VesselFinder vs MyShipTracking
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
VesselFinder
Track ships and monitor maritime traffic globally in real-time. Access detailed vessel information, movement history, and predicted routes. Ideal for maritime professionals and enthusiasts alike.
- Real-time vessel tracking
- Vessel movement history
- Predicted routes and ETAs
- Comprehensive vessel particulars
- Port call details
- My Fleet for favorite vessels
- Weather overlays
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VesselFinder is the world’s most popular and trusted vessel tracking and marine traffic app, delivering real-time information on ship positions and movements worldwide. Using a powerful network of satellites, roaming and terrestrial AIS receivers, VesselFinder provides accurate and up-to-date insight into global maritime activity. Designed for maritime professionals, shipping enthusiasts, and anyone interested in live ship tracking, VesselFinder offers a fast, intuitive, and reliable way to explore vessel traffic across the globe. VesselFinder key features: • Real-time tracking of over 300,000 vessels daily using global AIS data • Vessel movement history with track visualization • Predicted routes and ETAs to next port • Comprehensive vessel particulars, including technical specifications, and cargo capacity information • Contact details for the owning company, manager, ISM manager, and more • Port Calls per vessel, showing arrival times and duration of stay • Port Calls per port, with detailed lists of expected vessels, arrivals, departures, and ships currently in port • My Fleet – save and monitor favorite vessels, synchronized with your VesselFinder account • My Views – save preferred map views for fast and easy navigation • Ship Photos contributed by the VesselFinder user community • Multiple map styles: Simple, Detailed, Dark, Satellite, and Nautical • Weather overlays, including wind, waves, and temperature • See your location feature for instant orientation • Distance measurement tool for route and range estimation Vessel visibility depends on AIS signal availability, with near-shore coverage consistent with the data provided on VesselFinder.com. If a vessel is outside our terrestrial AIS coverage area, its last reported position will be displayed and updated as soon as new data is received. Extended real-time coverage via satellite and roaming AIS sources is available through a subscription. While we make every effort to ensure accuracy, the completeness of the information cannot be guaranteed. Connect with VesselFinder • Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/vesselfinder • Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/vesselfinder
MyShipTracking
Monitor global maritime traffic using real-time Automatic Identification System (AIS) data. Access detailed vessel information, port data, and weather overlays. Manage your fleet and receive alerts for movements within custom areas.
- Real-time ship tracking
- Extensive vessel database
- Port database and calls
- Fleet management
- Custom area tracking
- Real-time notifications
- Weather overlays
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Discover the world of maritime traffic with MyShipTracking. Utilize the power of Automatic Identification System (AIS) data to monitor vessels across the globe. Whether you're a maritime professional or an enthusiast, MyShipTracking offers detailed vessel information. Key Features: Real-Time Tracking: Experience real-time ship tracking within the coverage area of our extensive AIS station network. Keep up with comprehensive AIS data where available, ensuring you stay informed about vessel movements in regions covered by our network. Extensive Vessel Database: Access detailed information on cargo ships, tankers, yachts, and more. Customize overlays for an enhanced tracking experience. Port Database & Calls: Stay informed with up-to-date information on global ports and their incoming and outgoing traffic. Fleet Management: Easily manage and monitor your own fleet with personalized tracking. Custom Area Drawing: Define and monitor custom areas on the map for targeted tracking. Real-Time Notifications: Receive instant alerts on vessel movements and changes within your areas of interest. Photo Uploads: Contribute by uploading photos of vessels, enhancing the community-driven database. Weather Overlays: Plan and track with real-time weather information, including wind and temperature overlays. MyShipTracking is your gateway to understanding and engaging with the maritime world. Whether for professional use or personal interest, our app brings the vastness of the sea closer than ever. Download now and start tracking! For our terms of service, please refer to Apple’s Standard Terms of Use at: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: VesselFinder at none against MyShipTracking's 4. VesselFinder also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and chart position (#197 vs unranked). MyShipTracking's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.4 vs 4.1). On price, monetization model 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
Both are free to download. MyShipTracking sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $17.99 per month. VesselFinder asks for nothing beyond the download.
MyShipTracking holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MyShipTracking has 4.5K ratings behind it against 232, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 28% of VesselFinder's written reviews are positive against 40% of MyShipTracking's.
VesselFinder ships an update fortnightly, MyShipTracking every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | VesselFinder | MyShipTracking |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (232 ratings) | 4.4 (4.5K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 27.9% of reviews | 39.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 232 | 4.5K — better |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #197 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 47 MB | 74 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | AstraPaging Ltd. | Nativity |
Customer experience
VesselFinder
MyShipTracking
User reviews
VesselFinder
From 232 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Simple and intuitive user interface
- 💰 Free version provides basic functionality
- 🗺️ Clear map display with sea blue and land green
- 📊 Comprehensive vessel information available
- ⚓ Good for casual ship tracking and hobbyists
Room to improve
- ⏱️ Severely outdated vessel position data (days old)
- 🐛 App freezes on startup/splash screen frequently
- 💸 Misleading free version with limited functionality
- 🔄 Inconsistent and unreliable data updates
- ❌ Search functionality requires paid version
MyShipTracking
From 4.5K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Real-time tracking
- 🔍 Detailed ship information
- 📍 Accurate location data
- 💡 Useful for ship enthusiasts
Room to improve
- 🐛 Inaccurate or outdated ship positions
- 📵 Lack of real-time updates
- 🔍 Missing ship details
- 📺 Excessive advertisements
- 🔒 Login issues
Bugs and requests
VesselFinder
Reported bugs
15 issues- App freezes on splash screen and won't load
- Crashes when attempting to zoom on map
- Black screen display on certain devices
- App won't open or opens after long delays
- Crashes on iOS 11 and newer versions
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- Incompatible with iPhone X and newer models
- Data not updating for days or weeks
- Crashes when searching for vessels
- Freezing issues after recent updates
- Map not displaying on iPad
- App crashes in low power mode
- Vessel information not loading correctly
- Inconsistent performance across iOS versions
- App becomes unstable after working briefly
- Zoom functionality broken in multiple versions
Requested features
13 requests- Real-time GPS tracking instead of delayed AIS data
- Distance measurement tool restoration
- German language support
- Destination and departure information display
- Ability to remove ads without expensive pro version
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- Better search functionality in free version
- Vessel departure time information
- Improved map zoom functionality
- Live results in search function
- Picture display before clicking on vessel
- Better map background/quality
- Local time display instead of UTC only
- Ability to delete incorrect vessel photos from profile
MyShipTracking
Reported bugs
3 issues- App crashes or freezes
- Inability to add ships to fleet
- Incorrect ship locations or information
Requested features
4 requests- Improved map view with more features
- Ability to track specific ships
- Notification system for ship arrivals/departures
- Offline mode or caching for better performance
In-app purchases
VesselFinder
No in-app purchases
MyShipTracking
- Chief Officer3 Days trial$17.991 Month
- Captain3 Days trial$22.991 Month
- Chief Officer3 Days trial$49.991 Year
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- Captain3 Days trial$89.991 Year
Questions
Is VesselFinder free?
Is MyShipTracking free?
Which has better reviews, VesselFinder or MyShipTracking?
Do VesselFinder or MyShipTracking have ads?
Which is updated more often, VesselFinder or MyShipTracking?
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