Compare software

Signal K vs OpenPlotter: catalog facts
Signal K	OpenPlotter

Best for: Boat owners building a connected onboard system from their instruments and sensors	Best for: Boat owners building their own Raspberry Pi navigation and instrument system
Free Free and open source.	Free Free to download and install.
Web, Self-hosted	Linux, Self-hosted
Bridges NMEA instruments with WiFi, mobile devices and web apps Large ecosystem of plugins and web apps Open specification anyone can implement Online demo to try before installing	Ready-made Raspberry OS images with apps configured Bundles OpenCPN, AvNav and XyGrib Connects to NMEA 0183, NMEA 2000, Seatalk 1 and Signal K Chart plotter reachable from phones and tablets
Needs an onboard computer and some setup work Aimed at technically inclined boat owners	Needs suitable hardware and some Linux setup Aimed at boat owners, with a technical learning curve
Self-hosted	Downloadable app, Operating system
Open source	Not open source
License not stated	License not stated
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Offline features available	Offline features available
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Signal K signalk.org Catalog checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for OpenPlotter openmarine.net/openplotter Catalog checked September 24, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.