# NMEAremote LITE vs Cortex Onboard

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | NMEAremote LITE | Cortex Onboard |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nmearemote-lite/id413937027/reviews)** | [3.8 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cortex-onboard/id1483406085/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **12** |
| Positive reviews | 42.9% of reviews | **55.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 11 MB | 376 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [zapfware](https://appshunter.io/developer/348005795) | [Garmin New Zealand Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/557485484) |

## What reviewers say

### NMEAremote LITE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nmearemote-lite/id413937027)

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:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Expedition | Free | one-time |
| Upgrade | $19.99 | 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 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*