# ASAM vs VARE

The clearest difference is update cadence: VARE at every 3 days against ASAM's every 30 months. VARE also leads on iOS requirement (12.4 vs 14.0). ASAM's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 75%). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for ASAM against 4.7 for VARE. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 15 and 12 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of ASAM's written reviews are positive against 75% of VARE's.

ASAM ships an update every 30 months, VARE every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ASAM | VARE |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/asam/id935822509/reviews) | **[4.7 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vare/id1503031565/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **15** | 12 |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 75.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 30 months | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 7 MB | 96 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **12.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency](https://appshunter.io/developer/935822508) | [VareTech Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1481002168) |

## What reviewers say

### ASAM

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/asam/id935822509)

Access and search detailed reports on hostile maritime activities like piracy and kidnapping. This app provides critical safety information for mariners, enabling them to recognize, prevent, and avoid potential threats at sea, even without an internet connection.

**Highlights:** Download anti-shipping activity messages, Search and view incident reports, Query maritime activity data, Offline access to reports, Increase maritime safety awareness, View geographic locations of incidents

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### VARE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vare/id1503031565)

This app connects voters with their elected officials by comparing user views to representative policies. It helps users understand how their elected officials align with their interests and informs voting decisions. Users can quickly assess representation and identify suitable candidates.

**Highlights:** Match voter views with representative policies, Understand policy alignment, Identify voting interests, Influence representative actions, Discover candidates

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ASAM free?

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

### Is VARE free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ASAM or VARE?

VARE is rated higher. ASAM averages 4.5 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while VARE averages 4.7 from 12 ratings.

### Do ASAM or VARE have ads?

Neither ASAM nor VARE shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ASAM or VARE?

ASAM ships an update every 30 months, and VARE every 3 days. Most recently, ASAM was updated on November 1, 2026 and VARE on October 24, 2026.

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