# Cortex Onboard vs Anchor Alarm & Remote

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cortex Onboard | Anchor Alarm & Remote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cortex-onboard/id1483406085/reviews) | **[4.8 (67 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/anchor-alarm-and-remote-hooked/id1666392079/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 12 | **67** |
| Positive reviews | 55.6% of reviews | **90.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 22 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.5 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Garmin New Zealand Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/557485484) | [Kylee Davis](https://appshunter.io/developer/1666392081) |

## What reviewers say

### Cortex Onboard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cortex-onboard/id1483406085)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Anchor Alarm & Remote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/anchor-alarm-and-remote-hooked/id1666392079)

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:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hooked Premium (Monthly) | $2.99 | per month |
| Hooked Essential (Yearly) | $4.99 | per year |
| Hooked Premium (Yearly) | $17.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Remote monitoring is awesome
- 🚀 Improves reliability constantly
- 🤝 Responsive developers
- 🛰️ Seamless Apple device connection

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional GPS lock issues
- 🐛 Some room for improvement
- 🐛 Connection interruptions
- 🐛 Lack of reliability
- 🐛 False alarms

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*