Honest comparison
GilledIt vs Navionics
Do You Need a Fishing App or a Boating App?
Last updated: August 2026
Navionics and GilledIt are fundamentally different tools. Navionics is a marine chart plotter owned by Garmin. It helps you navigate waterways with depth contours, route planning, and tide data. GilledIt is a fishing app. It helps you log catches, connect with other anglers, trade tackle, and compete on leaderboards. If you need charts for boating or kayak fishing, Navionics is excellent. If you need a fishing companion for logging, community, and UK species support, GilledIt is the app. Many anglers use both.
Feature by feature
Side-by-Side Comparison
How GilledIt and Navionics compare across every feature that matters to UK anglers.
| Feature | GilledIt | Navionics |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Purpose | Fishing app | Marine navigation |
| Catch Logging | Yes | No |
| UK Species Database (110) | Yes | No |
| Fishing Method Tracking | Yes | No |
| Social Feed | Yes | No |
| Marketplace | Yes | No |
| Challenges & Badges | Yes | No |
| Messaging | Yes | No |
| Marine Charts | No | Yes |
| Route Planning | No | Yes |
| Depth Contours | No | Yes |
| Interactive Map | Yes | Yes |
| Offline Mode | Yes | Partial |
| UK Inland Coverage | Yes | Partial |
| Free Core Features | Yes | No |
| Price | Free | ~£40/yr |
| Device Limit | Unlimited | 2 devices |
Competitor pricing and claims checked August 2026 against: Navionics Boating plans (Garmin) · Navionics Boating on the App Store. GilledIt feature data comes from our own app.
Advantages
Where GilledIt Wins
Everything a Fishing App Should Do
Navionics has no catch logging, no species database, no social features, no marketplace, no challenges, and no fishing method tracking. It is a navigation tool, not a fishing app. GilledIt gives you the complete fishing experience: log catches, connect with anglers, trade tackle, and compete on leaderboards.
UK Inland Waters Coverage
Navionics is built for coastal and large lake navigation. Many UK coarse fishing lakes, small rivers, and canal systems have minimal or no Navionics chart data. GilledIt’s interactive map covers UK fishing spots including canals, commercials, rivers, and lakes, the waters most UK anglers actually fish.
Free vs £40/Year (and Rising)
Navionics’ subscription has risen sharply since the Garmin acquisition and now costs $49.99/year per region (approximately £40/year, checked August 2026). Users are limited to two devices and lose offline chart access if their subscription lapses. GilledIt’s core features are free. Offline catch logging works with or without a subscription.
No Garmin Lock-In
Since Garmin acquired Navionics, the web app has been killed and the ecosystem steers users toward Garmin hardware. Independent app users feel increasingly sidelined. GilledIt is an independent platform with no hardware lock-in.
Being honest
Where Navionics Wins
We believe in honest comparisons. Here is where the competition has an edge.
Industry-Leading Marine Charts
Navionics charts are the gold standard for boating and kayak fishing. Depth contours, bottom composition, navigation aids, and community-contributed edits make it unbeatable for on-water navigation. If you fish from a boat and need to navigate safely, Navionics is hard to beat.
Navigation and Route Planning
Route planning, GPS tracking, and auto-routing. Navionics is a purpose-built navigation tool. GilledIt does not do navigation because it is not a boating app. These are genuinely different categories of app.
The verdict
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Navionics if:
You fish from a boat or kayak and need marine charts, depth contours, and navigation. You do not need catch logging, social features, or a marketplace.
Choose GilledIt if:
You want a fishing app. Logging catches, connecting with anglers, trading tackle, competing on leaderboards. This is what GilledIt does. If you fish from the bank, you almost certainly do not need Navionics.
Navionics gets you to the water. GilledIt is what you need when you get there. Boat anglers may want both. Bank anglers can save themselves £40/year and use GilledIt instead.
FAQ: GilledIt vs Navionics
Navionics is a marine chart and navigation app, not a fishing app. It provides depth contours and route planning for boating but has no catch logging, species database, social features, or fishing method tracking. For fishing-specific features, GilledIt is designed for UK anglers with catch logging, a social feed, marketplace, and 110 species.
Navionics costs $49.99 per year per region (approximately £40/year, checked August 2026). The price has risen repeatedly over several years, including a jump from $35 to $50 in late 2023. UK anglers need the European region subscription. GilledIt’s core features are free.
For marine charts and navigation, free alternatives include Aqua Map and i-Boating. However, if you need a fishing app rather than a navigation tool, GilledIt is free and offers catch logging, social feed, interactive map, marketplace, and challenges for UK anglers.
Navionics has repeatedly increased its subscription price since being acquired by Garmin; it now costs $49.99 per year per region (checked August 2026). Users are also limited to two devices and lose offline access when subscriptions lapse. Many anglers are questioning whether the price is justified for fishing use.
Navionics has limited coverage for UK inland waters. It is best for coastal areas and large lakes. Many UK coarse fishing lakes, small rivers, and canal systems have minimal or no Navionics chart data. GilledIt’s interactive map covers UK fishing spots including canals, commercials, rivers, and lakes.
If you fish from a boat or kayak, using both Navionics (for navigation) and GilledIt (for fishing features) makes sense as they serve different purposes. If you fish from the bank at canals, commercials, or rivers, you likely do not need Navionics and can use GilledIt as your primary fishing app.
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