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Maps · head to head

Google Maps vs onX Maps

Google Maps logo

Google Maps

Maps

Consumer navigation and local search app, distinct from the paid Google Maps Platform developer API

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
onX Maps logo

onX Maps

Maps

Land ownership and offline navigation apps sold as separate subscriptions per activity: Hunt, Offroad, Backcountry

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Google Maps has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Google Maps location history (Timeline) is stored to the Google account unless disabled, and many users are unaware of how much of their movement is retained by default.; onX Maps hunt, Offroad and Backcountry are entirely separate subscriptions, so a user needing more than one activity pays for more than one product with no combined bundle discount.
  • They diverge on capability: Google Maps covers Turn-by-turn navigation, onX Maps covers Land ownership boundaries.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Google Maps and onX Maps actually diverge.

Attributes where Google Maps and onX Maps differ
AttributeGoogle MapsonX Maps
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelFree consumer app, funded by Google's advertising businessSeparate per-product subscriptions, per user per year
Free tierYesNo

Identical on both: platforms (iOS, Android, Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Maps).

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 Google Maps

  • Turn-by-turn navigation
  • Local search
  • Street View
  • Timeline location history
  • Live transit and incident reporting

Only in onX Maps

  • Land ownership boundaries
  • Waypoint and track marking
  • Elite tier private land data
  • 3D terrain view
  • Weather overlay

Both cover

  • Offline maps

What people use each for

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

Google Maps

  • Getting turn-by-turn driving or transit directions to a destinationnot onX Maps
  • Searching for and comparing nearby restaurants, shops or services with reviewsnot onX Maps
  • Downloading an offline map before travelling somewhere with unreliable data coveragenot onX Maps
  • Checking real time traffic conditions before or during a drivenot onX Maps

onX Maps

  • A hunter who needs to know exact private and public land boundaries before crossing onto a propertynot Google Maps
  • An off-road driver planning a trail route with land ownership and access datanot Google Maps
  • A backcountry skier or hiker wanting offline terrain maps without cell signalnot Google Maps
  • Someone who does two or more of these activities and needs to budget for two or three separate subscriptionsnot Google Maps

Where each one falls short

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

Google Maps

  • Location history (Timeline) is stored to the Google account unless disabled, and many users are unaware of how much of their movement is retained by default.
  • Local business rankings and prominent ads mix paid placement with organic results, so top results are not purely a relevance ranking.
  • Offline maps expire after a period and must be manually refreshed, which can catch travellers out if they rely on an old download without checking it.
  • Public transit data quality varies significantly by city and country, and is considerably weaker or absent in many smaller or lower-income regions.
  • It is a different product from Google Maps Platform, the paid developer API, and businesses evaluating navigation for their own app need to compare that API's pricing separately rather than assuming free consumer access extends to embedding.

onX Maps

  • Hunt, Offroad and Backcountry are entirely separate subscriptions, so a user needing more than one activity pays for more than one product with no combined bundle discount.
  • Elite-tier pricing at roughly $99.99 a year per product is expensive if a buyer only occasionally needs the private land ownership data it adds.
  • The apps are US and Canada focused, with more limited usefulness for international travel compared to a global mapping product.
  • Land ownership data, while extensive, can lag real-world changes in property boundaries in fast-changing areas.
  • It is not a general-purpose hiking or trail-review app in the way AllTrails or Gaia GPS are, so casual hikers without a land-boundary need may find the focus narrower than expected.

Pricing, plan by plan

Google Maps

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited navigation and local search
    • Offline maps included
    • No subscription tier for the consumer app

onX Maps

On request
  • onX Hunt Elite$99.99/year
    • Nationwide private land ownership data
    • Recent satellite imagery
    • Offline maps
  • onX Offroad Premium$34.99/year
    • Trail and land ownership maps for off-road use
    • Offline maps
  • onX Offroad Elite$99.99/year
    • Everything in Premium plus nationwide land ownership and recent imagery
  • onX Backcountry$29.99/year
    • Backcountry ski and hike focused maps
    • Offline maps
    • Avalanche and terrain data

Which should you pick?

Choose Google Maps if

  • You need turn-by-turn navigation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want local search.
Google Maps review

Choose onX Maps if

  • You need land ownership boundaries.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want waypoint and track marking.
onX Maps review

Questions people ask

Is Google Maps or onX Maps better?
Neither clearly leads. Google Maps starts at Free and onX Maps at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Google Maps or onX Maps?
Google Maps has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Google Maps and On request for onX Maps.
Does Google Maps or onX Maps run on more platforms?
Both run on iOS, Android, Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Google Maps for free?
Yes. Google Maps has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. onX Maps starts at On request.
What is Google Maps best used for?
Google Maps is most often used for getting turn-by-turn driving or transit directions to a destination, searching for and comparing nearby restaurants, shops or services with reviews, downloading an offline map before travelling somewhere with unreliable data coverage, checking real time traffic conditions before or during a drive. Of those, getting turn-by-turn driving or transit directions to a destination and searching for and comparing nearby restaurants, shops or services with reviews are not what onX Maps is typically brought in for.
What can Google Maps do that onX Maps cannot?
Google Maps covers Turn-by-turn navigation, Local search, Street View, Timeline location history. onX Maps covers Land ownership boundaries, Waypoint and track marking, Elite tier private land data, 3D terrain view. Both handle Offline maps.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Google Maps: Is Google Maps free?

Yes, the consumer app is free with no subscription for navigation, local search or offline maps.

onX Maps: Can I use one onX subscription for both hunting and off-roading?

No, onX Hunt, onX Offroad and onX Backcountry are separate apps with separate subscriptions.

Google Maps: Is this the same as Google Maps Platform?

No, Google Maps Platform is a separate, metered API product sold to developers embedding map functionality into their own apps and websites, with its own usage-based pricing.

onX Maps: What does the Elite tier add?

Elite tiers add nationwide private land ownership data, more recent satellite imagery and partner discounts on top of the base Premium tier.

Google Maps: Does Google Maps track my location history?

It can, through the optional Timeline feature, which is on by default in some configurations and can be reviewed or disabled in Google account settings.

onX Maps: Does onX work outside the US?

Coverage is strongest in the US and Canada; usefulness elsewhere is limited.

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