Comparison

CMonster vs RipCharts

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

CMonster

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
Read full description

Over the past decade the Power-Pole Shallow Water Anchor has changed the world of sport fishing by offering the most technologically advanced boat control system ever invented. The C-Monster application is designed exclusively for controlling the operations of Power-Pole devices using Bluetooth LE connection. You must own Power-Pole devices to use this application. Currently, the iOS app is only compatible with Power-Pole hydraulic models built late January 2015 or after. This can be confirmed if the serial number ends in “AC” for the 8’ Blade or “AA” for any other hydraulic model. An add-on iOS module will soon be available to allow existing C-Monster equipped Power-Pole models not matching the criteria listed to utilize this app.

About

RipCharts

Access industry-leading satellite fishing maps for offshore fishermen. Evaluate recent satellite imagery to find favorable fishing conditions. View, download, and navigate with detailed data layers for informed decision-making at sea.

Highlights
  • Satellite imagery analysis
  • Near real-time data layers
  • Offline map downloads
  • Multi-touch map navigation
  • Customizable SST color ranges
  • GPS navigation
  • Pre-loaded fishing hotspots
Features
Read full description

Welcome to RipCharts, an industry leader in satellite fishing maps. This app is free to download for existing RipCharts Premium subscribers. If you are new to RipCharts, then we allow you to purchase a new RipCharts subscription via an In App Purchase. Please contact us if you have questions or would like a complementary demo The RipCharts mobile app is a powerful tool that enables offshore fishermen to evaluate recent satellite imagery in order to determine favorable fishing conditions. Search for, view, and download maps of near realtime satellite imagery onto your device to take with you offshore. View the latest imagery datasets: Raw SST orbit scans Composite SST (1day, 3day) Multi-Res/Cloud Free SST Sub-Surface SST. 0m, -25m, -50m, -100m 5 day SST forecast models Chlorophyll Chlorophyll/Cloud mashups Chlorophyll composites True Color Altimetry Currents Salinity Bathymetry Map Features: Use the multi touch map to zoom, pan, view waypoints, and overlay additional data layers to gain insight into where the most favorable fishing zones are located. Mapping Tools: Measure distances and headings between points Dynamically customize temp/color ranges on SST maps to identify subtle breaks - powerful feature! Overlay bathymetry, altimetry, currents, and Loran layers Tap the map to receive point information (lat, lon, depth, SST) Popular waypoints and fishing hotspots come pre-loaded Manage your personal waypoints (add, edit, delete) Save imagery to your device for offline/offshore use Show your position and navigate on saved imagery using GPS satellites "Go Here" navigation with bearing, ETA, and speed displays Floater oil rig positions updated twice daily (Gulf of Mexico only)

Screenshots

CMonster4 screens
RipCharts4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: RipCharts at 71% against CMonster's 13%. RipCharts also leads on rating (4.8 vs 2.1) and update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). CMonster's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. RipCharts sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. CMonster asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

RipCharts holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 101 and 488 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 13% of CMonster's written reviews are positive against 71% of RipCharts's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CMonster ships an update every 3 months, RipCharts monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
CMonster versus RipCharts: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCMonsterRipCharts
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.1 (101 ratings)4.8 (488 ratings) — better
Positive reviews13.0% of reviews71.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings101488 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS12.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB156 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJL Marine SystemsRipCharts

Customer experience

CMonster

All ratings101 ratings
Positive20.8%
Neutral10.9%
Negative68.3%
Written reviews46 reviews
Positive13.0%
Neutral2.2%
Negative84.8%

RipCharts

All ratings488 ratings
Positive95.7%
Neutral1.6%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews49 reviews
Positive71.4%
Neutral4.1%
Negative24.5%

User reviews

CMonster

From 101 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

RipCharts

From 488 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎯 Accurate fish location prediction
  • 💰 Cost-effective compared to fuel expenses
  • 🌊 Excellent water temperature and SST tracking
  • 📊 Multiple daily satellite imagery updates
  • 🗺️ Useful overlay and layer features

