NMEAremote LITE vs Cortex Onboard
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
NMEAremote LITE
Access your boat's marine instrument data on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch. Displays real-time wind, speed, depth, and GPS information in an easy-to-read dashboard. Supports NMEA 0183, NMEA 2000, and Signal K.
- Real-time marine instrument data
- NMEA 0183, NMEA 2000, Signal K support
- Customizable dashboards
- Configurable alarms
- Apple Watch app
- iPad Split View support
- VoiceOver accessibility
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Your boat's instruments, right in your hand. NMEAremote connects your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch to your vessel's network and navigation system and brings all critical marine data to a bold, easy-to-read dashboard — wherever you are on deck. Whether you're racing offshore or cruising coastal waters, NMEAremote delivers real-time wind, speed, depth, GPS data, and more in a single display. The first NMEA app ever on the App Store, now a trusted Swiss Army knife for sailors worldwide. Broad Compatibility Supports NMEA 0183, NMEA 2000, Signal K, and MQTT from virtually any device. Compatible with a wide range of preconfigured sources including Actisense, Digital Yacht, Yacht Devices, B&G, and many more — over WiFi or Bluetooth. Your Data, Your Way All values are organized into intuitive Modules — GPS, Wind, Sounder, Environment, and more. Built for iPad — Side by Side with Your Charts NMEAremote supports iPad Split View, so you can run your favourite charting app on one side while NMEAremote displays clean, live instrument values on the other. No more switching back and forth. Your chart and your data, together on one screen. User-Friendly Interface Clean, intuitive design makes it easy for both experienced sailors and beginners to navigate. Stay Aware Configurable alarms alert you visually and audibly when any value crosses a threshold. Keep a full NMEA log for review and diagnostics. On Your Wrist & Glasses Native Apple Watch app runs independently from your iPhone. Supports ActiveLook® smartglass integration for hands-free, heads-up sailing data. Accessible to All Sailors NMEAremote supports VoiceOver, Apple's built-in screen reader. Instrument titles and live values are fully accessible — so every sailor can stay informed, eyes-free, at any time. One Purchase. No Subscriptions. No Registration required Upgrade once for the full feature set. No recurring fees, no hidden costs, no adds. No charts — just clean, reliable instrument data done right. For any details, supported values, devices and messages visit: www.zapfware.de/nmearemote/ If you have any questions, suggestions or need support please send an e-mail to ios@zapfware.de More with NMEAremote full upgrade (see: www.zapfware.de/nmearemote/feature-matrix/): Customizable Dashboards Create personalized displays tailored to your needs. Focus on the data that matters most to you. Build the dashboard you need: choose layouts, add pages, set favorites or just use the comprehensive default dashboard. Every numeric value can be individually smoothed for clean, stable readings. Set a custom color for each instrument title and value — match your cockpit aesthetics, improve readability in sunlight or at night, or color-code data by category at a glance. Your dashboard, your palette. Performance Sailing Import your polar diagram and unlock full performance analytics — Polar Speed, Target Speed, VMG, Beat & Gybe angles, and more. Ideal for racers who want that extra tenth of a knot. Supports: ∙ Expedition, A&T ∙ B&G Triton Edge, H5000, GoFree™ Modules: ∙ AIS, Battery, Engine, Navtex, Performance, Racing, Rig, Rudder, Tanks,...
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).
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Cortex Onboard at Free against NMEAremote LITE's $3.99. Cortex Onboard also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and review sentiment (56% vs 43%). NMEAremote LITE's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 3.8) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). On update cadence, 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
Cortex Onboard is free to download; NMEAremote LITE costs $3.99 up front. NMEAremote LITE sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Cortex Onboard asks for nothing beyond the download.
NMEAremote LITE holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 12 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 43% of NMEAremote LITE's written reviews are positive against 56% of Cortex Onboard's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
NMEAremote LITE ships an update every 3 months, Cortex Onboard every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | NMEAremote LITE | Cortex Onboard |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.7 (3 ratings) — better | 3.8 (12 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 42.9% of reviews | 55.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 3 | 12 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 11 MB | 376 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | zapfware | Garmin New Zealand Ltd |
Customer experience
NMEAremote LITE
Cortex Onboard
In-app purchases
NMEAremote LITE
- ExpeditionFree
- Upgrade$19.99
Cortex Onboard
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is NMEAremote LITE free?
Is Cortex Onboard free?
Which has better reviews, NMEAremote LITE or Cortex Onboard?
Do NMEAremote LITE or Cortex Onboard have ads?
Which is updated more often, NMEAremote LITE or Cortex Onboard?
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