Comparison

VesselFinder vs Ship Radar 24

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Real-time vessel tracking
  • Vessel movement history
  • Predicted routes and ETAs
  • Comprehensive vessel particulars
  • Port call details
  • My Fleet for favorite vessels
  • Weather overlays
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

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

About

Ship Radar 24

Track ships live with AIS data, view routes, and get arrival times. Access detailed ship and port information, and manage your favorite vessels. Ideal for maritime enthusiasts and industry professionals.

Highlights
  • Live ship tracking with AIS
  • View ship routes and schedules
  • Detailed ship and port information
  • Fleet management for favorite vessels
  • Arrival planning
  • Nautical charts and bathymetry
Features
Read full description

Dive into the vastness of the ocean with our new Ship Radar 24 app! Whether you're a passionate maritime enthusiast, an industry expert, or simply a travel-loving explorer, our app offers a variety of features tailored to your needs. For maritime enthusiasts: Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of shipping! Our ship radar allows you to track ship traffic live and receive instant information on ship routes, destinations, and estimated times of arrival. You'll also get exciting details such as ship types, call signs, and specific information, providing a unique experience for both leisure and professional use. For port staff and coastal residents: With our app, you'll always be up-to-date on current port operations and be notified immediately when new ships arrive. Key features: Live Ship Tracking: Track the positions, routes, and schedules of ships in real time with our live AIS traffic feature. Arrival Planning: Get early information about scheduled ship arrivals at ports to better plan your trips. Port Details: Access comprehensive port information, including country affiliation, codes, and the number of ships that have called in. Fleet Management: Manage your favorite vessels individually—add, remove, or keep track of them with our Vessel Tracker. Intuitive Search: Easily find specific ports or ships and discover detailed vessel information with our user-friendly ship tracking feature. With its modern design and intuitive operation, our Ship Tracker app is the ideal tool for exploring the world of seafaring. Stay up-to-date, plan your trips efficiently, and effortlessly enjoy the adventure of the seas! Discover the endless expanse of the ocean with our innovative Marine Radar app! Whether you're a passionate sailing enthusiast, a seasoned industry professional, or an adventurous globetrotter – this app was designed to perfectly meet your needs and requirements. >> Up to 2,000 ships in the fleet >> Real-time SAT-AIS radar >> Historical routes & predicted routes >> Ship and port database >> Current nautical charts >> Bathymetry >> Satellite imagery >> Water levels >> Geolocation >> Navigational aids >> Fleet manager >> Weather charts >> Routing system >> Trip planner / manual routing >> Filter systemRouting >> Filtersystem

Screenshots

VesselFinder4 screens
Ship Radar 244 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Ship Radar 24 at 100% against VesselFinder's 28%. Ship Radar 24 also leads on ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). VesselFinder's advantage is chart position (#206 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

VesselFinder ships an update fortnightly, Ship Radar 24 every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 15, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
VesselFinder versus Ship Radar 24: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVesselFinderShip Radar 24
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (232 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews28.2% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings232 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#206 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size47 MB188 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAstraPaging Ltd.Enrico Schulze

Customer experience

VesselFinder

All ratings232 ratings
Positive78.4%
Neutral2.2%
Negative19.4%
Written reviews220 reviews
Positive28.2%
Neutral6.4%
Negative65.5%

Ship Radar 24

Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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
Show 10 more
  • 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
Show 8 more
  • 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

Ship Radar 24

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

VesselFinder

No in-app purchases

None

Ship Radar 24

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is VesselFinder free?
VesselFinder is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ship Radar 24 free?
Ship Radar 24 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do VesselFinder or Ship Radar 24 have ads?
VesselFinder shows ads; Ship Radar 24 does not.
Which is updated more often, VesselFinder or Ship Radar 24?
VesselFinder ships an update fortnightly, and Ship Radar 24 every 3 weeks. Most recently, VesselFinder was updated on October 15, 2026 and Ship Radar 24 on October 15, 2026.

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