RayControl vs Cortex Onboard
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
RayControl
View and remotely control your Raymarine e, c, ES, and Axiom Multi-Functional Displays from your iPad. Access electronic charting, sonar, radar, and thermal night vision with touch screen interaction and a virtual keypad.
- Remote viewing of MFDs
- Touch screen control
- Virtual slide-out keypad
- Control charting, sonar, radar, and thermal vision
- Wi-Fi connectivity
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About RayControl RayControl allows you to remotely view and control your Raymarine e,c,ES and Axiom Multi-Functional Display from your iPad. iOS Devices = Best performance achieved on iPad 2 or better. Multi-Functional Display software requirement – v 3.15 or later. Compatible displays (MFDs) – e,c,ES and Axiom range of WiFi enabled MFDs Remotely control and view electronic charting, sonar, radar, and even thermal night vision, right from your tablet. RayControl emulates Raymarine MFDs with touch screen interaction and a virtual slide-out MFD keypad. The slide out keypad gives you control of all MFD functions and the virtual uni-controller allows you to rotate through menus and adjustments effortlessly. To use this app please upgrade your Raymarine c-Series or e-Series Multi-Functional Display to software version 3.15 or later. Software upgrades are available for free at www.raymarine.com/support. Getting Started Download the RayControl app, and install it on your device. Next, connect to your Multifunction Display via Wi-Fi (see MFD operators manual for Wi-Fi setup details). When the Wi-Fi connection is established, launch the app. You should now see the same image on your mobile device as you do on your Raymarine c-Series or e-Series multifunction display. Note - autopilot activation/deactivation is not possible via a mobile device.
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 rating: Cortex Onboard at 3.8 against RayControl's 3.3. Cortex Onboard also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 16 months) and review sentiment (56% vs 42%). RayControl's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.6). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Cortex Onboard holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 12 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 42% of RayControl's written reviews are positive against 56% of Cortex Onboard's.
RayControl ships an update every 16 months, Cortex Onboard every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | RayControl | Cortex Onboard |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.3 (7 ratings) | 3.8 (12 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 41.7% of reviews | 55.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 7 | 12 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 16 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 23 MB | 376 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Raymarine UK Limited | Garmin New Zealand Ltd |
Customer experience
RayControl
Cortex Onboard
In-app purchases
RayControl
No in-app purchases
Cortex Onboard
No in-app purchases
