Garmin Explore™ vs Map Chart Mosaic
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Garmin Explore™
Navigate off-grid with this app, which pairs with a compatible Garmin device for trip planning, mapping, and navigation even without Wi-Fi or cellular service. Plan routes, download maps for offline use, and sync data to the cloud.
- Off-grid navigation
- Trip planning
- Offline map downloads
- Pair and sync with Garmin device
- Activity library
- Cloud storage
- LiveTrack location sharing
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OFF-GRID NAVIGATION When paired with your compatible Garmin device(1), the Garmin Explore app lets you use your mobile device for outdoor navigation, trip planning, mapping and more — with or without Wi-Fi® connectivity or cellular service. SEARCH TOOL Easily locate geographic points — such as trailheads or mountain summits — associated with your adventure. STREAMING MAPS For pre-trip planning, you can use the Garmin Explore app to stream maps when you’re within cellular or Wi-Fi range — saving valuable time as well as storage space on your mobile device. Download maps for offline use when venturing outside cellular range. PAIR, SYNC AND SHARE With Garmin Explore, you can pair your smartphone or tablet with your compatible Garmin device to sync and share data for off-grid adventures. Use downloadable maps for navigation anywhere. EASY TRIP PLANNING Plan your next trip by downloading maps and creating courses. Specify your start and finish points, and automatically create a course you can sync with your compatible Garmin device. ACTIVITY LIBRARY Under the Saved tab, review and edit your organized data, including your saved waypoints, tracks, courses and activities. See map thumbnails to easily recognize your trips. SAVED COLLECTIONS The collections list allows you to quickly find all data related to any trip — making it easy to sort and locate the course or location you’re looking for. CLOUD STORAGE The waypoints, courses and activities you’ve created will automatically sync to your Garmin Explore web account when you’re within cellular or Wi-Fi range, preserving your activity data with cloud storage. A Garmin account is required for storing your data in the cloud. LIVETRACK™ With the use of the LiveTrack™ feature, loved ones can follow your location in real time(2) and see data such as distance, time and elevation. What You Get with Garmin Explore • Unlimited map downloads; access topographic maps, USGS quad sheets and more • Aerial imagery • Waypoints, tracking and route navigation • High-detail GPS trip logging and location sharing • Unlimited cloud storage of routes, waypoints, tracks, and activities • Online trip planning 1. https://explore.garmin.com/appcompatibility 2. When used with your compatible smartphone, the Garmin Explore® app and your compatible inReach® technology-enabled Garmin device. The Bluetooth word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Garmin is under license.
Map Chart Mosaic
Access detailed topographic, satellite, and weather forecast maps offline on your iPhone and smartwatch. Plan routes, record GPS tracks, and share your journey data. View maps without an internet connection.
- Offline topographic and satellite maps
- GRIB weather forecast maps
- Cycle and hiking trail maps
- Smartwatch map support (Apple Watch, Fitbit, Garmin, Amazfit)
- Add map markers and travel routes
- Record GPS tracks and share as GPX
- GPS travel information (speed, ETA)
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Offline maps for iPhone, Apple Watch, Fitbit, Garmin or Amazfit smartwatch: topographic maps, satellite images, GRIB weather forecast maps and road maps with cycle and hiking trails. Nautical charts are currently only for USA and Canada available. Please watch the video and read the FAQ: http://www.MapChartMosaic.com/ Switch seamlessly between maps from different sources to get detailed information about a location. Map views are automatically stored in an offline cache on your phone, so that you can view them later without an internet connection. Download offline maps to Apple Watch or Fitbit smart watch and view them without connection to your phone. Add map markers and travel routes to the offline maps (e.g. your current car parking location). Create map travel routes. Record your GPS Track. Share map marker, route and track data as GPX files. Get GPS travel info: speed, course, odometer, route ETA (estimated time of arrival)... Get GRIB weather forecast maps via Internet download, Email or Iridium Go satellite connection. You can display the maps also on the Fitbit smart watch. But please don't expect the same maps app performance on the Fitbit as on a phone. The Fitbit is very slow and has very limited space. The Fitbit phone app "Sync" step, shown in the video, is very important. Don't skip it and make sure that the watch app Map Chart is closed during the Sync. DISCLAIMER Do NOT use the app for navigation or any other purpose that may result in personal injury or property damage. Use it at your own risk.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Garmin Explore™ at 46% against Map Chart Mosaic's 0%. Garmin Explore™ also leads on price (Free vs $3.99) and rating (4.1 vs 2.6). Map Chart Mosaic's advantage is device support (4 vs 2) and chart position (#29 vs #113). On update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Garmin Explore™ is free to download; Map Chart Mosaic costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Garmin Explore™ holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Garmin Explore™ has 1K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 46% of Garmin Explore™'s written reviews are positive against 0% of Map Chart Mosaic's.
Garmin Explore™ ships an update monthly, Map Chart Mosaic every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Garmin Explore™ | Map Chart Mosaic |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $3.99 |
| Rating | 4.1 (1K ratings) — better | 2.6 (5 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 45.8% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1K — better | 5 |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 5 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #113 | #29 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.4 | 15.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 452 MB | 39 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Garmin | AppMosaic.com |
Customer experience
Garmin Explore™
Map Chart Mosaic
Bugs and requests
Garmin Explore™
Reported bugs
4 issues- Sync failures between app and Garmin devices
- Disappearing or corrupted user data
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS/Android versions
- Unreliable offline map downloads
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to edit waypoint coordinates
- More customization options for map layers and displays
- Improved route planning and navigation features
- Better syncing and data management between app and devices
- Support for more Garmin device models
Map Chart Mosaic
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Garmin Explore™
No in-app purchases
Map Chart Mosaic
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Garmin Explore™ free?
Is Map Chart Mosaic free?
Which has better reviews, Garmin Explore™ or Map Chart Mosaic?
Do Garmin Explore™ or Map Chart Mosaic have ads?
Which is updated more often, Garmin Explore™ or Map Chart Mosaic?
Which is more popular, Garmin Explore™ or Map Chart Mosaic?
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