# SailTimer™ vs Cortex Onboard

The clearest difference is rating: Cortex Onboard at 3.8 against SailTimer™'s 1.7. Cortex Onboard also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 12) and review sentiment (56% vs 37%). SailTimer™'s advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SailTimer™ sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Cortex Onboard asks for nothing beyond the download.

Cortex Onboard holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 1.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 12 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 37% of SailTimer™'s written reviews are positive against 56% of Cortex Onboard's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SailTimer™ | Cortex Onboard |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.7 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sailtimer/id326309851/reviews) | **[3.8 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cortex-onboard/id1483406085/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **12** |
| Positive reviews | 37.0% of reviews | **55.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 126 MB | 376 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SailTimer Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/326309854) | [Garmin New Zealand Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/557485484) |

## What reviewers say

### SailTimer™

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sailtimer/id326309851)

Visualize wind and wave conditions before you head out on the water with this marine weather app. It uses crowdsourced data for more accurate, real-time forecasts than traditional satellite imagery. Track your GPS, create waypoints, and access offline charts for any boat type.

**Highlights:** Crowdsourced wind and wave map animation, Route viewing with aerial photos and land maps, Waypoint creation and GPS track saving, Offline map and chart usage, Follow-Me GPS tracking, Optimal tacking distance calculation for sailboats

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| WNI Marine Weather Map | $2.99 | per month |
| Wind Animation | $2.99 | per month |
| Navionics Charts | $10.99 | per year |
| ActiveCaptain | Free | one-time |
| Polar Plot Learning | Free | one-time |
| Import NMEA data | $0.99 | one-time |
| SailTimer Pro Bundle | $7.99 | one-time |
| USA Atlantic Coast | $15.99 | one-time |
| USA Pacific Coast | $15.99 | one-time |
| USA Great Lakes | $15.99 | one-time |
| USA Gulf Coast | $15.99 | one-time |
| Cuba, Bahamas, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands | $15.99 | one-time |


### Cortex Onboard

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

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.

**Highlights:** Configure and update Cortex devices, View AIS information and alerts, Manage Anchor Watch, Monitor vessel sensors, Connect NMEA 2000 instruments

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SailTimer™ free?

SailTimer™ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Cortex Onboard free?

Cortex Onboard is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, SailTimer™ or Cortex Onboard?

Cortex Onboard is rated higher. SailTimer™ averages 1.7 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Cortex Onboard averages 3.8 from 12 ratings.

### Do SailTimer™ or Cortex Onboard have ads?

Neither SailTimer™ nor Cortex Onboard shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SailTimer™ or Cortex Onboard?

SailTimer™ ships an update every 2 months, and Cortex Onboard every 2 months. Most recently, SailTimer™ was updated on October 3, 2026 and Cortex Onboard on September 28, 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.*