Comparison

Aqua Map Boating vs Sailmate

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

Head to head
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

About

Sailmate

This app offers worldwide charts, weather forecasts, and route planning for sailors and boaters. Connect with a community to share locations, rate marinas, and view events. It also includes a signal code identifier and country flags.

Highlights
  • Worldwide nautical charts
  • Offline chart downloads
  • 5-day wind and weather predictions
  • Route planning and ETA
  • Trip recording and sharing
  • Community marina ratings and events
  • International signal code identifier
Features
Read full description

Sailmate is a free and easy to use app for sailors and boaters. It provides charts worldwide showing thousands of harbours and marinas and their characteristics, along with numerous buoys, beacons and lights. A directory conveniently sort harbours per countries and regions. In addition to Sailmate own charts, thousands of nautical charts from various authorities could be downloaded and viewed offline, in the USA, Alaska and Hawai (NOAA), France (Shom), Finland, Norway. A comprehensive weather menu gives instant access to weather data, including wind 5-day predictions, actual and forecast weather at thousand of locations, satellite charts. A moving map provides route planning, ETA, heading to waypoint and more. You could create an unlimited number of personal waypoints. Sailmate records performed trips and allow to review later boat paths or share them with friends. You could take pictures during trips, and view them at their location on the map. This social app allows sailors and boaters to exchange together, rate marinas and suppliers, view events, share good anchorage locations... An helpful annex is provided to quickly identify any signal from the international signal code and any country flag.

Screenshots

Aqua Map Boating4 screens
Sailmate4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Aqua Map Boating at 64% against Sailmate's 17%. Aqua Map Boating also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.0) and update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks). Sailmate's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). 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. Aqua Map Boating sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year and Sailmate sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. 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 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Aqua Map Boating has 14K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of Aqua Map Boating's written reviews are positive against 17% of Sailmate's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Aqua Map Boating ships an update weekly, Sailmate every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Aqua Map Boating versus Sailmate: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAqua Map BoatingSailmate
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (14K ratings) — better3.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews64.4% of reviews — better16.7% of reviews
Number of ratings14K — better1
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#87 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.09.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size174 MB144 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGEC s.r.l.Myriel Aviation SA

Customer experience

Aqua Map Boating

All ratings13,773 ratings
Positive93.9%
Neutral2.9%
Negative3.1%
Written reviews295 reviews
Positive64.4%
Neutral9.2%
Negative26.4%

Sailmate

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive16.7%
Neutral16.7%
Negative66.7%

Bugs and requests

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

Sailmate

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

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
1 purchases

Sailmate

One-time1
  • France SHOM chart subscription$54.99

Questions

Is Aqua Map Boating free?
Aqua Map Boating is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sailmate free?
Sailmate is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Aqua Map Boating or Sailmate?
Aqua Map Boating is rated higher. Aqua Map Boating averages 4.7 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while Sailmate averages 3.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Aqua Map Boating or Sailmate have ads?
Neither Aqua Map Boating nor Sailmate shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Aqua Map Boating or Sailmate?
Aqua Map Boating ships an update weekly, and Sailmate every 6 weeks. Most recently, Aqua Map Boating was updated on October 16, 2026 and Sailmate on October 7, 2026.

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