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Maps · head to head

onX Maps vs Polaris Navigation GPS

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
Polaris Navigation GPS logo

Polaris Navigation GPS

Maps

Professional GPS navigation for outdoor professionals

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Polaris Navigation GPS has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • They diverge on capability: onX Maps covers Land ownership boundaries, Polaris Navigation GPS covers Precision GPS.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where onX Maps and Polaris Navigation GPS differ
AttributeonX MapsPolaris Navigation GPS
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelSeparate per-product subscriptions, per user per yearfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebAndroid
FoundedUnknown2010

Identical on both: 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 onX Maps

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

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.

onX Maps

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

Polaris Navigation GPS

  • Land surveyingnot onX Maps
  • Search and rescuenot onX Maps
  • Geocachingnot onX Maps
  • Field data collectionnot onX Maps

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Polaris Navigation GPS

Nothing recorded yet. See the Polaris Navigation GPS review.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

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 onX Maps if

  • You need land ownership boundaries.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want offline maps.
onX Maps 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 onX Maps or Polaris Navigation GPS better?
Neither clearly leads. onX Maps 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, onX Maps or Polaris Navigation GPS?
Polaris Navigation GPS has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for onX Maps and Free for Polaris Navigation GPS.
Does onX Maps or Polaris Navigation GPS run on more platforms?
onX Maps runs on iOS, Android, Web. 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. onX Maps starts at On request.
What is onX Maps best used for?
onX Maps is most often used for a hunter who needs to know exact private and public land boundaries before crossing onto a property, an off-road driver planning a trail route with land ownership and access data, a backcountry skier or hiker wanting offline terrain maps without cell signal, someone who does two or more of these activities and needs to budget for two or three separate subscriptions. Of those, a hunter who needs to know exact private and public land boundaries before crossing onto a property and an off-road driver planning a trail route with land ownership and access data are not what Polaris Navigation GPS is typically brought in for.
What can onX Maps do that Polaris Navigation GPS cannot?
onX Maps covers Land ownership boundaries, Offline maps, Waypoint and track marking, Elite tier private land data. Polaris Navigation GPS covers Precision GPS, Multiple coordinate systems, Waypoint averaging, Area measurement.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

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.

onX Maps: Does onX work outside the US?

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

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