# Helmsman vs SMART BMS

The clearest difference is update cadence: Helmsman at fortnightly against SMART BMS's every 6 weeks. Helmsman also leads on iOS requirement (8.0 vs 11.0). SMART BMS's advantage is ratings volume (76 vs 7). On price, rating, review sentiment 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 — 2.0 for Helmsman against 2.1 for SMART BMS. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SMART BMS has 76 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 22% of Helmsman's written reviews are positive against 17% of SMART BMS's.

Helmsman ships an update fortnightly, SMART BMS every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Helmsman | SMART BMS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/helmsman/id939511674/reviews) | **[2.1 (76 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-bms/id1519968339/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 7 | **76** |
| Positive reviews | **22.2% of reviews** | 17.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 57 MB | 65 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 11.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [无境科技](https://appshunter.io/developer/1138231168) | [所兵 邱](https://appshunter.io/developer/1519230775) |

## What reviewers say

### Helmsman

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/helmsman/id939511674)

Control your boat's navigation and speed with this app. It offers waypoint navigation, cruise control for consistent speed, route recording for future trips, and an anchor function to maintain position.

**Highlights:** Waypoint navigation with online maps, Cruise control for set speed, Record and reuse routes, One-button anchor function

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### SMART BMS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-bms/id1519968339)

Connect to and manage your lithium battery via Bluetooth. Monitor battery status, query information, and set safety parameters. Receive alerts for battery faults and track their occurrences.

**Highlights:** Bluetooth battery connection, Battery status query, Fault alarm monitoring, Safety parameter settings, Password protection for settings

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Functional app
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🔋 Works with lithium batteries
- 💡 Displays cell balance information

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Connection issues
- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Unreliable data
- 🐛 Compatibility problems with updates
- 🔋 Drains phone battery

**Reported bugs**

- Bluetooth connectivity problems
- Incorrect series/parallel configuration display
- Firmware update issues
- Inconsistent data readings
- Inability to change settings

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Logging and historical data
- Better parameter customization
- Improved battery monitoring metrics
- Apple Watch support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Helmsman free?

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

### Is SMART BMS free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Helmsman or SMART BMS?

SMART BMS is rated higher. Helmsman averages 2.0 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while SMART BMS averages 2.1 from 76 ratings.

### Do Helmsman or SMART BMS have ads?

Neither Helmsman nor SMART BMS shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Helmsman or SMART BMS?

Helmsman ships an update fortnightly, and SMART BMS every 6 weeks. Most recently, Helmsman was updated on September 27, 2026 and SMART BMS on October 16, 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.*