Comparison

Squid vs LuckGrib

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

Head to head
About

Squid

This marine navigation app provides professional-grade weather forecasts and smart routing tools for sailors. It offers multi-model GRIB data, meteograms, and an extensive polar database, optimized for offshore and low-bandwidth use.

Highlights
  • Smart routing engine with roadbook
  • Cloud routing with multi-route comparison
  • Multi-model GRIB viewer
  • Forecasts up to 10 days
  • Meteograms for multi-model comparison
  • Extensive polar database
  • Lightweight GRIBs for offline use
Features
Read full description

The weather routing app trusted by the world's top offshore sailors. Squid is the mobile version of SquidX — the routing solution used by elite teams in the Vendée Globe, Route du Rhum, Transat Jacques Vabre, The Ocean Race, and more. Now that same professional-grade power is in your pocket. From solo ocean racers to weekend cruisers, Squid gives every sailor access to accurate multi-model weather data and smart routing tools — rebuilt for speed, simplicity, and offshore use. A brand-new version has just launched: completely redesigned interface, major performance upgrades, and new features continuously in development. Key Features • Smart routing engine with roadbook tool • Cloud routing with multi-route comparison • Multi-model GRIB viewer: GFS, ECMWF, AROME, ARPEGE, GEM, NAM and more • Forecasts up to 10 days, 1–3 hour time steps • Meteograms for multi-model comparison (wind & pressure) • Extensive polar database (racing & cruising yachts) • Lightweight GRIBs optimized for offline use • Iridium GO!® compatible — built for low-bandwidth environments • Custom map visualizations: isolines, wind barbs, arrows, particles Weather Coverage Wind, gusts, MSLP, rainfall, cloud cover, CAPE, humidity, temperature, surface currents, swell & wind waves. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

LuckGrib

This app provides advanced weather data visualization, downloading, and routing for sailors and weather enthusiasts. It offers access to a wide range of global and high-resolution weather and ocean models, with features for optimizing routes and analyzing complex weather parameters. Remote access via satellite is also supported.

Highlights
  • GRIB file reader, viewer, and downloader
  • Advanced weather routing and route analysis
  • Satellite data access
  • High-resolution global and regional weather models
  • Ocean current models
  • Detailed weather parameter analysis
Features
Read full description

LuckGrib is a fully featured, easy to use, fast GRIB reader, viewer, downloader and weather router. Remote access to weather data via satellite. Advanced weather routing capabilities, for sailors, is available. Weather forecast data, packaged as GRIB files, can be downloaded directly from the LuckGrib server cluster. Downloads are available via: a direct high speed internet connection, or through the Iridium GO! as well as through the RedPort Optimizer. For sailors, LuckGrib offers a best-in-class, complete solution: industry leading visualization and ease of use, highly optimized weather data downloads via satellite, along with industry leading optimized weather routing and route analysis. Inshore sailors may not require satellite downloads, but will benefit from the rest of the system. LuckGrib is unique among apps that were originally designed for sailors, in that the weather analysis tools are powerful enough to attract attention from meteorologitsts. For sailors, meteorologists, and all weather enthusiasts, LuckGrib offers access to a wide range of high resolutions models, a number of global models, weather data at the surface, 850mb, 500mb and 250mb levels, parameters ranging from simple things such as wind, pressure and temperature, to more advanced quantities such as simulated radar, standard deviations, precipitable water, lightning, vertical vorticity, helicity and more. LuckGrib is a thoroughly modern and advanced GRIB viewer. LuckGrib provides access to many weather and ocean models, including global models such as GFS and ECMWF along with many high resolution models, which vary according to the region you are interested in. In the USA, there is the HRRR, NAM, NBM and many others. In Europe there is Icon-EU, Arpège, Arome, the Danish DINI and others. There are several ocean current models, such as the global RTOFS and Mercator Ocean, along with regional higher resolution models such as OFS, NCOM, CMEMS and others. The LuckGrib weather routing system is an industry leading, high quality, robust, high performance and comprehensive system. The LuckGrib isochronal Weather Routing solver has many unique features, such as being able to respect constraints (points that must be left to port or starboard,) deal with routes which require you to heave-to, outstanding visualization and interactivity features, and much more. LuckGrib comes with a 14 day free trial, or free access to reduced resolution downloads (LuckGrib Lite) for users who do not require access to the most accurate data. If you are interested in studying weather and gaining access to detailed weather forecasts, download the app and give it a try. Downloading data via satellite requires the Offshore Data in-app purchase. Access to the isochronal weather routing system requires an in-app purchase. Note that LuckGrib does not use a subscription pricing model - after the free trial, when you decide to purchase the app, there will be a one time charge, not an ongoing subscription. For more details, please visit the support website. * for details on the offshore data system: https://offshore.luckgrib.com * for details on weather routing: https://routing.luckgrib.com * for details on weather models: https://luckgrib.com/models * the privacy policy: https://luckgrib.com/privacy * terms of use: https://luckgrib.com/terms-of-use * end user license agreement: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Squid4 screens
LuckGrib4 screens