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Pinch-to-zoom functionality broken
  • 🐛 App freezes and crashes frequently
  • 📊 Pixelated map display quality
  • 🌍 Limited geographic coverage (missing regions)
  • ⏰ Delayed satellite image updates

Bugs and requests

CMonster

Reported bugs

53 issues
  • 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
Show 48 more
  • App randomly stopped working
  • App crashes when adjusting speed
  • App connects then crashes
  • App recognizes only one of the two poles
  • App cannot find pole via Bluetooth
  • App only found one of my two poles
  • Both poles can not be found
  • Cannot get the app to pair with the charge
  • App does not show charge direction arrows
  • App won't show charge direction arrows
  • Firmware update issues
  • Cannot connect to server
  • No such settings to allow battery info input
  • App crashes constantly
  • App crashes when adjusting speed
  • App connects to power poles then crashes
  • 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
  • App randomly stopped working
  • App does not show charge direction arrows
  • App won't show charge direction arrows
  • App is super glitchy
  • App won't connect
  • App doesn't show why it won't pair
  • App is unreliable
  • App is useless
  • App is junk
  • App does not work with micro anchor
  • App does not read right for the charge
  • App stopped working
  • Bluetooth connectivity issues
  • Cannot get it to connect to poles
  • Not connecting to one pole
  • Cannot get out of demo mode (ISO)
  • Cannot get the app to pair with the charge
  • App/phone no longer recognizes poles
  • Will not pair at all
  • Recognizes only one pole
  • App on iOS does no good for Micro
  • Does not work with micro power pole
  • Does not find the micro anchor
  • Doesn’t work anymore
  • App crashes constantly
  • App crashes when adjusting speed
  • App connects then crashes
  • App doesn't see the powerpoles
  • App doesn't connect

Requested features

6 requests
  • Improve Bluetooth connectivity
  • App compatibility for Micro anchor
  • Fix ISO version issues
  • Add battery information settings
  • Improve app compatibility for iOS
Show 1 more
  • Update app to fix bugs

RipCharts

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • Pinch-to-zoom causes errors and app exit
  • App freezes when moving around maps
  • Pixelated and inaccurate display on newer devices
  • Current information fails to load on selected spots
  • Manual latitude/longitude input numbers not visible
Show 2 more
  • App crashes after recent updates
  • Altimetry chart fails to update for days

Requested features

8 requests
  • Free trial period before purchase
  • Money-back guarantee within 30 days
  • Expanded coverage for Western Australia
  • Hawaii harbor and location data
  • More frequent chart updates (real-time preferred)
Show 3 more
  • Better resolution for close-range fishing areas
  • Improved map display quality and clarity
  • Faster satellite imagery delivery

In-app purchases

None

CMonster

No in-app purchases

10 purchases

RipCharts

One-time10
  • US - Gulf of Mexico$169.99
  • US - East Coast$169.99
  • US - West Coast$169.99
Show 7 more
  • MX - Baja$169.99
  • AU - Queensland/Cairns$169.99
  • AU - Queensland/NSW/Brisbane$169.99
  • AU - NSW/Sydney$169.99
  • NZ - New Zealand North$169.99
  • NZ - New Zealand South$169.99
  • US / Baja Package$229.99

Questions

Is CMonster free?
CMonster is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is RipCharts free?
RipCharts is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, CMonster or RipCharts?
RipCharts is rated higher. CMonster averages 2.1 out of 5 from 101 ratings, while RipCharts averages 4.8 from 488 ratings.
Do CMonster or RipCharts have ads?
Neither CMonster nor RipCharts shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CMonster or RipCharts?
CMonster ships an update every 3 months, and RipCharts monthly. Most recently, CMonster was updated on October 7, 2026 and RipCharts on October 13, 2026.

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