The choice of the right system depends heavily on personal requirements and the planned area of application. Once you have found the right app, you usually have to fight your way through a complicated price structure. Special functions such as offline map use, automated weather routing or the monitoring of ship data are not equally relevant for every owner. In addition, the range of functions of the apps differs depending on the subscription model selected. The following overview of the most important apps for navigation and safety is intended to provide orientation.
These are the 15 best apps for navigation and safety:
Navionics Boating
The Navionics Boating app is one of the most widely used nautical navigation apps on the market. As part of the Garmin Group, the service can draw on a large pool of user data, which increases the accuracy of some functions. The "SonarCharts HD" are particularly noteworthy. With depth contours in a 0.5 metre grid, they offer a very high level of accuracy. The package is complemented by professional functions such as "Auto Guidance+" routing, relief shading for vivid visualisation of the seabed and comprehensive AIS integration.
As the app requires online confirmation at certain intervals, this can restrict access to the already downloaded map material on the open sea. In addition, the functionality is strongly tied to the current subscription: If the period ends, this leads to the immediate loss of central functions and tools. In terms of pricing, Navionics is focusing on regional packages for the 2026 season, with the subscription for the Baltic Sea costing €49.99 per year, while the more comprehensive Northern Europe package is priced at €99.99.
NV Charts
NV Charts combines paper maps and app use: with the purchase of a map atlas, the digital data set including GPS navigation is included free of charge for one year. The app enables seamless switching between the classic raster look, which corresponds to the familiar paper image, and modern vector maps. The range of functions includes Europe-wide autorouting, real-time layers for tidal data and an augmented reality function for identifying sea marks in the camera image. However, users occasionally report instability, especially on older Android devices, as well as long loading times for the high-resolution raster maps. If you want to do without the printed maps, you can take out a purely digital subscription for €49.90 per year, which is valid for one selected region at a time.
Orca
Orca combines the computing power of mobile devices with specialised hardware. The system uses vector maps, which enable the maps to be zoomed and panned without delay. While the Plus package (€49/year) offers worldwide offline maps, only Smart Navigation (€149/year) unlocks weather-based routing as well as AIS and instrument integration. In conjunction with the optional Orca Core (€549), the tablet becomes a fully-fledged display including autopilot control. The global pricing model often seems oversized for regional skippers. In addition, cancellation leads to the immediate loss of all offline maps.
C-Map Boating
C-Map Boating positions itself as a visually appealing and often cheaper alternative to the market leader Navionics. The app's "Reveal Shaded Relief" display, which visualises the seabed in an almost photorealistic way, is particularly noteworthy. For owners who use systems from B&G, Simrad or Lowrance, the app offers seamless synchronisation of routes and waypoints with the chart plotter. The pricing model is cheaper than the competition at €29.99 for a regional subscription or €48.99 for the worldwide premium package in 2026. One major point of criticism concerns Danish waters: due to licence restrictions, the app often does not allow offline storage of charts there, which makes navigation more difficult if the mobile connection fails. While the stability under iOS is praised, Android users occasionally report delayed loading times.
Aqua Map
Aqua Map focuses on the integration of on-board hardware and official geodata. The app uses an interface module to process NMEA 0183 and Signal-K data via WLAN and displays AIS targets including collision warnings on the map. A key functional feature is the "Route Explorer", which scans planned routes for obstacles and bridge heights. For monitoring at anchor, the system offers a remote alarm that transmits position data and warnings to mobile devices via Telegram or email. In North America, the app also provides access to detailed USACE survey data. The annual cost of a package comprising regional nautical charts and the extended functions is around 30-40 euros, depending on the area.
Savvy Navvy
Savvy Navvy combines nautical charts, weather data from the ECMWF model as well as tide and current information in an intuitive user interface. The integrated routing automatically calculates the optimum course to steer, which makes planning easier, especially for occasional sailors. In the user comments, it was noted that the routing algorithm sometimes plans courses very close to capes or shoals; manual control of the route therefore remains essential. Many users also criticise the app's high energy consumption due to the permanent background calculations. The "Explore" package including worldwide offline maps costs €144.99 per year, while the "Elite" version for €189.99 offers additional AIS overlays and NMEA connections. However, you should note that you have to pay a surcharge for the maps in Denmark on the respective subscription model.
WinGPS Yacht Navigator
The WinGPS app is aimed at skippers who appreciate the aesthetics of classic paper charts and want to use them digitally on their tablet or smartphone. As a functional companion for navigation in the cockpit, the app enables the display of position, course and speed directly on the familiar Delius Klasing chart image. With the purchase of a physical map atlas, the digital data set for the app is activated via a code. While the actual app is available free of charge in the store, the professional PC software requires a separate licence, which costs between €179 and €419.
User reports occasionally criticise the complicated activation process using physical codes and the organisational separation between the software and chart manufacturer. Nevertheless, for owners who already work with paper charts from Delius Klasing or Stentec, the system offers a consistent digital extension for use directly on the water.
