OpenWind vs Helmsman's Kit
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
OpenWind
This application connects to a specialized instrument to display real-time sailing data, including vessel pitch and roll, compass readings, and wind speed and direction. It also provides insights into the instrument's battery level and Bluetooth connection strength. The app requires a connection to the OW instrument to function.
- Real-time sailing data display
- Vessel pitch and roll monitoring
- True and apparent wind data
- Compass and course over ground
- Instrument battery level
- Bluetooth connection strength
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The OpenWind App is an extension for the OpenWind instrument, designed to receive all the Data measured during sail time, such as: - pitch/roll of the vessel - compass - true wind speed and direction - apparent wind speed and direction - course over ground - speed over ground The App also gives information about the battery level of the instrument and the strength of the bluetooth connection. The App only works after connecting to the OW instrument. UDP NMEA 0183 output sentences for AWA/AWS and TWA/TWS
Helmsman's Kit
This navigation app provides essential yacht cockpit features, including a spherical compass, man-over-board alerts, and anchor watch. It offers offline charts, weather overlays, and marine instrument displays for a comprehensive sailing experience.
- Spherical compass display
- Man-over-board button with direction/distance
- Anchor watch with forwarding
- Offline chart caching
- Weather overlay (wind, waves, temp, pressure)
- Marine instruments display (position, heading, speed)
- Track export in GPX format
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This app combines the essential features you need in the cockpit of your yacht, optimized for easy and fast usage. • Display of a spherical compass as you are used to. • Man-over-board button, display direction/distance with compass. • Anchor watch with forwarding to a second device. • Bearing compass. • Charts with sea signs. • Offline charts by caching of all chart access. • Weather overlay: wind, waves, temperature, pressure. • Tracking optimized for boats. • Full access to and export of the tracks in standard format (GPX). • Post images of your tracks on social media. • Marine instruments display with the standard values: Position, Heading, Speed over ground, Course over Ground, Heel, Log, Average speed, Time. No account or registration required, even not for forwarding the anchor watch alarm to a second iPhone or iPad!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: OpenWind at Free against Helmsman's Kit's $1.99. OpenWind also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 7 months) and device support (5 vs 3). On review sentiment, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
OpenWind is free to download; Helmsman's Kit costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
OpenWind ships an update fortnightly, Helmsman's Kit every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | OpenWind | Helmsman's Kit |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $1.99 |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 7 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.1 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 52 MB | 5 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Michael Liesenberg | Dr. Harald Merkel |
Customer experience
OpenWind
Helmsman's Kit
In-app purchases
OpenWind
No in-app purchases
Helmsman's Kit
No in-app purchases
