# NCU OnBoard vs Merchant Navy Decoded

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: NCU OnBoard at none against Merchant Navy Decoded's 10. Merchant Navy Decoded's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 14 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Merchant Navy Decoded sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. NCU OnBoard asks for nothing beyond the download.

NCU OnBoard ships an update every 14 months, Merchant Navy Decoded every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NCU OnBoard | Merchant Navy Decoded |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merchant-navy-decoded/id6748222578/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **2** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 14 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 41 MB | 74 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń](https://appshunter.io/developer/1521491093) | [Praneet Mehta](https://appshunter.io/developer/1824658163) |

## What reviewers say

### NCU OnBoard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ncu-onboard/id6746164714)

**In-app purchases:** none


### Merchant Navy Decoded

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merchant-navy-decoded/id6748222578)

This app provides comprehensive guidance and tools for aspiring and current Merchant Navy professionals. It offers career path tracking, exam preparation, job searching, and essential maritime calculators, all curated by experienced seafarers.

**Highlights:** AI Assistant for Merchant Navy questions, Step-by-step career journey tracker, Sponsorship and college guidance, Company mock papers and daily quizzes, Job portal for maritime contracts, STCW course finder, Maritime calculators, Document vault for certificates

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Torm Tankers Mock Tests (DNS) | $2.99 | one-time |
| Fleet Management Mock Tests (GP) | $2.99 | one-time |
| SCI-MTI Mock Tests (GP) | $2.99 | one-time |
| TS Rahaman Mock Tests (GP) | $2.99 | one-time |
| General Mock Tests (GME) | $2.99 | one-time |
| Anglo Mock Tests (GME) | $2.99 | one-time |
| Anglo Mock Tests (ETO) | $2.99 | one-time |
| Synergy Mock Tests (GME) | $2.99 | one-time |
| Synergy Mock Tests (ETO) | $2.99 | one-time |
| General Mock Tests (ETO) | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NCU OnBoard free?

NCU OnBoard is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Merchant Navy Decoded free?

Merchant Navy Decoded is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do NCU OnBoard or Merchant Navy Decoded have ads?

Neither NCU OnBoard nor Merchant Navy Decoded shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NCU OnBoard or Merchant Navy Decoded?

NCU OnBoard ships an update every 14 months, and Merchant Navy Decoded every 2 months. Most recently, NCU OnBoard was updated on October 30, 2026 and Merchant Navy Decoded on November 5, 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.*