Comparison

StartStar vs SailingWatch

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

Head to head
About

StartStar

This app helps sailors track their performance, measure efficiency, and count down to the start line. It offers hands-free voice feedback for speed, time, and distance, and allows users to save and share routes.

Highlights
  • Track shifts and count down to start
  • Measure tack and gybe efficiency
  • Check speed and distance to start line
  • Save and share routes
  • Hands-free voice feedback
  • Animate boats on Google Earth
Features
Read full description

StartStar is designed to help you: • Tack on the shifts • Count down to the start • Know your distance to the start line • Check your speed 
• Measure you tack and gybe efficiency • Save your routes on your phone • Post routes to Facebook and Twitter • Animate many boats on Google Earth AND • StartStar is hands free. It can speak to you so you don’t need to take you eye off the sails and other boats to know your speed, time or distance to the start line As StartStar uses the GPS in your phone, it is cheaper than dedicated electronic compasses or starting aids for sale in the chandlers, in fact not only is it FREE, it does more too. Please note: Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.

About

SailingWatch

Features
Read full description

SailingWatch is the race companion for sailors — a precise start sequence, a real start line, live tactics, and your whole session on a map. Built for dinghies, keelboats and yachts, on iPhone and Apple Watch. THE START, NAILED EVERY TIME • A big, readable countdown with a sweep ring that drains as the gun approaches. • Sync to the committee boat in one tap, or fine-tune with −1 / +1 minute. • The final minute turns red so you always know how long you have. • Start, pause and resume right from the cockpit. A REAL START LINE • Ping the pin and the committee-boat ends to set the line. • See the line bias and your live distance to the line. • Time your approach instead of guessing. LIVE TACTICS • Capture your port and starboard tack angles. • A compass and layline call tell you if you're lifted, headed, or on the groove. • Make the smart call on when to tack. WIND AT A GLANCE • A 6-hour wind forecast strip for your exact location — speed, direction and gusts. • Know what's coming before you leave the dock. EVERY SESSION, ON A MAP • Automatic GPS recording while you sail — speed, heading and full track. • Review past sessions grouped by month. • Replay any track on the map with distance, duration and top speed. SHARE YOUR SAIL • Export a standard GPX file. • Create a video animation of your track to share. • Send your sessions straight to Strava. ON YOUR WRIST • The Apple Watch app puts the timer, start line and live data on your wrist — sail with your phone in your pocket. MADE YOURS • Save your boat profile — class, sail number, polar and hull length. • Choose your units for distance, speed and temperature. • A clean, high-contrast black-and-blue design that stays readable in bright sun. Whether you're lining up for the gun on a club Wednesday or training for the season, SailingWatch keeps the start, the line and the tactics one glance away. https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

StartStar3 screens
SailingWatch4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: StartStar at none against SailingWatch's 2. StartStar also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.6). SailingWatch's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ads 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. SailingWatch sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. StartStar asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

StartStar ships an update every 2 months, SailingWatch every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
StartStar versus SailingWatch: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStartStarSailingWatch
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerhugh kingdonFrancesco Vezzani

In-app purchases

None

StartStar

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

SailingWatch

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly3 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Annual7 Days trial$69.991 Year

Questions

Is StartStar free?
StartStar is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SailingWatch free?
SailingWatch is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do StartStar or SailingWatch have ads?
Neither StartStar nor SailingWatch shows ads.
Which is updated more often, StartStar or SailingWatch?
StartStar ships an update every 2 months, and SailingWatch every 2 weeks. Most recently, StartStar was updated on October 6, 2026 and SailingWatch on October 2, 2026.

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