The choice of suitable apps depends heavily on personal requirements and the planned area of application. Once you have found the right system, you usually have to fight your way through a complicated price structure. Special functions such as offline map use, automated navigation or the monitoring of ship data are not equally relevant for every owner. In addition, the range of functions offered by the apps varies depending on the subscription model selected.
As a detailed test of all available apps and their functions is difficult to implement in practice, we have concentrated on analysing the app functions and evaluating app store ratings. This overview should help you to better assess the strengths and weaknesses of the individual systems and make the right choice for your personal requirements.
Here are the best apps for navigation and safety:
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 chart. A key functional feature is the "Route Explorer", which scans planned routes for obstacles and bridge heights. Thanks to ELWIS integration, the main German waterways (Rhine, Elbe, Moselle, etc.) are very well covered. For monitoring at anchor, the system offers a remote alarm that transmits position data and warnings to mobile devices via Telegram or e-mail. The annual costs for a package consisting of regional nautical charts and the extended functions are around €30 to €40, depending on the area.
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 plastic bottom display helps in the search for safe anchorages and the auto-routing is specially optimised for motorboats. 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 maps there, which makes navigation more difficult in the event of a mobile phone connection failure. While the stability under iOS is praised, Android users occasionally report delayed loading times. C-Map is the logical choice for all users of Simrad or Lowrance hardware.
i-Boating
i-Boating is based on official vector charts (ENCs) and covers marine, coastal and inland waters worldwide. A striking feature for anglers are the high-resolution bathymetry maps with depth contours at intervals of just one foot (approx. 30 cm), which, together with special fish maps, enable the targeted location of bottom structures and fishing grounds. Motorboat drivers primarily benefit from the automatic route assistant with voice output and the customisable depth shading (Safety Depth), which visually warns of shallows. Thanks to the support of NMEA interfaces for the integration of AIS signals and echo sounder data as well as extensive directories for marinas and slipways, the app functions as a powerful, mobile alternative to a permanently installed chart plotter.
My levels
Meine Pegel is the official water level and flood app of the flood centres and offers access to around 3,000 water levels in Germany. Users can set individual threshold values and receive push notifications when a water level exceeds or falls below a certain level. The app not only provides current measurements, but also water level forecasts for around 400 gauges, which is essential for medium-term cruise planning on rivers. The app is free of charge and ad-free, as it is a government service. The high reliability of the data is praised, while the design is rather functional and sober compared to commercial apps.
NavGo 2.0
The NavGo app from KartenWerft is the digital supplement to the printed atlas series for inland and coastal waters. The chart image corresponds to that of the paper charts. Information on maximum speeds, water levels, refuelling stations and lock times can be called up directly on the map using the "Area information" function.
The app shows local rules and speed limits for German sailing areas in detail. When purchasing a physical atlas, activation of the digital maps is usually included. The app therefore serves as a supplementary tool to paper navigation. The digital maps cost between €25 and €40, depending on the area, although the extended navigation functions of the NavPro upgrade must be purchased separately.
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.
OpenSeaMap
OpenSeaMap is an international open source project based on OpenStreetMap, which is mostly used for mobile devices via the "Marine Navigation" app. It offers detailed mapping of shore-based infrastructure such as petrol stations, shipyards and catering establishments with their own jetties, which are often missing in commercial systems. However, the application is often criticised for missing or inaccurate water depths, as this data is not officially surveyed but merely supplemented by individual user contributions.
In addition, the lack of official verification of navigation marks and technical shortcomings when zooming and saving map material offline lead to points being deducted from the user ratings. The application should therefore be used primarily as a supplementary information tool for orientation in the immediate vicinity and not as the sole means of navigation in unknown waters. In the paid Professional version, the advertising banners are permanently removed and additional tools such as extended route management, more precise measurement functions and improved waypoint management for individual destination management are activated.
- only for iOS
- Costs: Basic version free of charge (ad-financed) / Professional upgrade one-off €1.99.
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. Thanks to the integration of official WSV data, Orca is now also well positioned on German inland waterways and offers modern, cloud-based routing from Hamburg to Berlin. In combination with the optional Orca Core (€549), the tablet becomes a fully-fledged instrument display including autopilot control. The global pricing model often seems oversized for many boaters. In addition, cancellation leads to the immediate loss of all offline maps.
RiverApp
The RiverApp provides water level data from around 40,000 measuring points worldwide, covering the entire German network of federal waterways - from the Rhine to the Elbe. The application visualises current water levels, trends and water temperatures, providing you with a factual basis for assessing the navigability of shallow sections or low bridge crossings. By integrating official data sources, boaters can monitor specific river profiles and track the development of water levels over several days to increase safety when planning trips in inland waters.
The price is divided into different models. While the basic data is available ad-financed, the premium options activate functions such as push notifications when individual limits are reached and the ad-free map display. The ad-financed basic version is free of charge. The premium upgrade (ad-free, including push alerts at high or low water) costs €1 per month, €7 per year or a one-off fee of €29.99 for permanent use.
SafeTrx
The SafeTrx app from the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzR) is an indispensable safety tool for water sports enthusiasts in German waters. It acts as a direct interface to the DGzRS's Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC Bremen). 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 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.
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 being stuck for hours. Particularly practical: the automatic request for bridge openings via the app.
WinGPS
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 criticise the complicated activation process using physical codes. Some users also report technical errors in the app. 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.
David Ingelfinger
Volontär
