Cortex Onboard vs Sailing Copilot
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).
Sailing Copilot
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Sailing Copilot turns sailing data into clear, practical guidance you can use on the water. Instead of simply displaying wind, heading and boat speed, Sailing Copilot interprets that information to help you understand your point of sail and provides clear course, mainsail and jib guidance. SAILING GUIDANCE AT A GLANCE See your point of sail and get simple guidance for your course, mainsail and jib in a glanceable interface designed for use aboard a sailboat. AUTOMATIC WIND Sailing Copilot can automatically retrieve regional wind data based on your location, letting you get started without dedicated marine hardware. Weather-based wind is clearly identified as forecast data rather than an onboard measurement. LIVE NAVIGATION Use your iPhone's GPS and compass for heading and speed information. A built-in map shows your position and recent track. MARINE INSTRUMENT INPUT Sailing Copilot supports NMEA 0183 data from compatible Wi-Fi gateways using TCP or UDP. When suitable instrument data is available, the app can use it as an input to its guidance system. MANUAL & SIMULATION MODES No instruments? Enter wind conditions manually or use Simulation Mode to explore different headings, wind conditions and points of sail. See how changes in course and wind affect the guidance provided by Sailing Copilot. KNOW YOUR DATA SOURCE Sailing Copilot identifies whether key information is coming from marine instruments, weather data, manual input, your iPhone or simulation. Stale and fallback conditions are highlighted so you know when the preferred source is unavailable. FROM DATA TO GUIDANCE Sailing Copilot is built around a simple idea: sailing data becomes much more useful when it helps answer one important question: “What should I do?” Sailing Copilot provides advisory sailing guidance only. It is not a substitute for seamanship, proper training, onboard navigation equipment, weather awareness or the judgment of the skipper.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Cortex Onboard at 15.6 against Sailing Copilot's 17.0. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | Cortex Onboard | Sailing Copilot |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (12 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 55.6% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 12 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 376 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Garmin New Zealand Ltd | Cetin Gurer |
In-app purchases
Cortex Onboard
No in-app purchases
Sailing Copilot
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Cortex Onboard free?
Is Sailing Copilot free?
Do Cortex Onboard or Sailing Copilot have ads?
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