# Sailing Reference vs Sail Bristol

The clearest difference is price: Sail Bristol at Free against Sailing Reference's $2.99. Sail Bristol also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and review sentiment (100% vs 75%). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Sail Bristol is free to download; Sailing Reference costs $2.99 up front. Sailing Reference sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Sail Bristol asks for nothing beyond the download.

Sailing Reference ships an update every 3 months, Sail Bristol monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sailing Reference | Sail Bristol |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 16 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Oliver Shingler](https://appshunter.io/developer/886565740) | [My Home Port Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1497079101) |

## What reviewers say

### Sailing Reference

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sailing-reference/id978062677)

This comprehensive nautical navigation guide offers offline access to essential sailing information, including how-to guides, calculators for tides and courses, and flashcards for COLREGs. It also features a race timer and knot-tying animations.

**Highlights:** Offline nautical reference guide, Tidal stream and time calculators, Course to steer estimation, COLREGs/IRPCS flashcards, Race timer and lap timer, Nautical knot animations

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Flashcards | $0.99 | one-time |
| Knots | $0.99 | one-time |


### Sail Bristol

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sail-bristol/id1485424690)

Access essential marine information for UK Harbours, Ports, and Marinas. This app provides a comprehensive guide to marine services, tidal information, weather updates, and local restrictions, all in one convenient location for recreational boaters.

**Highlights:** Marine services directory, Tidal information, Lock and tidal restrictions, Local weather updates, Information for recreational boaters

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sailing Reference free?

Sailing Reference costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Sail Bristol free?

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

### Do Sailing Reference or Sail Bristol have ads?

Neither Sailing Reference nor Sail Bristol shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sailing Reference or Sail Bristol?

Sailing Reference ships an update every 3 months, and Sail Bristol monthly. Most recently, Sailing Reference was updated on October 10, 2026 and Sail Bristol on October 8, 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.*