Comparison

KnowTrail vs HexStep

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

KnowTrail

Discover nearby points of interest, events, and places with this application. It offers an offline mode for use without an internet connection and allows saving articles for later reading. Access Wikipedia content in numerous languages.

Highlights
  • Discover nearby places and events
  • Offline mode for no internet access
  • Save articles to Reading List
  • Access Wikipedia in multiple languages
  • Explore surroundings
Features
Read full description

KnowTrail is an amazing application that lets you explore your surroundings by fetching information about places, events and other items of interest that are located near you! KnowTrail even sports an Offline Mode allowing you to use it when no Internet connection is available. This way, you can use the app in its full extent without paying additional roaming fees! And make sure to use Reading List whenever you want to save reading for later! KnowTrail also allows you to access Wikipedia articles in the following languages: Nederlands, English, Français, Deutsch, Italiano, 日本語, Português, Русский, Svenska, Español, 中文, العربية, Türkçe, Bahasa Indonesia, Polski, فارسی, Simple English, Tiếng Việt, 한국어, Română, Norsk (Bokmål), Čeština, Українська, Magyar, Suomi, עברית, Dansk, ไทย, हिन्दी", Català, Ελληνικά In-app icons created by Icons8 (https://icons8.com)

About

HexStep

This app uses your real-world movement to fill in a hexagonal map. Earn points for exploring new areas and level up as your map grows. Share your progress visually with friends.

Highlights
  • Background GPS tracking
  • Hexagonal map visualization
  • Progressive area completion
  • Tiered leveling system
  • Shareable map cards
  • Offline capability
Read full description

Every step you take paints the map. HexStep tracks where you go in the background and turns your real-world movement into a hexagonal map that grows with you. No check-ins, no photo tagging. Just move, and your map fills itself. HOW IT WORKS The world is divided into an H3 hexagonal grid. Walk, bike, or drive through a hex, and that cell stays on your map. • Background GPS with smart battery optimization • Drill down from countries → provinces → districts → neighborhoods • See completion percentages for Gangnam, Tokyo, New York, or anywhere in the world LEVEL UP Earn points for every new hex. Climb five tiers, one at a time. Wanderer → Regular → Local → Explorer → Human GPS SHARE YOUR MAP Create story-ready share cards of your hex map. Share them on Instagram, iMessage, or anywhere else. HEXSTEP PLUS (PREMIUM FEATURES) See how your map grew over time and where you keep coming back. • Replay how your map filled in and save it as a video • See when you first claimed each hex and how many days you’ve been there • Frequently visited hexes appear more vivid on the map • All future Plus features included One-time purchase, no subscription. PRIVACY Your location stays on your device and in your personal cloud. Works in every country. Offline-capable. Syncs across devices. Start exploring. Your map is waiting.

Screenshots

KnowTrail4 screens
HexStep4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: HexStep at 100% against KnowTrail's 0%. HexStep also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 weeks). KnowTrail's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 4.3) and device support (4 vs 1). On price, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. KnowTrail sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. HexStep asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

KnowTrail holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 3 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 0% of KnowTrail's written reviews are positive against 100% of HexStep's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

KnowTrail ships an update every 3 weeks, HexStep every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on June 5, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
KnowTrail versus HexStep: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKnowTrailHexStep
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (6 ratings) — better4.3 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings6 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.018.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB89 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperApostolos ApostolidisJeong Won Huh

Customer experience

KnowTrail

All ratings6 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral16.7%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

HexStep

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral33.3%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

KnowTrail

One-time2
  • Supporter$0.99
  • Supporter (Apple Watch)$0.99
None

HexStep

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is KnowTrail free?
KnowTrail is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is HexStep free?
HexStep is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, KnowTrail or HexStep?
KnowTrail is rated higher. KnowTrail averages 4.5 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while HexStep averages 4.3 from 3 ratings.
Do KnowTrail or HexStep have ads?
Neither KnowTrail nor HexStep shows ads.
Which is updated more often, KnowTrail or HexStep?
KnowTrail ships an update every 3 weeks, and HexStep every 4 days. Most recently, KnowTrail was updated on June 5, 2026 and HexStep on September 13, 2026.

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