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Fleet Management · head to head

NexTraq vs Polaris Navigation GPS

NexTraq logo

NexTraq

Fleet Management

US small-fleet telematics now absorbed into Michelin Connected Fleet

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
Polaris Navigation GPS logo

Polaris Navigation GPS

Maps

Professional GPS navigation for outdoor professionals

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Polaris Navigation GPS has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • They diverge on capability: NexTraq covers Vehicle tracking, Polaris Navigation GPS covers Precision GPS.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which NexTraq and Polaris Navigation GPS actually diverge.

Attributes where NexTraq and Polaris Navigation GPS differ
AttributeNexTraqPolaris Navigation GPS
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotefreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidAndroid
CategoryFleet ManagementMaps
FoundedUnknown2010

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in NexTraq

  • Vehicle tracking
  • Hours of service
  • Fuel and idling reporting
  • Maintenance scheduling
  • Job dispatch
  • Driver scorecards

Only in Polaris Navigation GPS

  • Precision GPS
  • Multiple coordinate systems
  • Waypoint averaging
  • Area measurement
  • NMEA output
  • External GPS receivers
  • Bluetooth GPS
  • Local data storage

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

NexTraq

  • A North American trades or field service fleet that wants tracking, dispatch and ELD compliance from one mid-market vendornot Polaris Navigation GPS
  • An operator already buying Michelin tyres and fleet services that can negotiate telematics into a wider commercial agreementnot Polaris Navigation GPS
  • A fleet replacing an ageing tracking system that values an owner with a large corporate balance sheet over a venture-funded challengernot Polaris Navigation GPS
  • A distribution business needing straightforward fuel and idling reporting to justify a driver behaviour programmenot Polaris Navigation GPS

Polaris Navigation GPS

  • Land surveyingnot NexTraq
  • Search and rescuenot NexTraq
  • Geocachingnot NexTraq
  • Field data collectionnot NexTraq

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

NexTraq

  • The NexTraq brand has been absorbed into Michelin Connected Fleet, so the product name, the account team and eventually the platform underneath you are all subject to a consolidation plan you have no say in.
  • Michelin is merging three separately engineered telematics products, which historically means feature freezes on the older platforms and a migration that existing customers pay for in disruption rather than cash.
  • The feature set is mid-market and unexceptional, so it rarely wins a technical evaluation against Geotab or Samsara on capability alone.
  • Contracts bundle hardware into multi-year terms, so a fleet that shrinks or is acquired continues paying for devices, and early exit triggers hardware recovery costs.
  • The integration ecosystem is small and the API is not a selling point, so connecting telematics data to job costing or payroll usually means custom work or scheduled file exports.

Polaris Navigation GPS

Nothing recorded yet. See the Polaris Navigation GPS review.

Pricing, plan by plan

NexTraq

On request
  • NexTraq$undefined/year
    • Per vehicle subscription with hardware bundled into the term
    • Multi-year agreements are standard
    • ELD and dispatch modules priced as tiers

Polaris Navigation GPS

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic GPS tracking
    • Waypoint management
    • Multiple coordinate formats
  • Pro$5.99/one-time
    • NMEA output
    • External GPS support
    • Waypoint averaging

Which should you pick?

Choose NexTraq if

  • You need vehicle tracking.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want hours of service.
NexTraq review

Choose Polaris Navigation GPS if

  • You need precision gps.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Android.
  • You also want multiple coordinate systems.
Polaris Navigation GPS review

Questions people ask

Is NexTraq or Polaris Navigation GPS better?
Neither clearly leads. NexTraq starts at On request and Polaris Navigation GPS at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, NexTraq or Polaris Navigation GPS?
Polaris Navigation GPS has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for NexTraq and Free for Polaris Navigation GPS.
Does NexTraq or Polaris Navigation GPS run on more platforms?
NexTraq runs on Web, iOS, Android. Polaris Navigation GPS runs on Android.
Can I use Polaris Navigation GPS for free?
Yes. Polaris Navigation GPS has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. NexTraq starts at On request.
What is NexTraq best used for?
NexTraq is most often used for a north american trades or field service fleet that wants tracking, dispatch and eld compliance from one mid-market vendor, an operator already buying michelin tyres and fleet services that can negotiate telematics into a wider commercial agreement, a fleet replacing an ageing tracking system that values an owner with a large corporate balance sheet over a venture-funded challenger, a distribution business needing straightforward fuel and idling reporting to justify a driver behaviour programme. Of those, a north american trades or field service fleet that wants tracking, dispatch and eld compliance from one mid-market vendor and an operator already buying michelin tyres and fleet services that can negotiate telematics into a wider commercial agreement are not what Polaris Navigation GPS is typically brought in for.
What can NexTraq do that Polaris Navigation GPS cannot?
NexTraq covers Vehicle tracking, Hours of service, Fuel and idling reporting, Maintenance scheduling. Polaris Navigation GPS covers Precision GPS, Multiple coordinate systems, Waypoint averaging, Area measurement.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

NexTraq: Is NexTraq still a separate company?

No. Michelin bought it in 2017 and has folded it into Michelin Connected Fleet, together with Masternaut in Europe and Sascar in Brazil.

NexTraq: Will my NexTraq system be migrated to a different platform?

Assume so, eventually. Ask directly what the migration timetable is, what happens to historical data, and who bears the cost of re-fitting or re-configuring devices.

NexTraq: Does buying Michelin tyres get me a better telematics price?

It is worth testing. The commercial logic of the acquisition is bundling vehicle services, and that is where discounting is most likely to be available.

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