Cortex Onboard vs SailTimer API™
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Configure and update Cortex devices
- View AIS information and alerts
- Manage Anchor Watch
- Monitor vessel sensors
- Connect NMEA 2000 instruments
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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).
SailTimer API™
This app bridges the gap between your SailTimer Wind Instrument and other navigation or performance apps. It also offers access to crowdsourced wind maps and marine weather animations through a subscription, enhancing your sailing experience with real-time wind data.
- Integrates with SailTimer Wind Instrument
- Delivers wind data to partner apps
- Crowdsourced wind maps
- Marine weather animations
- Supports chartplotter apps
- Real-time wind data
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This app allows you to use SailTimer products in other partner apps. First, if you have the wireless SailTimer Wind Instrument (www.SailTimerWind.com), this app can receive the transmissions and deliver them to other apps for viewing. Use this app with the the SailTimer™ chartplotter app, or with lots of other navigation, wind gauge or performance apps (https://wi-rb.com/apps/). But what if you want to see what the wind is doing up ahead, or around the next point? Then you need our crowdsourced wind maps and marine weather animations. You can get the low-cost subscription here, to view our marine weather animations in partner apps. We'll add a growing list of partner apps at https://SailTimer.boats App web page: https://wi-rb.com/api. If you have a question or feedback please email info@SailTimer.co - we’re here to help. If you are getting the app and like this wireless technology, please help out other sailors by letting them know with a quick rating on this version while you’re here.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Cortex Onboard at 56% against SailTimer API™'s 0%. Cortex Onboard also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 6) and ratings volume (12 vs 1). SailTimer API™'s advantage is rating (5.0 vs 3.8) and update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ads, device support 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
Both are free to download. SailTimer API™ sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Cortex Onboard asks for nothing beyond the download.
SailTimer API™ holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cortex Onboard has 12 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 56% of Cortex Onboard's written reviews are positive against 0% of SailTimer API™'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Cortex Onboard ships an update every 2 months, SailTimer API™ every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on June 7, 2026 and August 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Cortex Onboard | SailTimer API™ |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (12 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 55.6% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 12 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 4 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 376 MB | 19 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Garmin New Zealand Ltd | SailTimer Inc. |
Customer experience
Cortex Onboard
SailTimer API™
In-app purchases
Cortex Onboard
No in-app purchases
SailTimer API™
- Crowdsourced Wind Maps - Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
- WNI Marine Weather - Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
- AI Forecasts - Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
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- Crowdsourced Wind Maps - Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
- WNI Marine Weather - Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
- AI Forecasts - Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year









