Garmin Explore™ vs VE
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.
VE
This app reads and displays data from Victron Energy BLE Instant Readout devices directly on your iPhone and Apple CarPlay. It provides electrical values in a clear interface and uses text-to-speech for announcements while driving.
- Local Victron BLE Instant Readout decoding
- Configurable advertisement keys
- Automatic BLE scanning
- Device list with stale-device removal
- iPhone display for decoded values
- Apple CarPlay device list with voice announcements
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VE-Display shows your Victron Energy system's live status — SmartShunt battery monitor, SmartSolar charge controller, Orion XS DC-DC converter, Lynx Smart BMS, AC chargers and more — right on your iPhone, in CarPlay, and on Apple Watch. No VictronConnect account, no cloud, no internet connection required: everything is decoded locally from the Bluetooth broadcast your Victron devices already send out. HOW IT WORKS Victron's "Instant Readout" devices broadcast their status over Bluetooth Low Energy. VE-Display listens for these broadcasts and decodes them locally using the Advertisement Key from each device's VictronConnect app — the same key VictronConnect itself uses, read once and stored on your phone. ON YOUR IPHONE See every discovered device at a glance: state of charge, battery voltage and current, PV power and yield, input/output voltage and current, charger state, alarms, and more — only the fields each device actually reports, no clutter. • Live Activities for your SmartShunt and your SmartSolar on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island: start them from the menu and keep an eye on your system without unlocking your phone • SmartSolar widget for the Home Screen, in small and medium sizes: PV power, charge state, today's yield, battery voltage and current ON CARPLAY • Tap a device to hear its values read aloud and see them on screen • Ask Siri for a device's status or how many devices are reporting, hands-free • Prefer silence? Turn CarPlay's voice readout off in one tap and still see every value on screen • Two glanceable widgets for the numbers that matter on the road, on your CarPlay dashboard, Home Screen or in iPhone StandBy: – SmartShunt: state of charge, voltage, current, power, consumed Ah, time to go and the auxiliary reading – Orion XS: charging state, input and output values, and why it's off • Widgets highlight alarms and warn you when a reading is getting old ON APPLE WATCH • A dedicated Watch app shows your SmartShunt's state of charge on a glanceable gauge, plus every other discovered device in a scrollable list with full detail • Add the VE-Display complication to your watch face for state of charge and voltage without opening the app GETTING STARTED 1. Open VictronConnect once and copy the Advertisement Key from Product Info 2. Add that key in VE-Display — one key per Victron device 3. Open VE-Display on iPhone or in CarPlay and select your device once it's discovered SUPPORTED DEVICES SmartSolar MPPT charge controllers, SmartShunt battery monitors, Smart Battery Sense, Orion XS DC-DC converters, Lynx Smart BMS, and Smart IP43 / Smart Charger AC chargers — any Victron product broadcasting Instant Readout data. PRIVACY FIRST VE-Display does not collect personal data, does not use analytics, and never sends your Victron data anywhere. BLE decoding, advertisement keys and device history all stay on your device. VE-DISPLAY PRO CarPlay (voice readouts, Siri, widgets, Live Activities) and Apple Watch each include their own one-time free trial, so you can try both before deciding. VE-Display Pro is a single one-time purchase that unlocks unlimited use of everything — no subscription.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: VE at weekly against Garmin Explore™'s monthly. Garmin Explore™'s advantage is chart position (#102 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (18.4 vs 26.5). On price, review sentiment, 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Garmin Explore™ ships an update monthly, VE weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Garmin Explore™ | VE |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (1K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 45.8% of reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #102 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.4 — better | 26.5 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 452 MB | 15 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Garmin | Marco Frigerio |
Customer experience
Garmin Explore™
VE
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
VE
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Garmin Explore™
No in-app purchases
VE
No in-app purchases







