# Aqua Map Boating vs Nearest Light

The clearest difference is rating: Aqua Map Boating at 4.7 against Nearest Light's 3.7. Aqua Map Boating also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (14K vs 6). Nearest Light's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 17) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Aqua Map Boating sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. Nearest Light asks for nothing beyond the download.

Aqua Map Boating holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Aqua Map Boating has 14K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 64% of Aqua Map Boating's written reviews are positive against 67% of Nearest Light's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Aqua Map Boating ships an update weekly, Nearest Light every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Aqua Map Boating | Nearest Light |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aqua-map-boating/id919552329/reviews)** | [3.7 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nearest-light/id1393531030/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **14K** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 64.4% of reviews | **66.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#87** | — |
| Size | 174 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [GEC s.r.l.](https://appshunter.io/developer/675562886) | [Clint O'Connor](https://appshunter.io/developer/1381484045) |

## What reviewers say

### Aqua Map Boating

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aqua-map-boating/id919552329)

**Currently charting:** #87 Top Grossing · Navigation (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Florida - NOAA Nautical chart | $4.99 | per year |
| Alabama to Texas charts | $4.99 | per year |
| Cape Cod to Chesapeake Charts | $4.99 | per year |
| New England - Nautical charts | $4.99 | per year |
| Virginia to Georgia - Charts | $4.99 | per year |
| Midwest-Minnesota lake charts | $4.99 | per year |
| Michigan & Great Lakes chart | $4.99 | per year |
| US - Nautical & Lakes charts | $9.99 | per year |
| Canada - nautical charts | $9.99 | per year |
| US & Canada - nautical charts | $14.99 | per year |
| Caribbean South Nautical chart | $14.99 | per year |
| Bermuda - nautical charts | $14.99 | per year |
| Aqua Map Expert | $14.99 | per year |
| Aqua Map Master | $24.99 | per year |
| Bahamas - Explorer Charts | $49.99 | per year |
| US & Canada - Nautical chart | $49.99 | one-time |
| Bahamas - Explorer Chartbooks | $139.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent GPS tracking and positioning
- Compatibility issues on older devices

**Requested features**

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


### Nearest Light

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nearest-light/id1393531030)

This app provides U.S. water navigation information, displaying your location and details on nearby aids like buoys and lights. It downloads weekly U.S. Coast Guard Light List data and includes relevant Local Notice for Mariners information.

**Highlights:** Displays user location, Shows surrounding aids to navigation, Downloads weekly U.S. Coast Guard Light List, Includes Local Notice for Mariners, Supports multiple U.S. Coast Guard districts

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Aqua Map Boating free?

Aqua Map Boating is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Nearest Light free?

Nearest Light is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Aqua Map Boating or Nearest Light?

Aqua Map Boating is rated higher. Aqua Map Boating averages 4.7 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while Nearest Light averages 3.7 from 6 ratings.

### Do Aqua Map Boating or Nearest Light have ads?

Neither Aqua Map Boating nor Nearest Light shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Aqua Map Boating or Nearest Light?

Aqua Map Boating ships an update weekly, and Nearest Light every 3 months. Most recently, Aqua Map Boating was updated on October 18, 2026 and Nearest Light on September 28, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*