If you want to keep track of the app market these days, you need a lot of patience. New apps come onto the market every year and existing apps are also developed further with updates. A proper test of all available applications and their functions would take months. However, in order to provide a reliable basis for comparison, we have instead concentrated on analysing the system features and evaluating the app store ratings. The following overview should help you to make the right choice for your needs.
Due to the increasing connectivity of on-board systems on modern boats, many new apps have come onto the market in recent years. In addition, confusing subscription models and additional costs make the decision difficult. Here are 15 practical apps that can make everyday life on board easier.
The 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 registration at certain intervals according to the user reviews, this can restrict access to the map material already downloaded 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 price, 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 costs €99.99.
NavShip
NavShip acts as a specialised route planner for a network of over 550,000 kilometres of waterways worldwide. The app enables automatic routing that precisely matches the passage heights, water depths and locks to the stored dimensions of your own boat. Unlike many other systems, the global map material is already integrated into the subscriptions, so there are no additional costs for individual areas. The premium version also offers access to daily fuel prices, weather forecasts and an offline function for navigation without an internet connection.
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. For areas such as Berlin, the Müritz or the coast, NV Charts also offers its own inland chart sets, which are graphically prepared and correspond exactly to the image on your paper chart.
The range of functions includes Europe-wide autorouting, real-time layers for tidal data and an augmented reality function for identifying watermarks 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.
Watercards
Waterkaarten has established itself as a fully-fledged navigation tool, especially for the inland and coastal waters of Western Europe. The app enables precise route calculation with direct consideration of boat height, draught and 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 charts are currently available for the Mediterranean. The app is particularly well positioned in the Netherlands. Anyone travelling here needs live data on bridges and locks to avoid getting stuck for hours. Particularly practical: the automatic request for bridge openings via the app.
You can find the detailed report on the 15 best apps for navigation and safety here here.
These are the best weather apps:
DWD-WarningWeather
The WarnWetter app from the German Weather Service (DWD) is the official tool for official weather warnings in all German waters. In addition to coastal warnings for the North Sea and Baltic Sea, the app offers special inland lake warnings for large areas such as Lake Constance or the Bavarian lakes. It is particularly useful for water sports enthusiasts on rivers and canals thanks to the location-specific warnings down to municipal level, which provide information about thunderstorms, storms or heavy rain via push notifications. The application can also be used to track the paths of thunderstorm cells, lightning activity and high-resolution precipitation radars in real time in order to reliably assess the situation on site.
Rain alarm
Regen-Alarm is a specialised monitoring tool that uses rain radar to keep an eye on the boat's immediate location. While classic weather apps such as the DWD often issue warnings over a large area, the added value here lies in the individual radius warning: the skipper defines a radius (e.g. 10 km) and the app immediately sounds the alarm as soon as a precipitation cell reaches this area. As the system is based on real-time radar data instead of calculated forecast models, it is ideally suited as a "watch" in the background. This means that you are warned of approaching showers or thunderstorm cells in good time by push message when anchoring or in the harbour, without having to constantly check the weather forecast yourself. The basic version of the app is free of charge and ad-financed. Functional enhancements for freedom from advertising, multiple alerts or additional settings can be activated either individually or permanently as a discounted package.
Windfinder
Windfinder remains a reliable tool for quickly comparing conditions in the cockpit. The strength of the app lies in the precise real-time data that is generated via a closely meshed network of global measuring stations. While the "Superforecast" offers an hourly forecast, the application is only suitable for large-scale weather planning at sea to a limited extent, as its focus is on individual locations. The main criticism is the presence of advertising in the free version and the confusing differentiation between the "Plus", "Free" and the outdated "Pro" versions. The ad-free Plus subscription is available for €12.99 per year.
Windy.com
Windy.com has established itself as the standard on many boats thanks to its clear graphical presentation of weather data. The fluid particle animations in particular enable the skipper to intuitively grasp wind and wave movements. A major advantage for cruise planning is the model comparison: the "Compare" function allows forecasts from ECMWF, GFS, ICON and AROME to be compared directly. Current enhancements also allow route planning along a manually plotted course. The restrictive pricing policy is usually criticised in the user comments, as the free version only offers three-hour intervals and the more precise one-hour forecast is reserved for paying premium customers. The subscription costs around €26.00 per year.
You can find the detailed report on the best weather apps here here.
