Scirocco vs Aqua Map
Aqua Map is a chart app: you buy a chart subscription for your area and add Expert or Master for forecasts, AIS and instruments. Scirocco has no charts and puts the Mediterranean sea forecast, your waypoints and your boat first.
🧭 Marine forecast, waypoints and route in one app with Scirocco → — free, no account.
Side by side
| Scirocco | Aqua Map Boating | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free up to 20 waypoints. Pro $24.99/year (7-day free trial) or $3.99/week (3-day free trial) | Chart subscriptions by area (US from $9.99); Expert $14.99 and Master $24.99 on top; 14-day free trial |
| Nautical charts | No: Apple satellite map | Official charts (NOAA in the US), updated weekly, downloadable for offline use |
| Route planning | Route around the coast when land is in the way, also offline | Manual and automatic route planning; Route Explorer with Expert |
| Marine forecast | 7 days hour by hour: wind, gusts, waves, rain, thunderstorms and fog. Where it covers (Italy and nearby seas), the Italian ICON-2I model at 2 km compared with ICON-EU and ECMWF | Wind, waves, currents, gusts and sea temperature with Expert |
| Tides and currents | Tide curve for the next 24 hours, swell and current in knots | Tide and current predictions and simulations |
| Anchor alarm | No | Yes; AnchorLink with email and Telegram alerts with Expert |
| AIS and NMEA instruments | No | AIS with collision detection and NMEA over Wi-Fi with Expert |
| Waypoint import | Lowrance, Simrad and B&G (.usr), Humminbird (.hwr), GPX, KML/KMZ, CSV, NMEA, coordinates from photos and WhatsApp | Store and share markers, routes and tracks |
| Boat, engines and maintenance | Boat profile, 105 preset engines, engine hours, 23 maintenance jobs with reminders (Pro) | — |
| US App Store rating | Not enough ratings yet on the US App Store | 4.7 out of 5 (13,796 ratings) |
| Requirements | iPhone with iOS 17 or later, Android 7.0 or later | iPhone with iOS 15.0 or later (also on Android) |
Highlighted: the stronger app on that point, where the difference is clear.
Which one to choose
Choose Scirocco if
- you want one subscription at $24.99 a year instead of charts plus add-ons
- you go out for the day and mostly need forecast, compass and your marks
- you want to bring in spots from a fishfinder, a photo or a message
- you want your boat's engines, maintenance and insurance tracked
Choose Aqua Map Boating if
- you need official charts offline
- you want an anchor alarm, AIS or your NMEA instruments on the phone
- you boat in the US, where Aqua Map sells NOAA charts and local survey data
Frequently asked questions
How much does Aqua Map cost?
You need a chart subscription for your area (US nautical and lake charts start at $9.99 on the US App Store), then optionally Expert at $14.99 or Master at $24.99. All subscriptions have a 14-day free trial.
Does Aqua Map include weather?
Marine forecasts for wind, waves, currents and gusts are part of the Expert subscription, which does not include charts.
Can I import Aqua Map markers into Scirocco?
Yes, if you share them as GPX or KML. Scirocco reads GPX, KML and KMZ and shows a preview before saving.
Which is better in the Mediterranean?
For charts and an anchor alarm, Aqua Map. For an hour-by-hour sea forecast that uses the Italian 2 km model where it covers, plus waypoints and boat management in one subscription, Scirocco.
The only boating app you need
Marine forecast, waypoints, compass, GPS tracks, boat management, maintenance and documents.
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Prices, features and ratings of the apps come from their US App Store listings on October 20, 2026 and may change: Scirocco, Aqua Map Boating.
Aqua Map, ActiveCaptain and Waterway Guide are trademarks of their respective owners. Scirocco is not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by them.