Comparison

Loadstone GPS vs LiveSight

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

Head to head
About

Loadstone GPS

This navigation app empowers blind pedestrians with turn-by-turn directions and a vast database of points of interest. Users can create, store, and share waypoints, explore surroundings, and receive arrival alerts. It's designed by the blind, for the blind, with many functions available offline.

Highlights
  • Turn-by-turn directions
  • World-wide points of interest database
  • Create, store, and share waypoints
  • Explore surroundings features
  • Approach and arrival alerts
  • Offline functionality
  • Customizable settings
Features
Read full description

Loadstone GPS is a powerful, easy-to-use app that enables blind pedestrians to "go blindly where everyone sighted has gone before." It is designed by the blind, for the blind, specifically for those who use Voiceover. Features * Get turn-by-turn directions from any point or your current location to a desired destination. * Access and download from a world-wide database of points from OpenStreetMap, public mapping sources, transit systems, and points shared by other Loadstone users. * Create, store, and share your own navigation waypoints with others or the Loadstone comunity. * Filter point searches and output by categories and tags. * Explore your surroundings with features like 'Show Neighbourhood', 'Explore', and 'Find Point'. * Receive approach and arrival alerts for points of interest. * Customize alerts, units of measure, address format and other settings. * Display astronomic information like sunrise and set, moonrise and set, etc. * Track distance travelled with a built-in trip meter. * Import text databases and checkpoints from previous Loadstone versions. * No data plan required to use most major functions. * Complete documentation included. * Available in multiple languages. For the latest news, tutorials and more information please visit the Loadstone website at: https://www.loadstone-gps.com.

About

LiveSight

Features
Read full description

LiveSight is a free, live voice assistant for blind and low-vision people. It streams your iPhone or iPad camera and your voice to a live AI model on Google's servers. The model looks at what the camera shows and talks back, and LiveSight adds haptic feedback. It works with your own free API key from Google AI Studio; the app shows you how to get one when you first open it. Without a key you can still open the app and use SOS, emergency contacts, the Journal and Settings. FIVE MODES - Navigation mode warns you about obstacles, vehicles and the path ahead, using clock directions, and vibrates when it reports a hazard. It does not plan routes or give turn-by-turn directions. - Traffic mode tells you the color of the traffic light it sees. Always confirm with your cane, guide dog or other cues before crossing. - Colors mode describes the color and pattern of clothing and objects. - Expiration mode reads expiration dates on packaging and tells you whether a product is expired, expiring soon or not expired. - Explore mode describes your surroundings. ALSO INCLUDED - Voice commands, haptic feedback, a compass, current weather and battery status. - Assistant language: English, Türkçe, Español, Deutsch, Français, العربية, 中文 or 日本語, with a choice of voice. The app's own interface is in English. - Journal: a record of what LiveSight announced, kept on your device for 90 days and never uploaded. Read earlier days, share or export it, and delete it at any time. EMERGENCY SOS Hold the red SOS button for 3 seconds; a countdown with a Cancel button follows. If you have saved an emergency contact, LiveSight then opens Apple's Messages app with a ready-made emergency text to your primary (or first) contact, including your location when it is available. Nothing is sent until you tap Send. With no contact saved, LiveSight tells you that nobody was contacted and to call your local emergency number. LiveSight never calls emergency services. Saying "send SOS", the assistant (if it concludes you are in immediate danger or asking for help) or an unanswered fall check with Auto SOS on starts the same countdown. Fall detection (Settings > Safety, off by default): during a live session, after a hard fall LiveSight vibrates and asks if you are okay; with Auto SOS on, no answer starts the SOS countdown. It can miss a fall or raise a false alarm. Your emergency contacts stay on your device. PLEASE NOTE The AI can be wrong or miss things. LiveSight is an aid. It is not a replacement for a white cane, a guide dog, orientation and mobility training, or emergency services. COMPLETELY FREE LiveSight is free for everyone, with every feature included: all five modes, voice commands, SOS, emergency contacts, fall detection and the Journal. No purchases, no ads, no account. YOUR FREE KEY FROM GOOGLE Google sets the free limits for your key. If you ever need higher limits, you can turn on Google's paid tier for your own key; Google bills you for it directly. YOUR KEY AND YOUR DATA LiveSight has no AI server of its own and no built-in key. Your key is stored only on your device and sent only to Google. Only after you agree to a one-time question, and only while a session is running, camera frames, microphone audio, your location and the weather there (if you allow location), and your language, speech speed and mobility-aid settings go directly from your device to Google, using your key. On Google's free (unpaid) tier, Google says it may use this content to improve its products and that human reviewers may read it. For the weather, your coordinates go to Open-Meteo once per app launch. The developer receives none of this data. No tracking, no analytics. REQUIREMENTS - For the live assistant: your own free Google AI Studio API key (the app shows you how to get one), an internet connection, and camera and microphone permission - Location permission is optional Privacy Policy: https://cinderspire.github.io/support/privacy-livesight.html

Screenshots

Loadstone GPS4 screens
LiveSight4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: LiveSight at Free against Loadstone GPS's $10.99. LiveSight also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). Loadstone GPS's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). On ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

LiveSight is free to download; Loadstone GPS costs $10.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Loadstone GPS ships an update every 3 months, LiveSight every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Loadstone GPS versus LiveSight: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLoadstone GPSLiveSight
Price$10.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews60.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size24 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperShawn KirkpatrickMustafa BILGIC

In-app purchases

None

Loadstone GPS

No in-app purchases

None

LiveSight

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Loadstone GPS free?
Loadstone GPS costs $10.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is LiveSight free?
LiveSight is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Loadstone GPS or LiveSight have ads?
Neither Loadstone GPS nor LiveSight shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Loadstone GPS or LiveSight?
Loadstone GPS ships an update every 3 months, and LiveSight every 3 weeks. Most recently, Loadstone GPS was updated on October 29, 2026 and LiveSight on October 28, 2026.

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