The best sailing apps for 2025

From navigation and weather tracking to emergency support, entertainment, and learning, we’ve rounded up the top sailing apps for 2025. Which will you download first?

To help you find the right tools, we’ve grouped these apps into the following categories:

• Navigation apps
• Weather apps
• Port information apps
• Multifunctional apps
• Emergency apps
• Mooring apps
• Route planning apps
• Tidal water apps
• Marine traffic monitoring apps
• Entertainment apps
• Apps for improving sailing skills

Good navigation is essential when out at sea. These apps help you plan and track your route, but remember — paper charts are still the most reliable backup!

The gold standard of sailing navigation. Navionics is an essential tool for every sailor. It offers GPS navigation, depth information for bays, detailed underwater contour lines, and comprehensive port data — including contacts for captain’s offices. The only downside? It’s a paid app. But when it comes to navigation at sea, this is one investment worth making.

This app provides highly accurate navigation at sea, turning your device into a reliable chart plotter. It responds smoothly to GPS position changes, ensuring real-time tracking and precise route planning.

This app provides essential information on navigation buoys, lighthouses, and other sea markings, including their shapes, colours, and light signals. It’s particularly useful for sailing at night, in low visibility, or when navigating unfamiliar waters.

Since predicting the weather with absolute accuracy is nearly impossible, sailors rely on apps to monitor wind, waves, pressure, and other key conditions.

A favourite among sailors, Windy provides detailed forecasts, including wind direction and strength, wave conditions, temperature, precipitation, and cloud cover. However, since it’s based on forecast models, it’s always wise to compare the data with real-time observations or seek advice from locals familiar with the area.

This app combines multiple wind forecast models to deliver highly accurate sea condition reports. In addition to weather tracking, it includes a route planning feature.

This app aggregates weather data from multiple models and sources, providing detailed forecasts for wind, precipitation, temperature, and pressure. It also includes historical weather data, making it a valuable tool for planning and tracking weather trends.

Designed for more experienced sailors and those interested in meteorology, this app displays both current and historical pressure maps. By analyzing this data, skilled sailors can plan their routes more effectively.

Finding the perfect mooring spot for the night is a key part of any sailing trip. These apps help you discover the best locations, check user reviews, and even book your berth in advance.

A must-have for recreational sailors, Navily provides details on over 14,000 mooring spots, including 6,000 marinas with clear descriptions, user reviews, and contact information. Best of all, you can book directly through the app.

Ideal for sailors cruising in Croatia, Greece, and Turkey, MySea maps out marinas, buoys, bays, restaurants, and entertainment options. It also provides localized weather forecasts and allows you to book moorings directly within the app.

A community-driven app where sailors share recommendations for anchorages, provisioning spots, customs piers, and even onshore entertainment. Best of all, it’s completely free, making it an easy and cost-effective way to gather insights from fellow sailors.

Some apps bring together multiple features, offering navigation, weather forecasts, and port information in one convenient package.

A truly all-in-one sailing app, Savvy Navvy provides detailed navigation and weather forecasts in a single interface. Thanks to its integration with Navily, it also offers insights into bays, buoys, and nearby restaurants, making it a valuable tool for both trip planning and real-time sailing.

While no one plans for trouble at sea, it's essential to be prepared. These apps provide vital assistance in case of an emergency.

The most well-known yacht assistance service, SeaHelp operates 24/7 and is highly reliable. Whether you need a tow, fuel delivery, or other emergency support, this app ensures you’re never stranded. It’s particularly useful for those planning a longer crossing, racing, or sailing in unfamiliar waters.

At yachting.com, we partner with SeaHelp — if you book a boat with our Exclusive package, you’ll have SeaHelp coverage included in the applicable regions.

Mooring in the wild — away from marinas, piers, or buoys — offers an unforgettable experience. However, it also comes with risks. These apps help ensure a safe and secure anchoring experience.

There are plenty of anchor watch apps out there, but we love Anchor Alarm. It’s like having a digital night watch – once you set your anchor position, chain length, and drift tolerance, the app keeps an eye on your boat’s movement throughout the night. If your boat drifts too far from the anchor or gets too close to shore, it will sound an alarm to wake you up so you can reposition and re-anchor if needed.

Planning an efficient and fast sailing route can be a challenge, especially when factoring in weather conditions. These apps help streamline the process.

We recommend SailGrib Weather Routing for sailors taking part in regattas and races. Using real-time weather and wave data, the app calculates the optimal route to help you sail as efficiently as possible and reach your destination faster.

Sailing in tidal waters is one of the biggest challenges for a skipper. Keeping track of tide changes, moon phases, and sea levels is essential for safe navigation.

In regions like France, Scotland, or the Baltic Sea, the difference between high and low tide can be significant, making it crucial to monitor tidal patterns. Tide Alert (NOAA) provides forecasts for moon phases, tide times, and sea levels. You can even set alarms to stay informed about changing conditions, helping you avoid getting stranded or caught in strong tidal currents.

You're never alone at sea, and keeping an eye on nearby vessels is essential for safety—especially since large ships may not see smaller sailboats as easily.

This app provides real-time data on large ships and tankers in your vicinity, helping you navigate busy waters more safely. It’s particularly useful in high-traffic areas like the English Channel or the Baltic Sea, where shipping density is high and careful route planning is crucial.

VesselFinder provides real-time AIS data, allowing you to track all ships using the Automatic Identification System (AIS). You can view their current position, course, sailing history, and other vessel details. This app is especially useful in high-traffic areas, helping you stay aware of surrounding vessels and navigate safely.

Yachting isn’t just about navigation and safety — it’s also about having fun. These apps focus on the lighter side of sailing.

"Is fishing allowed here? And under what conditions?" With Fish Rules, you won’t have to ask. This app provides up-to-date fishing regulations based on your location, ensuring you stay compliant with local laws. It also includes a database of fish species — perfect for identifying and comparing your catch, especially for larger fish.

Sea People is a platform where sailors can share photos and experiences, connect with others, and even request help from nearby boats. It’s essentially a social network for sailors, boat enthusiasts, and sea lovers — a great way to stay connected while out on the water.

Every good sailor should always be learning and improving their skills. These apps make sailing education easier and more engaging.

This app offers a fun and interactive way to learn essential sailing knots. We recommend installing it before your trip to ensure that your crew has at least basic knot-tying skills. After all, every sailor should know these nine essential knots.

Whether it’s COLREGs Lights & Shapes or COLREGs Sound & Signals, these apps help you memorise maritime navigation rules, including lights, sound signals, and signs at sea. Mastering these ensures you’ll be able to recognise and use them confidently — even in the middle of the night.