Skippo
Skippo is an important addition for sailing in Swedish waters. Its unique selling point is the integration of high-precision hydrographic data, which is not included in many international nautical chart series. For mooring in natural harbours, the app provides specific information on rocky moorings, including an assessment of wind protection. The local level of detail makes Skippo a useful tool for navigating in the archipelago. While pure planning on the PC is free of charge, mobile navigation on board requires a subscription.
Watercards
Waterkaarten acts as a specialised information service for the inland and coastal waters of Western Europe and has established itself as a fully-fledged navigation tool. The app enables precise route calculation with direct consideration of mast height, draught and ship width. Another key technical feature is the live data on bridge and lock opening times, some of which can be requested directly via the application. The app focuses on the north-west (including the Netherlands, Germany, France and Denmark). No maps are currently available for the Mediterranean.
SailGrib WR
SailGrib WR pursues a consistent offline approach in which the weather routing is calculated directly on the end device. This greatly increases independence from external servers and safety on the high seas. The software is specifically optimised for narrowband data retrieval via satellite systems such as Iridium GO! A unique technical feature is the official Navionics interface, which enables existing chart subscriptions to be mirrored directly into the application at no additional cost. This allows precise depth data to be combined with complex wind and wave forecasts in a single display. The integration of live instrument data and AIS targets is also possible via NMEA gateways. The downside is often cited as the sober, functional design and a steep learning curve. In addition, the application remains exclusively available for Android. An annual subscription is available for €45.99. A lifetime licence for €139.00. Nautical charts must be purchased separately unless an existing Navionics subscription is mirrored.
- for Android available
- Costs: Annual subscription for €45.99 and lifetime licence for €139 + nautical charts
Weather4D
What SailGrib does for Android, Weather4D does as a technologically leading solution for the iOS world. The app functions as a fully-fledged chart plotter if required and therefore goes beyond pure routing. A key feature is the simulation function, which skippers can use to virtually sail planned trips in order to precisely estimate weather windows.
The presentation in the Apple ecosystem is elegantly realised as usual. However, due to the enormous depth of functions, the system requires an intensive familiarisation period. Users mainly criticise technical instabilities and the confusing subscription model: in addition to the one-off purchase of the routing version for €37.99, there are annual costs for high-resolution weather data (approx. €38.00) and for the map material (€30 to €60). In practice, the costs often add up to over €100 in the first year.
- for iOS available
- Costs: One-off €37.99 (routing) plus €38.00 per year (weather) and €30-60 (maps); total costs in the first year > €100.
NavimetriX
As a modern, cross-platform newcomer, NavimetriX closes the gap between operating systems. The application runs identically on Android, iOS, Windows and Mac with a central account, whereby all routes and ship settings are automatically synchronised via the cloud. NavimetriX is technically based on the proven algorithms of SailGrib and Weather4D, but offers a modern user interface including an autopilot interface and active AIS collision warning. The service uses official raster and vector charts via GeoGarage. However, as the app was only released at the end of 2025, there may still be teething problems. The pricing model is split into two parts: The premium app costs around €80 per year, plus the nautical chart subscriptions for €30 to €60 each. The total annual costs therefore amount to between €110 and €140.
SafeTrx
The DGzRS SafeTrx app is an indispensable safety tool for water sports enthusiasts in German waters. It acts as a direct interface to the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC Bremen) of the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service. The app offers two important functions: In an emergency, a red emergency call button transmits the exact GPS position directly to the rescue coordination centre even before the call is established. The tracking function ensures passive safety. The skipper enters his estimated time of arrival (ETA) and the planned route. If this time is exceeded without feedback, the system automatically alerts a private emergency contact who can give the rescuers access to the last known position.
The app is completely free of charge. Anyone crossing the border into the Netherlands will find the exact counterpart of the Royal Dutch Rescue Organisation in the 'KNRM Helpt' app. It offers the same free range of functions for the neighbouring area and is the official safety tool for all water sports enthusiasts in the Netherlands.
Anchor Pro
Anchor Pro (sometimes called "Anchor Watch / Alarm" on Android) is recommended for skippers who are looking for reliable remote monitoring of their anchorage. The principle is simple: one device remains on board as a transmitter, while the alarm is sent to the smartphone ashore via Telegram message or email when the position changes. A major advantage of the Telegram connection is its high reliability, even with weak internet connections. The app costs just €6.99 per year. Another convenient alternative from Germany is the app Anchor alarm which is characterised by particularly easy pairing via QR code and data storage on German servers (available as a lifetime version for €19.99).
AnchorChainCalculator
The AnchorChainCalculator is a specialised analysis tool for skippers who are looking for a physically sound way of securing their anchorage. Based on the ship's characteristics, the application calculates the wind force at which an anchor could lose its holding power, taking into account water depth, chain lead, weight and shock absorbers. The app is particularly appreciated in the community for its mathematical accuracy and is a valuable tool for long-distance and blue-water sailors when anchoring for longer periods. A one-off purchase costs around €8.99, with no further subscription costs.
