Comparison

Aqua Map Boating vs Anchor Buddy

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

Anchor Buddy

This app helps boaters monitor their vessel's position and safety zone while anchored. It provides continuous background tracking and critical alerts for potential issues like anchor dragging or GPS inaccuracies.

Highlights
  • Anchor and safe zone radius definition
  • Continuous background monitoring
  • Critical alerts for dragging and GPS
  • GPS-based precision tracking
  • User-friendly interface
Features
Read full description

Embark with confidence using Anchor Buddy, your essential anchor watch companion. Designed for boaters who prioritize safety and simplicity, our app delivers a dependable system to monitor your vessel's position, ensuring you remain safely within your predefined zone. - Anchor & Safe Zone Radius: Easily mark your anchor location and define a safety radius for drift. - Continuous Background Monitoring: Vigilantly tracks your location when anchored, operating smoothly in the background. - Critical Alerts: Get notified about location unavailability, unsafe GPS accuracy, and potential anchor dragging. - GPS-Based Precision: Advanced GPS technology for accurate, real-time monitoring. - User-Friendly Interface: Simple, intuitive interface that caters to both experienced sailors and recreational boaters alike. Enjoy peace of mind on the water knowing that Anchor Buddy is keeping a watchful eye on your vessel. Download Anchor Buddy now for a worry-free boating experience.

Screenshots

Aqua Map Boating4 screens
Anchor Buddy3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Aqua Map Boating at 64% against Anchor Buddy's 0%. Aqua Map Boating also leads on price (Free vs $4.99) and ratings volume (14K vs 8). Anchor Buddy's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 17). On ads 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

Aqua Map Boating is free to download; Anchor Buddy costs $4.99 up front. Aqua Map Boating sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. Anchor Buddy asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Aqua Map Boating holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Aqua Map Boating has 14K ratings behind it against 8, 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 0% of Anchor Buddy's.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
Aqua Map Boating versus Anchor Buddy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAqua Map BoatingAnchor Buddy
PriceFree — better$4.99
Rating4.7 (14K ratings) — better4.5 (8 ratings)
Positive reviews64.4% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings14K — better8
Update frequencyWeekly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank#81 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size174 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGEC s.r.l.Universal Queue LLC

Customer experience

Aqua Map Boating

All ratings13,793 ratings
Positive93.9%
Neutral3.0%
Negative3.1%
Written reviews295 reviews
Positive64.4%
Neutral9.2%
Negative26.4%

Anchor Buddy

All ratings8 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

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

Anchor Buddy

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
None

Anchor Buddy

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Aqua Map Boating free?
Aqua Map Boating is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Anchor Buddy free?
Anchor Buddy costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Aqua Map Boating or Anchor Buddy?
Aqua Map Boating is rated higher. Aqua Map Boating averages 4.7 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while Anchor Buddy averages 4.5 from 8 ratings.
Do Aqua Map Boating or Anchor Buddy have ads?
Neither Aqua Map Boating nor Anchor Buddy shows ads.

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