The best free marine GPS app for iPhone with no subscription — Boat Knot Meter gives speed in knots and anchor watch. 100% free, no hidden fees, no ads.
If you have spent any time searching for a
For sailors, motorboat owners, and kayakers who just need reliable GPS speed data and anchor protection — not a full chartplotter — this pricing model is frustrating. You end up paying for a massive suite of features when you only need two.
That is where
The speed display is large, clear, and updates in real time. You see your current speed in all three units simultaneously — knots for navigation, km/h for passengers who do not use nautical units, and mph for those accustomed to the imperial system. Whether you are sailing, motoring, or paddling, the reading is always there.
Set your GPS position as an anchor point, choose your alarm radius, and Boat Knot Meter monitors your position continuously. If you drift beyond the boundary, an audible alarm fires — loud enough to wake you from sleep.
Your route, speeds, and distance are recorded for every trip. Review your passage log after a sail — maximum speed, average speed, distance made good.
Boat Knot Meter uses only your iPhone GPS chip. It works in the middle of the ocean, in fjords, on remote lakes, anywhere your boat goes.
Install it, open it, use it. No email, no password, no profile.
Free marine apps tend to fall into two traps. The first is advertising: banner ads and pop-ups that interrupt your workflow. The second is crippled functionality: the anchor watch only works for 30 minutes before a premium upgrade prompt. Boat Knot Meter avoids both traps entirely.
If you sail on weekends and coastal passages, you probably do not need a monthly chartplotter subscription. You need accurate speed data and anchor protection. Boat Knot Meter delivers both.
Paddle sports enthusiasts need to know how fast they are moving and possibly monitor their beached kayak. Boat Knot Meter is purpose-built for exactly this use case, without the complexity or cost of a full marine suite.