Hardware & Server Guide
YOS subscription, vessel hardware, and cloud server are three independent choices. Pick the plan that fits your operations, the hardware that fits your vessel, and the server that fits your fleet.
How It Works
Cloud Server
Runs YOS app
Your dedicated server (Hetzner, AWS, etc.) runs the full YOS platform — database, API, frontend, PowerSync for offline sync. Accessible from any device, anywhere.
Vessel Hardware
Runs YOS Data App
A small computer on the vessel connects to onboard sensors (NMEA2000, Modbus) and pushes telemetry data to your cloud server. Optional — not required.
Your Devices
Phone, tablet, desktop
Crew accesses YOS from any browser or the mobile app. Works offline — syncs when back online. No special hardware needed on the user side.
Key point: Your subscription tier determines which modules you access. Your hardware choice determines what telemetry data you collect. These are independent decisions. A Captain plan customer can use Tier 5 hardware, and a Fleet plan customer can use Tier 1 hardware.
Subscription Plans
Runs on your cloud server. Choose based on your operational needs.
Captain
€149/mo
€1,490/yr annual
21 modules
8 users
Vessel
€249/mo
€2,490/yr annual
All 40+ modules
20 users
Fleet
€449/mo
€4,490/yr annual
All 40+ + Fleet Portal
Unlimited
Vessel Hardware Options
Installed on your vessel. Runs the YOS Data App for telemetry collection. Choose based on your vessel's needs — independent of your subscription tier.
DIY Data Relay
Smallest and cheapest. Reads NMEA2000, pushes telemetry to cloud. No local UI. Requires Linux knowledge to set up.
~€140
Raspberry Pi Zero 2W + PICAN-M HAT
Specs
512MB RAM, WiFi, CAN bus
Power
12V from NMEA2000 bus (zero extra wiring)
Runs
YOS Data App only
Good For
DIY enthusiasts, sailing yachts, engineers who enjoy tinkering
DIY Data + WiFi
DIY data relay + crew connects phones and tablets via WiFi to live telemetry dashboard. Requires Linux setup.
~€190
Raspberry Pi 4/5 4GB + PICAN-M HAT
Specs
4GB RAM, WiFi 5/6, CAN bus
Power
12V from PICAN-M HAT
Runs
YOS Data App + WiFi AP + local dashboard
Good For
Technical engineers comfortable with Raspberry Pi
Vessel Office PC
Best ValuePlug-and-play vessel PC. Connect to vessel monitors and keyboard — instant vessel office. Runs YOS Data App to your cloud server, plus charts, email, manuals, admin tasks. Fanless, silent, 12V native.
~€250-400
Intel N100 Fanless Mini PC (8-16GB RAM, 256GB SSD)
Specs
8-16GB RAM, 256GB NVMe, dual LAN, WiFi, 12V DC, HDMI
Power
Native 12V DC input — direct from vessel power
Runs
YOS Data App + vessel office (charts, email, manuals) + cloud AI (Gemini/Claude free or paid)
Good For
Most professional vessels — your vessel office and data hub in one
Recommended models: Beelink EQ12, Minix Z100-0dB, any Intel N100 fanless mini PC
Vessel Office Mac
For vessels already in the Apple ecosystem. Familiar macOS environment, powerful enough for everything including AI. Connect to vessel monitors — same vessel office concept with macOS.
~€550-800
Mac Mini M2/M4 (8-16GB RAM, 256GB SSD)
Specs
8-16GB RAM, 256GB SSD, WiFi 6E, Thunderbolt, HDMI
Power
AC adapter (needs 12V inverter or shore power)
Runs
YOS Data App + vessel office + cloud AI + optional local AI via Ollama
Good For
Vessels preferring Apple ecosystem, crew familiar with Mac
Recommended models: Mac Mini M2 (€549), Mac Mini M4 (€699)
Vessel PC + Local AI
Maximum capability. Full vessel office plus local AI inference for log suggestions, document OCR, voice commands — works at sea with zero internet.
~€700
AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS Mini PC (32GB RAM, 1TB SSD)
Specs
32GB RAM, 8-core, Radeon 780M iGPU, 1TB NVMe, WiFi 6E
Power
19V DC (needs 12/24V converter, ~€15)
Runs
YOS Data App + Ollama AI (7B-13B models) + full vessel office
Good For
Premium vessels, extended offshore passages, AI-first operations
Recommended models: Minisforum UM780 XTX, Beelink SER7, GMKtec NucBox K6
Data App add-on: The YOS Data App software license is €49/month (€490/year) regardless of which hardware tier you choose. Setup assistance is €990 one-time, or free setup for Telemetry Standalone (NMEA only) if you prefer to self-install.
Cloud Server Costs
Your YOS app runs here. You own the server. We install and configure it. Server costs are paid directly to the hosting provider.
| Fleet Size | Recommended | Specs | Cost/mo | Per Vessel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 vessel | Hetzner CX22 | 2 vCPU, 4GB RAM, 40GB | €5-9/mo | €5-9 |
| 10 vessels | Hetzner CCX23 | 4 vCPU, 16GB RAM, 160GB | €19/mo | €1.90 |
| 50 vessels | Hetzner CCX33 | 8 vCPU, 32GB RAM, 240GB | €41/mo | €0.82 |
| 200 vessels | Hetzner CCX43 | 16 vCPU, 64GB RAM, 360GB | €74/mo | €0.37 |
Based on Hetzner Cloud pricing. AWS, DigitalOcean, and other providers also supported.
Our Recommendation
For most vessels: A Tier 3 mini PC (~€250-400) is the go-to choice. Connect it to your vessel monitors and a keyboard — you get a vessel office for charts, email, and admin tasks, plus it runs the YOS Data App pushing telemetry to your cloud server. One device, two roles. Your YOS application runs on a cloud server (Hetzner, €5-9/mo) with 24/7 uptime, automatic backups, and remote access from anywhere.
Why a mini PC over Raspberry Pi: Most captains and engineers want a usable computer, not a DIY project. A fanless mini PC with 12V native power, HDMI output, and a real SSD is plug-and-play. Connect it to the bridge monitor, add a keyboard, and you have a vessel office that also collects sensor data. Raspberry Pi options (Tier 1-2) are for technically minded users who enjoy the DIY approach.
Cloud AI: YOS works with Google Gemini (free tier available) and Anthropic Claude via your own API tokens. No local AI hardware needed for most operations. AI features work in port or anywhere with internet. Local AI (Tier 5) is only for extended offshore passages where internet is unavailable for weeks.
Mac users: If your vessel is in the Apple ecosystem, a Mac Mini (Tier 4) runs everything including the YOS Data App natively on macOS. Same capability, familiar environment.
Not sure what setup fits your vessel?
Talk to Us