Cortex Onboard vs Doyle Guides
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).
Doyle Guides
Access comprehensive sailing guides for the southern Caribbean, featuring nautical charts, regulations, services, and points of interest. The app offers an interactive map with user-generated comments and corrections, all free to use. In-app purchases provide access to detailed guide book content.
- Comprehensive sailing guides
- Nautical charts and navigation
- Interactive satellite map
- 3000+ points of interest database
- User comments and corrections
- Island-specific content bundles
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Doyle Guides produces the southern Caribbean's most comprehensive and up-to-date sailing guides, complete with nautical charts and navigational information, details on regulations, customs and immigration, general and technical yacht services, marinas, restaurants, provisioning, shore-based attractions, and more. The Doyle Guides mobile app allows users to search our comprehensive 3000+ point of interest database with results shown based on distance from the user and displayed on an interactive satellite map where users can leave public comments as well as suggest corrections and new points of interest, all free of charge. Subscriptions to guide book content is available on both long and short term basis, as well as bundled by island.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Cortex Onboard at none against Doyle Guides's 18. Doyle Guides's advantage is rating (4.3 vs 3.8) and ratings volume (50 vs 12). On price, review sentiment, 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
Both are free to download. Doyle Guides sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Cortex Onboard asks for nothing beyond the download.
Doyle Guides holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 12 and 50 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of Cortex Onboard's written reviews are positive against 60% of Doyle Guides's.
Cortex Onboard ships an update every 2 months, Doyle Guides monthly. The most recent releases landed on June 7, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Cortex Onboard | Doyle Guides |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (12 ratings) | 4.3 (50 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 55.6% of reviews | 60.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 12 | 50 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Monthly — 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 | 41 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Garmin New Zealand Ltd | Chris Doyle Publishing Limited |
Customer experience
Cortex Onboard
Doyle Guides
In-app purchases
Cortex Onboard
No in-app purchases
Doyle Guides
- Trinidad & Tobago - 1 month3 Days trial$9.991 Month
- Martinique Sailing Guide3 Days trial$19.991 Month
- St. Lucia Sailing Guide3 Days trial$19.991 Month
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- St. Vincent Sailing Guide3 Days trial$19.991 Month
- Grenada Package - 1 month3 Days trial$19.991 Month
- Trinidad Tobago Sailing Guide7 Days trial$19.991 Year
- Martinique Sailing Guide7 Days trial$24.991 Year
- St. Lucia Sailing Guide7 Days trial$24.991 Year
- St. Vincent Sailing Guide7 Days trial$24.991 Year
- Grenada Package - 12 months7 Days trial$24.991 Year
- Southern Leeward Sailing Guide3 Days trial$24.991 Month
- Northern Leeward Sailing Guide3 Days trial$24.991 Month
- Windward Islands Guide3 Days trial$29.991 Month
- BVI Cruising Guide3 Days trial$29.991 Year
- Windward Islands Guide7 Days trial$39.991 Year
- Virgin Islands Cruising Guide3 Days trial$39.991 Year
- Leeward Islands Sailing Guide3 Days trial$39.991 Month
- Leeward Islands Sailing Guide7 Days trial$59.991 Year
