The short answer
If you're out for a day or a weekend on the northern rivers, Navigator Lite is all you need: your position on a proper Broads map with the moorings, pubs and bridges marked. If your trip touches tidal water — Great Yarmouth, Breydon Water, the southern rivers, or Potter Heigham bridge — you want Navigator Pro, because those are all questions about timing rather than position.
| Feature | Navigator Lite | Navigator Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Live GPS position on a Broads river map | ||
| Moorings, staithes, pubs, water points and pump-outs | ||
| Speed limits by stretch | ||
| Bridges marked on the map | ||
| Tide predictions for the Broads rivers | ||
| Bridge headroom against the predicted water level | ||
| Breydon Water and Great Yarmouth passage planning | ||
| Route and passage planning across several days | ||
| Built for | Day boats and short hires | Week hires, tidal trips and owners |
| Price | £4.95 for 28 days | Subscription, current price shown in the app |
Where Lite is the right choice
A day boat out of Wroxham or Horning never needs a tide table. What it needs is to know where the next mooring is, which pub you can tie up outside, how fast you're allowed to go through the village and whether you'll be back before the yard closes. Lite answers all four, costs £4.95 for 28 days, and takes about a minute to get going with. See our day boat hire guide for the trips it suits.
Where Pro earns its keep
The moment your route depends on the state of the water, a map isn't enough. Pro predicts what the tide will be doing when you arrive, not just now, so it can tell you your window for the Great Yarmouth bridges, when the Breydon crossing is comfortable, and how the headroom at a low bridge is trending across your week. For boat owners it pays for itself the first time it stops you waiting three hours for a bridge. Our tide times guide explains the underlying problem it solves.
What about Broads Electrical?
It isn't a navigation app at all, and it's free. The Norfolk Broads Electrical app simulates your boat's power use and battery autonomy, and includes the Boat Vault for paperwork and maintenance reminders. Owners tend to run it alongside Pro; hirers don't need it.
Day boats & short hires
Norfolk Broads Navigator Lite
Like Google Maps for the Broads, with POI and live GPS, £4.95 for 28 days.
Week hires, tides & owners
Norfolk Broads Navigator Pro
Plan around the real tides, see your bridge headroom before you commit, and follow your position live on the water.
Questions people ask before buying
Lite is a map: your live position on a Broads river chart with the moorings, pubs, bridges and speed limits marked. Pro is a navigator: it adds tide predictions and works out the bridge headroom and passage timing for the day you're actually travelling.