2026.
Which is more popular, Navionics® Boating or Aqua Map Boating?
Navionics® Boating currently peaks at #5 in the App Store charts, and Aqua Map Boating at #88. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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