Comparison

Cortex Onboard vs Anchor Alarm & Remote

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

Head to head
About

Cortex Onboard

Configure and update your marine electronics, and monitor vital boat data remotely. Receive alerts, view AIS information, and manage anchor watch from your mobile device.

Highlights
  • Configure and update Cortex devices
  • View AIS information and alerts
  • Manage Anchor Watch remotely
  • Monitor boat sensors and NMEA 2000 instruments
  • View battery, pressure, and position data
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).

About

Anchor Alarm & Remote

This app acts as a digital anchor watch, alerting you if your boat drifts beyond a set perimeter. It offers real-time tracking, remote control of your anchor session, and historical data analysis. Enjoy peace of mind while on or off deck, with battery-efficient operation and smart connectivity options.

Highlights
  • Real-time boat tracking
  • Remote anchor session control
  • Historical anchor session review
  • Customizable alarm settings
  • Share boat position with others
  • Connects to chart plotter for GPS data
  • Energy-efficient battery usage
  • Intelligent GPS signal filtering
Features
Read full description

Let's Hook Your Boat Down! Hooked is your trusty digital anchor watch. It keeps a sharp eye on your boat's position, sounding the alarm if it drifts beyond your comfort zone. Enjoy the same peace of mind whether you're on deck or ashore, without draining your device's battery. Key Features: * Real-time Tracking: Watch your boat's movements like a hawk. Colorful trails make it easy to see where you've been. * Remote Command Center: Control your anchor session from anywhere with an internet connection. Pause, adjust, or relocate your session with ease – it's all up to you. * History Buff: Review past anchor sessions to analyze your boating patterns. * Customization Galore: Tailor Hooked to your preferences. Adjust units, track appearance, and even the alarm volume. * Share the Love: Let friends and family keep an eye on your boat too. * Smart Connectivity: Hooked plays nice with other devices. Connect to your chart plotter for more accurate GPS data and to view depth and wind speed. * Energy Efficient: Hooked is designed to be gentle on your device's battery, ensuring it lasts as long as you need it. * GPS Savvy: Hooked intelligently filters out unreliable GPS signals, preventing false alarms. * Low Battery Alert: Never be caught off guard. Hooked warns you when your device is running low. Note: Remote monitoring requires two Hooked-equipped devices with internet access and a Hooked Premium subscription for the boat-based device. For a cheaper option you can also subscribe to Hooked Essential which enables remote notifications (comparable to Anchor Pro’s “Anchor Premium”). Ready to drop anchor with confidence? Hooked is your go-to companion for worry-free boating. Privacy Policy: https://hookedanchor.com/privacy Terms of Use: https://hookedanchor.com/terms-of-use

Screenshots

Cortex Onboard4 screens
Anchor Alarm & Remote4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Anchor Alarm & Remote at 4.8 against Cortex Onboard's 3.8. Anchor Alarm & Remote also leads on review sentiment (91% vs 56%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). Cortex Onboard's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). On price 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. Anchor Alarm & Remote sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Cortex Onboard asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Anchor Alarm & Remote holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Anchor Alarm & Remote has 67 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of Cortex Onboard's written reviews are positive against 91% of Anchor Alarm & Remote's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cortex Onboard ships an update every 2 months, Anchor Alarm & Remote every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Cortex Onboard versus Anchor Alarm & Remote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCortex OnboardAnchor Alarm & Remote
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (12 ratings)4.8 (67 ratings) — better
Positive reviews55.6% of reviews90.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1267 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS18.515.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB41 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGarmin New Zealand LtdKylee Davis

Customer experience

Cortex Onboard

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

Anchor Alarm & Remote

All ratings67 ratings
Positive95.5%
Neutral1.5%
Negative3.0%
Written reviews85 reviews
Positive90.6%
Neutral7.1%
Negative2.4%

Bugs and requests

Cortex Onboard

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Anchor Alarm & Remote

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Occasionally struggles with losing GPS lock
  • iPad built-in GPS sometimes doesn't update
  • Some interruptions of connection
  • Bug causing incorrect longitude value and app crash
  • Seems to only paint the swing on the map sometimes
Show 1 more
  • Difficulty finding the drop anchor button

Requested features

11 requests
  • Compatibility with Android
  • Apple Watch app
  • Ability to share remote monitoring with other Apple IDs
  • Ability to form non-circular swing areas (e.g., pie slice, freeform)
  • NMEA live wind data integration
Show 6 more
  • Support for Garmin GPSMAP plotters
  • Graphics based on GPS when no internet
  • Cached graphics when offline
  • Apple Watch support to set, pause, stop
  • Alarm if GPS fails to update
  • Support for NMEA connection to Vesper Cortex

In-app purchases

None

Cortex Onboard

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Anchor Alarm & Remote

Subscriptions3
  • Hooked Premium (Monthly)1 Month trial$2.991 Month
  • Hooked Essential (Yearly)$4.991 Year
  • Hooked Premium (Yearly)1 Month trial$17.991 Year

Questions

Is Cortex Onboard free?
Cortex Onboard is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Anchor Alarm & Remote free?
Anchor Alarm & Remote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Cortex Onboard or Anchor Alarm & Remote?
Anchor Alarm & Remote is rated higher. Cortex Onboard averages 3.8 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Anchor Alarm & Remote averages 4.8 from 67 ratings.
Do Cortex Onboard or Anchor Alarm & Remote have ads?
Neither Cortex Onboard nor Anchor Alarm & Remote shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cortex Onboard or Anchor Alarm & Remote?
Cortex Onboard ships an update every 2 months, and Anchor Alarm & Remote every 3 weeks. Most recently, Cortex Onboard was updated on October 29, 2026 and Anchor Alarm & Remote on October 30, 2026.

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