Comparison

NMEAremote LITE vs Cortex Onboard

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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,...

About

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.

Highlights
  • Configure and update Cortex devices
  • View AIS information and alerts
  • Manage Anchor Watch
  • Monitor vessel sensors
  • Connect NMEA 2000 instruments
Read full description

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

NMEAremote LITE4 screens
Cortex Onboard4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
NMEAremote LITE versus Cortex Onboard: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNMEAremote LITECortex Onboard
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (3 ratings) — better3.8 (12 ratings)
Positive reviews42.9% of reviews55.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings312 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB376 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperzapfwareGarmin New Zealand Ltd

Customer experience

NMEAremote LITE

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive42.9%
Neutral14.3%
Negative42.9%

Cortex Onboard

All ratings12 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral8.3%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive55.6%
Neutral11.1%
Negative33.3%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

NMEAremote LITE

One-time2
  • ExpeditionFree
  • Upgrade$19.99
None

Cortex Onboard

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is NMEAremote LITE free?
NMEAremote LITE costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Cortex Onboard free?
Cortex Onboard is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, NMEAremote LITE or Cortex Onboard?
NMEAremote LITE is rated higher. NMEAremote LITE averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Cortex Onboard averages 3.8 from 12 ratings.
Do NMEAremote LITE or Cortex Onboard have ads?
Neither NMEAremote LITE nor Cortex Onboard shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NMEAremote LITE or Cortex Onboard?
NMEAremote LITE ships an update every 3 months, and Cortex Onboard every 2 months. Most recently, NMEAremote LITE was updated on October 24, 2026 and Cortex Onboard on October 13, 2026.

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