Comparison

NMEAkit vs Pathfinder Sailing

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

Head to head
About

NMEAkit

This app calibrates wind, pitch, and roll data when used with a NMEAkit device. It offers a rotating mast option to compensate for mast orientation, making data available via NMEA2000 or NMEA0183 gateways.

Highlights
  • Calibrate wind, pitch, and roll
  • Rotating mast option
  • Compensate mast orientation
  • NMEA2000/0183 gateway compatibility
  • Works with NMEAkit device
Features
Read full description

This application works only with NMEAkit device. The app can calibrate Wind, Pitch and Roll from OpenWind and if the NMEAkit unit contains a compass, you can use the rotating mast option: Align the NMEA kit with the boat's heading, enable mast rotation and calibrate the mast 0° position. The rotation of the mast will be compensated and the information available in NMEA2000 of NMEA0183 gateway.

About

Pathfinder Sailing

Features
Read full description

The Pathfinder Sailing App for the iPhone and Apple Watch is the Ultimate App for Sailboat Racing. This app helps you get better starts, hit the wind shifts, and sail faster. Racing screens provide input on your starts, boat speed, wind shift management, and current trends—right on your iPhone or Apple Watch. Race replay and analysis allow you to view your race and performance details and compare your boat track over a Google map with other boats in your fleet using the Pathfinder app. Live Map shows your boat's location and track over several different map backgrounds, including NOAA charts where available. The Marks & Courses screen allows you to create marks, import gpx files for marks and courses, and drop marks on the Live Map. You can then navigate to them via the Navigate screen or Live Map. You can also select a free and provided NOAA current GRIB or a paid GRIB from another service such as Tidetech or Mercator. Two plans are offered: - Pathfinder Plus Plan with sailing instrument integration - Pathfinder Basic plan, which uses your iPhone's GPS Post-race virtual replay provides metrics analysis to improve your sailing performance. You must purchase a monthly or annual subscription to access this content and all race screens within the app after the 14-day free trial period. App features: - Race Timer with audible output to time your starts more effectively. Supports custom time countdown. - Start screens to nail your starts by precisely pinging your start line and tracking the Distance Below Line and your required Speed to Start. - Speed screen to compare your actual performance to polar target speeds and wind angles to get up to speed faster (Plus Plan) - Compare your real-time performance to your polars for real-time feedback on speed and wind angles (Plus Plan) - Visualize wind shift trends to understand the oscillations and better predict shifts (Plus Plan) - Understand the impact of tidal current on your boat and whether you are sailing into a different current with Live Map and NOAA current GRIB (all plans) - Record your races and replay them - Track your performance metrics after the race - Export race logs in JSON or Expedition format for offline analysis Free trial - If you subscribe to the Pathfinder Sailing app, your first 14 days are free. A paid subscription is required beyond the free trial period to access the content. You will be billed for the monthly or annual subscription at the end of the trial. Your subscription will automatically renew at the end of the subscription period. By using this app, you agree to the Pathfinder Sailing Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy at pathfindersailing.com EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Terms and Conditions: https://pathfindersailing.com/termsandconditions/ Privacy Policy: https://pathfindersailing.com/privacy/

Screenshots

NMEAkit3 screens
Pathfinder Sailing4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: NMEAkit at none against Pathfinder Sailing's 3. NMEAkit also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Pathfinder Sailing sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. NMEAkit asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NMEAkit ships an update every 5 days, Pathfinder Sailing every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
NMEAkit versus Pathfinder Sailing: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNMEAkitPathfinder Sailing
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPod, Apple Watch
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB34 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMichael LiesenbergPathfinder Sailing LLC

In-app purchases

None

NMEAkit

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Pathfinder Sailing

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly Basic Subscription1 Month trial$9.991 Month
  • Monthly Subscription1 Month trial$19.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription1 Month trial$190.001 Year

Questions

Is NMEAkit free?
NMEAkit is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pathfinder Sailing free?
Pathfinder Sailing is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do NMEAkit or Pathfinder Sailing have ads?
Neither NMEAkit nor Pathfinder Sailing shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NMEAkit or Pathfinder Sailing?
NMEAkit ships an update every 5 days, and Pathfinder Sailing every 3 weeks. Most recently, NMEAkit was updated on October 2, 2026 and Pathfinder Sailing on October 14, 2026.

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