Verdict

The call

Squid and LuckGrib both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 93% of LuckGrib's written reviews are positive against 38% of Squid's. LuckGrib also leads on ratings volume (343 vs 55). Squid's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.4). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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. Squid sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days and LuckGrib sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Squid against 4.9 for LuckGrib. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LuckGrib has 343 ratings behind it against 55, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 38% of Squid's written reviews are positive against 93% of LuckGrib's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Squid ships an update monthly, LuckGrib every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Squid versus LuckGrib: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSquidLuckGrib
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (55 ratings)4.9 (343 ratings) — better
Positive reviews38.4% of reviews92.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings55343 — better
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.4 — better18.4
Further details — not scored
Size253 MB173 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDICE-ENGINEERINGCraig McPheeters

Customer experience

Squid

All ratings55 ratings
Positive94.5%
Neutral3.6%
Negative1.8%
Written reviews73 reviews
Positive38.4%
Neutral6.8%
Negative54.8%

LuckGrib

All ratings338 ratings
Positive96.7%
Neutral2.1%
Negative1.2%
Written reviews124 reviews
Positive92.7%
Neutral2.4%
Negative4.8%

Bugs and requests

Squid

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

LuckGrib

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Reported issues with 'no wind data for start time'
  • Occasional app crashes or freezes

Requested features

3 requests
  • Integration with boat instruments and data logging
  • More advanced routing options and customization
  • Improved support for regional weather models

In-app purchases

8 purchases

Squid

Subscriptions8
  • HIRES Europe 1 Week$5.997 Days
  • HIRES USA 1 Week$6.997 Days
  • HIRES Europe 1 Month$9.991 Month
Show 5 more
  • HIRES USA 1 Month$9.991 Month
  • HIRES Europe 3 Months$18.993 Months
  • HIRES USA 3 Months$18.993 Months
  • HIRES Europe 1 Year$33.991 Year
  • HIRES USA 1 Year$33.991 Year
6 purchases

LuckGrib

One-time6
  • 14-day TrialFree
  • 14 day trial of Offshore DataFree
  • 14 day Weather Routing trialFree
Show 3 more
  • LuckGrib weather data access$29.99
  • Premium Offshore Data access$59.99
  • Weather Routing access$59.99

Questions

Is Squid free?
Squid is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is LuckGrib free?
LuckGrib is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Squid or LuckGrib?
LuckGrib is rated higher. Squid averages 4.8 out of 5 from 55 ratings, while LuckGrib averages 4.9 from 343 ratings.
Do Squid or LuckGrib have ads?
Neither Squid nor LuckGrib shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Squid or LuckGrib?
Squid ships an update monthly, and LuckGrib every 2 months. Most recently, Squid was updated on October 29, 2026 and LuckGrib on October 29, 2026.

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