The best apps for finding a berth:
ADAC Skipper
The ADAC Skipper app is the digital counterpart to the classic marina guide and offers detailed information on around 4,000 harbours in Europe, with a strong focus on German areas. In addition to information on infrastructure, the app offers a trip planner and weather data, which makes it almost indispensable for many German motorboat drivers due to the sheer volume of telephone numbers and harbour information. However, a certain amount of caution should be exercised: The automatic routing in inland areas is considered error-prone and occasionally leads boats through waters that are too shallow or in front of bridges that are too low. In addition, many helpful functions can only be used after purchasing the paid "Pro" subscription. The Pro version offers extended functions such as offline maps and detailed trip planning at a fixed annual price. ADAC members benefit from a discounted rate compared to non-members.
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 can be a valuable tool if you are anchored for a longer period of time. A one-off purchase costs around €8.99, with no additional subscription costs. The app helps motorboaters to minimise the risk of an anchor breaking loose in narrow bays by tailoring the physical forces precisely to the shape of the boat in question.
Navily
Navily has established itself as a community tool for cruise planning in European waters and the Mediterranean. With over 300,000 user comments on anchorages and harbours, the app offers a wealth of information that goes beyond traditional manuals. A key technical feature is the "protection score", an algorithm that calculates the safety of a mooring based on geography as well as wind and swell forecasts. Berths can also be reserved directly via the platform in over 700 partner marinas. The free basic version requires a permanent internet connection. A premium subscription for €29.99 per year is required for offline mode and a 72-hour forecast. As the app does not provide precise depth contours, the use of an official nautical chart is mandatory.
Savvy Navvy
Savvy Navvy offers a simple user interface that integrates specific functions for motor navigation. In contrast to pure sailing applications, the app has a dedicated motorboat mode that does not calculate crossings, but plans direct routes taking into account water depths and obstacles. A decisive added value for motorboat drivers is the integrated fuel calculation: based on the individual boat data and the cruising speed, the app estimates the expected fuel consumption for the planned route. The system also provides precise arrival times (ETA) that directly incorporate currents and tides into the time planning without the user having to perform complex nautical calculations manually.
In user comments, it is often noted that the routing algorithm sometimes plans courses very close to capes or shoals, which is why it is essential to check the route manually before starting the journey. Many users also criticise the app's high energy consumption, which is caused by permanent background calculations for weather and position data. When planning costs, it should be noted that the charts for Danish waters require a surcharge on the respective subscription model due to special licence conditions.
You will find the best apps for harbour and anchorage searches here.
These are the best apps for the digital helm:
Garmin ActiveCaptain
This central interface for Garmin owners enables the purchase and wireless transfer of nautical charts via "OneChart" as well as the management of all software updates in the on-board network. A highlight is the "Helmet" function, which allows the display of the GPSMAP series to be mirrored on a tablet and operated remotely from there. The app also offers access to community feedback on harbour facilities and self-created "Quickdraw" depth charts. In practice, however, occasional error messages during large downloads (WLAN interruptions) and latencies in the OnDeck remote monitoring system have been criticised. The app itself is free, but charts must be purchased separately.
Nauti-Control
Nauti-Control is a specialised retrofit solution from developer Philip Black that primarily controls Raymarine autopilots (via SeaTalk or NMEA 2000) wirelessly using a smartphone or smartwatch. While the app can display manufacturer-independent network data such as depth or speed on individual dashboards, the active control (course corrections +/- 1° or 10°, standby/auto) is specialised for Raymarine systems. For motorboat drivers, the system offers the advantage of being able to correct the course even when away from the fixed steering position.
Operation requires a suitable radio gateway from the manufacturer Nauti-Control, which must be permanently installed in the on-board network as an interface. Without this hardware module, no connection to the autopilot is possible.
NMEA Dashboard
The NMEA Dashboard serves Android users as a flexible display instrument to mirror data from the on-board network via WLAN on a tablet or smartphone. For motorboat owners, the focus is on detailed monitoring of engine parameters such as speed, oil pressure, battery voltage and temperatures, which can be displayed in fully customisable layouts. A key safety aspect is the configurable alarms, which immediately inform the skipper acoustically or visually of critical values, such as a rising engine temperature. Even if the design is rather functional and simple, the application impresses with very stable data processing and low resource consumption in continuous operation.
- only for Android
- Costs: One-off payment of €5.99
