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Maps · head to head

onX Maps vs What3words

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
What3words logo

What3words

Maps

What3words has divided the world into 3m squares and given each one

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; What3words the free API plan includes no coordinate conversion, only AutoSuggest, and is rate limited to 5 requests per second
  • They diverge on capability: onX Maps covers Land ownership boundaries, What3words covers Core Functionality.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which onX Maps and What3words actually diverge.

Attributes where onX Maps and What3words differ
AttributeonX MapsWhat3words
Pricing modelSeparate per-product subscriptions, per user per yearfreemium
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebWeb

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), 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 What3words

  • Core Functionality
  • User Interface

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 What3words
  • An off-road driver planning a trail route with land ownership and access datanot What3words
  • A backcountry skier or hiker wanting offline terrain maps without cell signalnot What3words
  • Someone who does two or more of these activities and needs to budget for two or three separate subscriptionsnot What3words

What3words

  • Referring to a 3 metre square location with three wordsnot onX Maps
  • Adding location entry to a delivery or dispatch appnot onX Maps
  • Converting between coordinates and what3words addresses via APInot 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.

What3words

  • The free API plan includes no coordinate conversion, only AutoSuggest, and is rate limited to 5 requests per second
  • Converting to and from what3words addresses starts on the Basic plan at $9.99 per month for 1,000 conversions
  • Priority and developer support require the Standard plan at $45 per month
  • 24/7 phone support requires the Plus plan at $125 per month
  • Custom invoicing and annual payment require the Premium plan at $300 per month
  • Overage pricing is not published; the page states only that a fair usage policy applies
  • The three word address scheme is proprietary and licensed rather than open data

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

What3words

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the What3words review.

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 What3words if

  • You need core functionality.
  • You also want user interface.
What3words review

Questions people ask

Is onX Maps or What3words better?
Neither clearly leads. onX Maps starts at On request and What3words at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, onX Maps or What3words?
onX Maps starts at On request and What3words at On request.
Does onX Maps or What3words run on more platforms?
onX Maps runs on iOS, Android, Web. What3words runs on Web.
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 What3words is typically brought in for.
What can onX Maps do that What3words cannot?
onX Maps covers Land ownership boundaries, Offline maps, Waypoint and track marking, Elite tier private land data. What3words covers Core Functionality, User Interface.

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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