Comparison

1st vs Cortex Onboard

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

1st

Control your boat's engine and security features remotely. Receive man overboard alerts and manage access for others. Enhances safety and security for boaters.

Highlights
  • Theft Deterrent control
  • Man Over Board alerts
  • Time-limited access granting
  • Proximity-based engine disabling
  • Emergency contact notifications
Features
Read full description

The 1st Mate app puts you in control of your vessel by interacting seamlessly with the 1st Mate system installed. You can easily control Theft Deterrent features, see Man Over Board alerts and give time limited access to your loved ones, or even the service guy. 1st Mate from Mercury and Quicksilver is the world's first engine-integrated man overboard and proximity-based theft deterrent system. Utilizing a highly styled wearable for up to 8 people, 1st Mate turns the engine off or sounds an alarm during a man overboard event (MOB), and optionally sends notifications to emergency contacts. If the proximity of the fob is not in range, the system disables or puts engine in guardian mode. All these functions are covering boaters most important needs, namely safety and security.

About

Cortex Onboard

This app allows you to configure and update your marine electronics from your mobile device. Monitor vessel data, receive alerts, and manage features like Anchor Watch from anywhere on board.

Highlights
  • Configure and update Cortex devices
  • View AIS information and alerts
  • Manage Anchor Watch
  • Monitor vessel sensors
  • Connect NMEA 2000 instruments
Read full description

Cortex Onboard is free with your Cortex. Use it to configure your Cortex Hub and download updates to your Cortex devices with new features and improvements. You can also use Cortex Onboard to receive and manage alerts, view AIS information and instrument data anywhere on board your boat. View out-of-the-box sensors or NMEA 2000 networked instruments. - Setup is easy and free. - Use Cortex Onboard to configure and update your Cortex devices easily. - View AIS information and receive alerts on board direct to your device. - Manage Anchor Watch from the palm of your hand anywhere on board. - Use the Cortex Hub’s built-in sensors for battery level, barometric pressure and boat position. - Connect your Cortex Hub to NMEA 2000, or an external sensor, to add monitoring for wind, depth, bilge high water, temperature, shore power or security. - The Cortex Hub supports up to 10 WiFi devices (includes Handsets).

Screenshots

1st4 screens
Cortex Onboard4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: 1st at 100% against Cortex Onboard's 56%. 1st also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.8). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

1st holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10 and 12 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of 1st's written reviews are positive against 56% of Cortex Onboard's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

1st ships an update monthly, Cortex Onboard every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
1st versus Cortex Onboard: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter1stCortex Onboard
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (10 ratings) — better3.8 (12 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better55.6% of reviews
Number of ratings1012 — better
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size124 MB376 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMercury Marine LLCGarmin New Zealand Ltd

Customer experience

1st

All ratings10 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Cortex Onboard

All ratings12 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral8.3%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive55.6%
Neutral11.1%
Negative33.3%

In-app purchases

None

1st

No in-app purchases

None

Cortex Onboard

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is 1st free?
1st is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Cortex Onboard free?
Cortex Onboard is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, 1st or Cortex Onboard?
1st is rated higher. 1st averages 5.0 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Cortex Onboard averages 3.8 from 12 ratings.
Do 1st or Cortex Onboard have ads?
Neither 1st nor Cortex Onboard shows ads.
Which is updated more often, 1st or Cortex Onboard?
1st ships an update monthly, and Cortex Onboard every 2 months. Most recently, 1st was updated on October 6, 2026 and Cortex Onboard on October 13, 2026.

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