Sentinel vs OWL Lite
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Sentinel
Access and verify Network Rail Sentinel smartcards. Check your own card details or authenticate team members and conduct spot checks. Works online for real-time data or offline for card access and stored check history.
- Read Sentinel smartcards via NFC
- Scan QR codes for card data
- Verify cardholder information
- Authenticate team members
- Perform spot checks
- Check TVPs (Track Vacancy Permits)
- Offline access to card data
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This app is designed specifically to read Sentinel smartcards for Network Rail’s Sentinel system. It allows anyone to check their own Sentinel card and allows authorised card checkers to authenticate their team as well as undertake spot checks and check TVPs. When online, the app shows the most up to date information for each cardholder either by scanning the card’s QR code or by reading the details stored in the smartcard using NFC. Even without mobile internet access, the information stored on the card can still be accessed, any recently scanned card details can also be reviewed, and all checks will be stored and uploaded to the database when back online.
OWL Lite
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OWL has been developed by Onwave to aid Companies with the dissemination and communication of hazard and work site information to remote workers. If you're not an existing subscriber and like what you see, please contact Sales@owl-bi.com to find out how to subscribe. Please use Support@owl-bi.com if you require support for the app.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Sentinel at 13.0 against OWL Lite's 15.0. On price, update cadence, 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.
Sentinel ships an update every 4 months, OWL Lite every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on June 8, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Sentinel | OWL Lite |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | 9.8% of reviews | — |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 6 MB | 51 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Reference Point Limited | Onwave UK Ltd |
In-app purchases
Sentinel
No in-app purchases
OWL Lite
No in-app purchases
