Report updated Apr 7, 2026
Nautical Charts & Maps
v1.14Recreational boaters and marine enthusiasts who require reliable, offline-capable navigational charts and weather data for coastal or inland water travel.
What Is Nautical Charts & Maps?
Launched Aug 6, 2018
Updated Nov 2025
What users think iIndependent intel reports to help builders create better apps or enhance existing ones. Still in beta, accuracy and relevancy get better every day. For informational purposes only.
What does it look like?
What are the key features?
Access to vector data sets for marine navigation including buoys, lights, depths, and seabed features.
Download charts for use without an active internet connection, essential for maritime safety.
Real-time visual data including radar, sea surface temperature, wave height, and wind speed.
Compatibility with both NOAA and ECDIS chart formats.
What do users think? iIndependent intel reports to help builders create better apps or enhance existing ones. Still in beta, accuracy and relevancy get better every day. For informational purposes only.
“Recent user voice shows a frustrated sentiment. Users appreciate simplicity and ease of use and value for money, but report limited geographic coverage and app stability and crashes.”
What Users Love
Nice to have a mapping program that doesn’t take a computer genius to figure out.
Easy to use, no passwords right when I need it.
Worth every penny. Great tool to have in addition to my electronics.
Pain Points
Complete waste of money if u want it for fresh water.. doesn’t even show water only a yellow screen
Tennessee. We have tons of lakes here and none are covered
Downloading charts for offline use crashes app randomly on a fully updated iPad.
It has absolutely no tools available for plotting routes in advance or tracking while underway.
High confidence · 3.7K reviews available
How is it ranked?
| Chart | Rank | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Paid | #31 | ▲8 |
What are the pros and cons?
Pros
- Competitive one-time purchase price model
- Simple, no-account-required user interface
- Support for professional ECDIS chart formats
- Strong category ranking (#31 Paid Navigation)
Cons
- Lack of inland/freshwater chart data
- Frequent crashes during offline map downloads
- Absence of basic routing and waypoint tools
- No social media or web support presence
What is the market outlook?
Growth Opportunities
- Expand data to include USACE inland waterway charts
- Introduce basic waypoint and route tracking features
- Capture users fatigued by subscription costs of major competitors
Market Threats
- Market leaders introducing lower-priced tiers
- High-growth startups like Orca disrupting the UI/UX standard
- Negative sentiment leading to potential ranking decay
Who competes with Nautical Charts & Maps?
The Nemesis
Savvy Navvy Boating Navigation
★4.7 (6K)savvy navvy
A modern alternative that simplifies marine navigation with automated routing and integrated weather data.
A modern alternative that simplifies marine navigation with automated routing and integrated weather data.
Contenders
Wavve Boating: Marine Boat GPS
★4.7 (5K)Wavve Boating INC
Focuses on a user-friendly, intuitive interface for recreational boaters needing charts and weather.
Focuses on a user-friendly, intuitive interface for recreational boaters needing charts and weather.
Peers
MarineTraffic - Ship Tracking
MarineTraffic Applications LTD
The standard for AIS vessel tracking, often used alongside nautical chart apps for situational awareness.
The standard for AIS vessel tracking, often used alongside nautical chart apps for situational awareness.
Windy.com
Windyty, SE
Provides superior weather visualization that competes with the analyzed app's weather overlay features.
Provides superior weather visualization that competes with the analyzed app's weather overlay features.
PredictWind — Marine Forecasts
PredictWind Limited
Specialized marine weather forecasting used by the same target audience of offshore boaters.
Specialized marine weather forecasting used by the same target audience of offshore boaters.
BoatUS - Boat Weather & Tides
BoatUS
Essential utility app for US boaters providing tides, weather, and towing services.
Essential utility app for US boaters providing tides, weather, and towing services.
New Kids on the Block
Orca: Boat GPS, Charts, Routes
Orca Technologies AS
A high-growth startup combining modern software with proprietary hardware for a seamless navigation experience.
A high-growth startup combining modern software with proprietary hardware for a seamless navigation experience.
What are the key takeaways?
Nautical Charts & Maps is a frustrating navigation app that is a paid app. With a 4.6/5 rating from 3.7K reviews, it frustrates many users from users. Users particularly appreciate simplicity and ease of use, though limited geographic coverage remains a common concern.
Best for: Recreational boaters and marine enthusiasts who require reliable, offline-capable navigational charts and weather data for coastal or inland water travel.
How much does it cost?
Model: paid
The app utilizes a straightforward premium pricing model, avoiding recurring subscriptions in favor of a single upfront cost for access to navigation tools.
iOS Version
1.14
Release Date
Aug 6, 2018
iOS Price
$8.99