Sailor's Deck vs Attention Lab
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Sailor's Deck
Master navigation lights and day shapes for skipper exams with this flashcard app. It uses spaced repetition to build lasting visual memory, tracks your progress, and resurfaces difficult configurations until they stick. Study offline with no ads or subscriptions.
- Spaced repetition learning
- Four-layer progression of study
- Confusion pair training
- Offline functionality
- Progress tracking and session summaries
- Association-specific terminology
- Daily streak motivator
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Navigation lights and day shapes is the hardest topic on every skipper exam. Minimum 50 configurations to recognise, from any bearing, under time pressure. Most sailors try to cram it from a textbook the night before. It doesn't work. Sailor's Deck is built specifically for this. Flashcards with spaced repetition — the study method proven to build lasting visual memory — sequenced across four layers from basic light identification through to full composite scenarios. The app tracks what you know, resurfaces what you don't, and keeps drilling the configurations you keep getting wrong until they stick. HOW IT WORKS Each session presents set of cards drawn from your personal review queue. Answer correctly and the card moves to a longer review interval. Answer wrong and it comes back sooner. Get a category badly wrong and the relevant COLREGS rule is shown on the spot. The four-layer progression matches the way your exam actually tests you: — Layer 1: Base lights — masthead, sidelights, sternlight — Layer 2: Status lights — what the vessel is doing — Layer 3: Day shapes — cone, ball, cylinder, diamond — Layer 4: Composite scenarios — full patterns from specific bearings Confusion pairs are built in. Miss a RAM card and the NUC card is queued immediately behind it. Miss a trawling vessel and the purse-seine card follows. The pairs most likely to lose you marks on the exam are pre-wired into the system. 100+ CARDS. ALMOST EVERY CONFIGURATION. Power-driven vessels, sailing vessels, vessels not under command, restricted in ability to manoeuvre, constrained by draught, pilot vessels, mine clearance, dredgers, air-cushion vessels, fishing vessels trawling and not trawling, vessels at anchor, towing and pushing — plus all COLREGS day shapes. Every card reviewed by a qualified sailing instructor. WORKS FOR YOUR ASSOCIATION Select your certification on first launch and the app uses your association's terminology throughout: — RYA Day Skipper / Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster — IYT Bareboat / Coastal / Master of Yachts — ISSA Inshore / Offshore — ASA 104 / 106 One card library. Your language. NO ACCOUNT. NO INTERNET. NO NONSENSE. Everything runs offline. Progress is saved locally. No login, no subscription, no ads. Free — permanently, with no card limit and no time limit on the entry skipper deck. DAILY STREAK + PROGRESS TRACKING A daily streak keeps you coming back in the weeks before your exam. Per-category accuracy shows exactly where your weak spots are. Session summaries flag the COLREGS rules you need to read. Study on the boat. Study on the bus. Five minutes before bed. The exam is closer than you think.
Attention Lab
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Attention Lab is a cognitive training app designed to sharpen your focus, perception and attention to detail. Complete a growing collection of attention-based tests and track your performance over time. Find the qs - Scan a grid of letters and tap every “q” as quickly and accurately as possible. Avoid the “p”. With 15 unique test banks and a 2-minute timer, no two sessions are the same. Image Perception Test - Study a scene image for 2.5 seconds, then identify what you saw from a set of options. Test your visual memory and perception across a range of real-world scenes. Features: • Multiple cognitive test types • Clean, simple design • Performance ratings and accuracy tracking • Free access to starter content • Pro upgrade for full access to all test banks and detailed results • Regular updates with new tests and content Perfect for anyone preparing for psychometric assessments, train driver selection tests, attention-based aptitude tests, or simply looking to sharpen their mental performance.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Attention Lab at weekly against Sailor's Deck's every 3 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Sailor's Deck sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Attention Lab sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Sailor's Deck ships an update every 3 weeks, Attention Lab weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Sailor's Deck | Attention Lab |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 14.0.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 23 MB | 39 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Vladimir Arefev | KALLUM MARTIN |
In-app purchases
Sailor's Deck
- Small Tip$0.99
- Buy a Coffee$2.99
- Generous Tip$3.99
Attention Lab
- Full Access$0.99
Questions
Is Sailor's Deck free?
Is Attention Lab free?
Do Sailor's Deck or Attention Lab have ads?
Which is updated more often, Sailor's Deck or Attention Lab?
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