# Boat Beacon vs Cortex Onboard

The clearest difference is price: Cortex Onboard at Free against Boat Beacon's $14.99. Cortex Onboard also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 6). Boat Beacon's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 3.8) and ratings volume (866 vs 12). On review sentiment, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Cortex Onboard is free to download; Boat Beacon costs $14.99 up front. Boat Beacon sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Cortex Onboard asks for nothing beyond the download.

Boat Beacon holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Boat Beacon has 866 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of Boat Beacon'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 September 22, 2026 and June 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Boat Beacon | Cortex Onboard |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $14.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.6 (866 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boat-beacon/id494877039/reviews)** | [3.8 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cortex-onboard/id1483406085/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **866** | 12 |
| Positive reviews | **61.1% 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** |
| Best chart rank | **#107** | — |
| Size | 152 MB | 376 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pocket Mariner Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/719592131) | [Garmin New Zealand Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/557485484) |

## What reviewers say

### Boat Beacon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boat-beacon/id494877039)

**Currently charting:** #107 Top Paid · Navigation (US App Store)

This marine navigation app provides real-time AIS data for collision avoidance and position sharing. It offers over-the-horizon warnings, background operation, and a user-friendly interface for boaters.

**Highlights:** Collision warnings with CPA calculations, Real-time AIS ship tracking, Background operation for continuous alerts, Position sharing with other users, Augmented Reality view (IAP), Man Overboard and Anchor Watch alarms (IAP)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| AIS Share | $5.99 | per month |
| AIS Share | $16.49 | per year |
| Anchor Watch and Man Overboard | $4.99 | one-time |
| Live View Upgrade | $7.99 | one-time |
| NOAA US Marine Charts | $9.99 | one-time |
| UK & IE Marine Charts | $12.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Works great
- 🚀 Excellent app
- 🔒 Fantastic app
- 💡 Useful navigation aid
- 👍 Handy app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes constantly
- 🐛 Unreliable
- 🐛 Doesn't work
- 🐛 Useless
- 🐛 Clunky UI

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when panning or changing settings
- Phantom ships not disappearing
- Inaccurate position data
- Compatibility issues with older devices

**Requested features**

- Add marine charts
- Improve search functionality
- Offline mode
- Integrate with other navigation apps


### 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 Boat Beacon free?

Boat Beacon costs $14.99, 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, Boat Beacon or Cortex Onboard?

Boat Beacon is rated higher. Boat Beacon averages 4.6 out of 5 from 866 ratings, while Cortex Onboard averages 3.8 from 12 ratings.

### Do Boat Beacon or Cortex Onboard have ads?

Neither Boat Beacon nor Cortex Onboard shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Boat Beacon or Cortex Onboard?

Boat Beacon ships an update every 2 months, and Cortex Onboard every 2 months. Most recently, Boat Beacon was updated on September 22, 2026 and Cortex Onboard on June 7, 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.*