# SeaNav vs Hip Charts

The clearest difference is rating: SeaNav at 4.4 against Hip Charts's 3.5. SeaNav also leads on review sentiment (55% vs 25%) and ratings volume (251 vs 8). Hip Charts's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 18). On price, update cadence, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SeaNav sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. Hip Charts asks for nothing beyond the download.

SeaNav holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SeaNav has 251 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of SeaNav's written reviews are positive against 25% of Hip Charts's.

SeaNav ships an update monthly, Hip Charts every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SeaNav | Hip Charts |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (251 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seanav/id857841271/reviews)** | [3.5 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hip-charts/id6443591337/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **251** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | **54.7% of reviews** | 25.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 158 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pocket Mariner Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/719592131) | [Walk About Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/480229755) |

## What reviewers say

### SeaNav

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/seanav/id857841271)

This app provides high-resolution marine charts, route planning, and real-time navigation for boaters. It offers features like AIS ship tracking, tide and weather information, and offline chart access. Advanced capabilities include augmented reality views and autopilot integration.

**Highlights:** High-resolution marine charts, Autoroute planning, Real-time GPS navigation, AIS ship tracking, Tides and weather, Offline chart access, Augmented Reality View

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (18)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weather charts | $4.99 | per year |
| New Zealand Charts | $5.99 | per year |
| NOAA US Raster Charts | $9.99 | per year |
| US Charts | $9.99 | per month |
| Pro Features | $10.49 | per year |
| Bermuda and BVI Charts | $12.99 | per year |
| Italy, Sardinia and Sicily | $17.99 | per year |
| Norwegian Charts | $18.49 | per year |
| US Charts | $19.99 | per year |
| Portuguese Charts | $19.99 | per year |
| BE & NL Charts | $20.99 | per year |
| Spanish Charts | $24.99 | per year |
| UK & IE Charts | $24.99 | per year |
| French Charts | $24.99 | per year |
| Canadian Charts | $26.99 | per year |
| Croatian Charts | $28.49 | per year |
| Man Overboard & Anchor Watch | $4.99 | one-time |
| Pro Features | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use and great price
- 👍 Much easier to use than competitors
- 👍 UKHO Charts at a reasonable price
- 👍 Intuitive interface, clear and uncluttered
- 👍 Supports NMEA data integration

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frozen/locked app
- 💰 Neil and dime for everything
- ❌ Not picking up vessels or ship traffic
- ❌ Charts not good, weather not working
- ❌ Difficult to download and update charts

**Reported bugs**

- Frozen/locked app
- Not picking up vessels or ship traffic
- App does not open
- Crashes after crashes
- Sailing mode crash

**Requested features**

- Can you see water depth on Apple Watch?
- Download all purchased charts button
- Update all purchased charts button
- Legend for symbols and colors
- Brief chart reading explainer


### Hip Charts

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hip-charts/id6443591337)

Access NOAA nautical charts for free on your mobile devices. View charts online and download single areas for offline use. Additional features like multiple offline downloads and custom boundaries require a purchase.

**Highlights:** Unlimited online NOAA chart viewing, Download single chart areas for offline use, Automatic chart loading, Cellular and WiFi chart downloads, Custom download boundaries (paid)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SeaNav free?

SeaNav is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Hip Charts free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SeaNav or Hip Charts?

SeaNav is rated higher. SeaNav averages 4.4 out of 5 from 251 ratings, while Hip Charts averages 3.5 from 8 ratings.

### Do SeaNav or Hip Charts have ads?

Neither SeaNav nor Hip Charts shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SeaNav or Hip Charts?

SeaNav ships an update monthly, and Hip Charts every 3 weeks. Most recently, SeaNav was updated on October 26, 2026 and Hip Charts on October 24, 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.*