Scirocco vs Navionics
Navionics is a chart app. Scirocco is an app for deciding whether to go out, getting to your spot and keeping the boat in order, built in Naples for the Mediterranean. They do different jobs: here is where each one wins.
🧭 Marine forecast, waypoints and route in one app with Scirocco → — free, no account.
Side by side
| Scirocco | Navionics Boating | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free up to 20 waypoints. Pro $24.99/year (7-day free trial) or $3.99/week (3-day free trial) | Yearly subscription: Mediterranean & Black Sea $59.99, Adriatic & Ionian Seas $69.99. Free for a limited time |
| Nautical charts and depths | No: Apple satellite map | Navionics charts offline and SonarChart HD bathymetry with 1 ft (0.5 m) contours |
| Automatic routing | Route that goes around the coast when land is in the way, also offline | Auto Guidance+: dock-to-dock path based on chart data and navigation aids |
| 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 | Daily and hourly forecasts, wind, weather buoys, tides and currents |
| Waypoint import | Lowrance, Simrad and B&G (.usr), Humminbird (.hwr), GPX, KML/KMZ, CSV, NMEA, coordinates from photos and WhatsApp | GPX import and export |
| Compass with plain-word corrections | "Turn to starboard", "On course", vibration at 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 m from the mark | ETA, distance to arrival, heading to waypoint and fuel use on the route |
| Boat, engines and maintenance | Boat profile, 105 preset engines, engine hours, 23 maintenance jobs with reminders (Pro) | — |
| Insurance and documents with reminders | Boat insurance and documents (Pro); licences, certificates and ID with reminders (free) | — |
| AIS | No | Yes, with a compatible Wi-Fi AIS receiver, with collision alerts |
| Chartplotter connection | GPX export to open on the plotter | Plotter Sync with compatible chartplotters and SonarChart Live with a sonar |
| Community | No | Community Edits and ActiveCaptain, live location sharing |
| US App Store rating | Not enough ratings yet on the US App Store | 2.9 out of 5 (2,351 ratings) |
| Requirements | iPhone with iOS 17 or later, Android 7.0 or later | iPhone with iOS 18 or later (also on Android) |
| Ads | Banners in the free version, none with Pro | — |
Highlighted: the stronger app on that point, where the difference is clear.
Which one to choose
Choose Scirocco if
- you go out for the day along the Mediterranean coast, to fish, swim or anchor in a bay
- you want an hour-by-hour sea forecast before you leave, with the Italian 2 km model where it covers
- your spots are on a fishfinder or in a WhatsApp chat and you want them in one app
- you want engines, maintenance, insurance and documents in one place
- $24.99 a year, or the free version, is all you want to spend
Choose Navionics Boating if
- you sail offshore or in unfamiliar waters and need charts with depths
- you have an AIS receiver or a chartplotter to connect to your phone
- you want a dock-to-dock route calculated on navigation aids
- you boat in the US, where Scirocco's Italian forecast model does not cover
Frequently asked questions
Is Navionics free?
Only for a limited time. After that, charts and advanced features need a yearly subscription: on the US App Store, Mediterranean & Black Sea costs $59.99 and Adriatic & Ionian Seas $69.99 (prices checked on October 20, 2026).
Navionics vs Scirocco for the Mediterranean?
If you need charts with depths, AIS or a plotter link, Navionics. If you go out for the day along the coast in Italy, Croatia or Greece and care most about the sea forecast, your waypoints and getting there, Scirocco does it for $24.99 a year and speaks Croatian and Greek too.
Can I import my Navionics waypoints into Scirocco?
Yes. Export markers and tracks from Navionics as GPX, or use a KML or KMZ file, and open it with Scirocco: it detects the format from the content and shows a preview before saving.
Does Scirocco work offline?
The compass, navigation, route around the coast and track recording work without a connection, and the last forecast stays saved for 7 days. Scirocco does not download offline maps; Navionics charts work offline with the subscription.
Are Garmin Boating and Navionics the same app?
Yes. Navionics Boating is published by Garmin, and many people call it the Garmin Boating app. It is the same app with the same subscriptions.
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, Navionics Boating.
Navionics, SonarChart, Auto Guidance+, ActiveCaptain and Garmin are trademarks of their respective owners. Scirocco is not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by them.