Honest comparison
Bosco vs Polarsteps
Polarsteps is a beloved travel tracker; Bosco is a voyage map built specifically for sailing. The core difference is what happens to your line: Polarsteps simplifies a trip into steps, Bosco preserves the exact sailed track — every tack.
| Bosco | Polarsteps | |
|---|---|---|
| The track | Exact GPS track, every tack preserved | Simplified itinerary between steps |
| Data source | GPX import from any chartplotter or Navionics | Automatic phone tracking |
| Built for | Sailing — stopovers, miles, flags, nautical charts | Land travel |
| Animated replay | Yes — cinematic, scrubbable | No |
| Embeddable widget | Yes | No |
| Physical object | 3D-printable relief model (STL) | Printed photo book |
| Mobile offline | Partial (PWA) | Strong |
| iOS | Not yet | Yes |
| Price | Free | Free + paid extras |
Choose Polarsteps if…
…you mostly travel on land, want automatic tracking from your phone, and would love a printed photo book at the end. It is excellent at all three.
Choose Bosco if…
…you sail, you record tracks, and the exact shape of your route is part of the story. Bosco keeps the zigzag beating upwind that any itinerary view flattens away.
Frequently asked questions
- Can Bosco track my phone automatically like Polarsteps?
- No. Bosco imports GPX tracks recorded by your chartplotter or navigation app (Navionics, Garmin, Raymarine…). That is a deliberate choice: the plotter's track is the real sailed line.
- Is Bosco available on iOS?
- Not yet — Bosco is available on the web (any browser, including Safari on iPhone) and as an Android app. A native iOS app is planned.
- Is Bosco free?
- Yes. Bosco is free, and your tracks stay yours: export or delete them at any time.