Comparison

Aqua Map Boating vs Helm Boating

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

Helm Boating

Features
Read full description

Helm is a US marine navigation app for boaters who run shallow, unfamiliar or poorly charted water and want to know what is under the hull before they get there. YOUR DRAFT IS PART OF THE CHART Enter your boat's draft once. Helm shades the water you cannot safely cross and plans routes around it, instead of drawing a straight line through a two-foot shoal. DEPTH AGAINST YOUR DRAFT Helm reads depth from NOAA electronic navigational charts on the coast and the Great Lakes, and from the US Army Corps of Engineers Inland ENC on the rivers. Where a NOAA tide station is close enough, it adds the predicted tide and tells you whether that leaves enough water under your keel. TIDES AND CURRENTS Tide predictions come from NOAA CO-OPS against the MLLW datum. Tidal current arrows rotate with the time you scrub to, so you can see whether you will be pushed or held back before you commit to a pass. WEATHER YOU CAN READ AT A GLANCE Animated wind, wave and current overlays on the chart. A multi-day strip with three-hour columns for wind, gusts, air temperature and rain, plus water temperature where data exists. Outside US waters the forecast falls back to a global model so the app still works. OFFLINE FIRST Coverage is packaged into downloadable chart packs. Take the ones you need and leave the rest. Once a pack is on the device, the chart, depth and the anchor alarm keep working with no cell service, and so does routing in the coastal and Great Lakes regions. That is the point on open water. WHILE YOU ARE UNDERWAY - Depth, speed over ground and course over ground on one strip - Anchor alarm that wakes you if you drag - Nearby vessels on AIS - Satellite and night chart styles - Trips you run recorded to a logbook you can replay QUESTIONS PEOPLE ASK Does it work without cell signal? Yes. Download the chart packs for your area first and the app keeps working offline, including depth, the anchor alarm and routing in the coastal and Great Lakes regions. Is it only for the ocean? No. Coastal water, the intracoastal, the Great Lakes and the major commercial rivers are charted, and the lakes in every state are on the map by name and shoreline. What makes it different from other chart apps? Most of them render a chart and leave the depth judgement to you. Helm knows your draft, reads the charted depth against it with the predicted tide, and plans around water that is too thin for your boat. Does it work on iPad? Yes, natively — a real iPad layout rather than a stretched phone screen. Can I use it for fishing? Yes. Save spots, read the depth contours around them and return to the same place later from your recorded trips. Is it good for a small boat? That is the case it was built for. Small boats in shallow water are where a generic chart app is least useful and where knowing your draft matters most. Helm is built by Loop Mobile FZCO. Privacy Policy: https://loopmobile.io/privacy.html Terms of Use: https://loopmobile.io/tos.html

Screenshots

Aqua Map Boating4 screens
Helm Boating4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Aqua Map Boating at none against Helm Boating's shown. Aqua Map Boating also leads on chart position (#89 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). 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. Aqua Map Boating sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year and Helm Boating sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Aqua Map Boating versus Helm Boating: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAqua Map BoatingHelm Boating
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (14K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews64.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings14K — better—
Update frequencyWeeklyWeekly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
Best chart rank#89 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size174 MB72 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGEC s.r.l.LOOP MOBILE FZCO

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

Helm Boating

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
2 purchases

Helm Boating

Subscriptions2
  • Premium3 Days trial$19.991 Month
  • Premium3 Days trial$99.991 Year

Questions

Is Aqua Map Boating free?
Aqua Map Boating is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Helm Boating free?
Helm Boating is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Aqua Map Boating or Helm Boating have ads?
Helm Boating shows ads; Aqua Map Boating does not.
Which is updated more often, Aqua Map Boating or Helm Boating?
Aqua Map Boating ships an update weekly, and Helm Boating weekly. Most recently, Aqua Map Boating was updated on November 1, 2026 and Helm Boating on October 29, 2026.

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