# CMonster vs Salt Strong

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Salt Strong at 76% against CMonster's 13%. Salt Strong also leads on rating (4.7 vs 2.1) and update cadence (every 6 days vs every 3 months). CMonster's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Salt Strong sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. CMonster asks for nothing beyond the download.

Salt Strong holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Salt Strong has 965 ratings behind it against 101, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 13% of CMonster's written reviews are positive against 76% of Salt Strong's.

CMonster ships an update every 3 months, Salt Strong every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CMonster | Salt Strong |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.1 (101 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cmonster/id938407650/reviews) | **[4.7 (965 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/salt-strong-smart-spots/id6459022829/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 101 | **965** |
| Positive reviews | 13.0% of reviews | **75.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#61** |
| Size | 38 MB | 128 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [JL Marine Systems](https://appshunter.io/developer/938407649) | [Salt Strong LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1230070212) |

## What reviewers say

### CMonster

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cmonster/id938407650)

Control your Power-Pole Shallow Water Anchor with this app via Bluetooth LE. It offers advanced boat control for sport fishing. Requires ownership of compatible Power-Pole devices.

**Highlights:** Bluetooth LE control, Power-Pole device operation, Advanced boat control, Sport fishing enhancement

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Convenient app control
- 👍 Useful for battery management
- 👍 Emergency start function
- 👍 Good customer service (mentioned once)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent connection issues
- 🐛 App crashes often
- 🐛 Incompatible with Micro anchor
- 🐛 Does not work with iOS devices (specifically Micro)
- 🐛 Battery balancing problems

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot connect to server
- App crashes constantly
- App does not find the micro anchor
- App does not work with micro power pole on IOS
- App will not stay linked up with iPhone

**Requested features**

- Improve Bluetooth connectivity
- App compatibility for Micro anchor
- Fix ISO version issues
- Add battery information settings
- Improve app compatibility for iOS


### Salt Strong

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/salt-strong-smart-spots/id6459022829)

**Currently charting:** #61 Top Grossing · Sports (US App Store)

This app helps inshore saltwater anglers find prime fishing locations using expert-curated data and real-time conditions. It provides detailed forecasts, strike scores, and access to a community for enhanced fishing success.

**Highlights:** Proprietary Smart Spots, 14 Day Tide Forecasts, Daily Strike Score, Hourly Feeding Projections, Oyster beds and Seagrass layers, Access to Insider Club, Free tackle and discounts

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SFS App Only Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| SFS App Only Yearly | $59.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $97.00 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Informative and intuitive
- 🔍 Helpful for finding new fishing spots
- ⭐ Game-changing for fishing success
- 📊 Comprehensive data and features
- 🗺️ Accurate maps and satellite imagery

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐌 Laggy and freezes up at times
- 🔍 Inaccurate or limited coverage in some areas
- 🧭 Needs better offline/GPS functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Login/account issues
- Crashes and freezes

**Requested features**

- Offline map downloads
- More detailed bathymetry data
- Improved weather forecasting and integration


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CMonster free?

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

### Is Salt Strong free?

Salt Strong is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, CMonster or Salt Strong?

Salt Strong is rated higher. CMonster averages 2.1 out of 5 from 101 ratings, while Salt Strong averages 4.7 from 965 ratings.

### Do CMonster or Salt Strong have ads?

Neither CMonster nor Salt Strong shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CMonster or Salt Strong?

CMonster ships an update every 3 months, and Salt Strong every 6 days. Most recently, CMonster was updated on November 1, 2026 and Salt Strong on November 12, 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.*