r.485 vs Tread®
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
r.485
Plan routes with multiple stops and import GPX files. This lightweight navigator is designed for watch-based navigation, prioritizing battery life over advanced features like offline maps or automatic route recalculation.
- Multi-waypoint route creation
- GPX file import
- Lightweight watch navigation
- Battery life optimization
- Detailed driving instructions (with subscription)
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Create a route with multiple waypoints with a few clicks. Importing GPX files is also supported. --- Light-weight navigator: The essence of the app is to allow navigation on your watch. The light-weight navigator included in the app is very basic. It is not intended to be a replacement for full-featured mobile navigation apps, such as Google Maps or the pre-installed Maps app. Being light-weight means, for example, that it does not let you save offline maps and it does not recalculate routes automatically when you go off-course. In comparison to those full-featured apps, it will be better for your battery life. And, of course, it will allow you to navigate GPX files and all other possibilities which are offered in the route planning screen. --- SUBSCRIPTION TERMS: This app offers the possibility to purchase an auto-renewable subscription: "Unlock r.485". The length of this subscription is one year. By subscribing to our service, any content previously blocked in the app, such as the detailed driving instructions, will always be displayed. Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. Terms of use and privacy policy link: https://r-485-privacy-policy.blogspot.be
Tread®
Track friends, sync navigation data, and plan routes with this powersport navigator companion app. It allows for seamless data transfer and provides smart notifications and live weather updates.
- Track up to 20 friends on map
- Sync waypoints, tracks, and routes
- Plan routes with custom preferences
- Import and export GPX files
- Smart notifications
- Live weather updates
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Roam the unknown with the Tread® app. It lets you track up to 20 friends on the map of your smartphone and Tread® powersport navigator by using the Group Ride Mobile feature and syncs waypoints, tracks, routes and collections across devices. Easily plan routes on your smartphone with the same maps, vehicle profiles and route preferences you have on your Tread device. Users can import and export GPX files and get access to smart notifications and live weather. • Track up to 20 friends on the map of your smartphone and Tread® device by using the Group Ride Mobile1 feature • Wirelessly sync waypoints, tracks, routes and collections across your compatible smartphone and Tread® powersport navigator • Easily calculate faster time or adventurous routes on your smartphone with the same maps, vehicle profiles and route preferences you have on your Tread device • Import and export GPX files to try out new routes or revisit favorite rides • Keep your phone safely stowed away, and still get important messages and alerts via smart notifications2 on your Tread® device display when it’s paired with the Tread® app • Use the app to access live weather updates, viewable on your Tread® navigator’s display
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Tread® at 4.5 against r.485's 2.0. Tread® also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (452 vs 4). r.485's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 3 weeks) and device support (4 vs 2). On price 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
Both are free to download. r.485 sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per year. Tread® asks for nothing beyond the download.
Tread® holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Tread® has 452 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of r.485's written reviews are positive against 63% of Tread®'s.
r.485 ships an update every 10 days, Tread® every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | r.485 | Tread® |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.0 (4 ratings) | 4.5 (452 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | 63.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 4 | 452 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Subscription | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 9.3 — better | 16.5 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 25 MB | 288 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | r.485 | Garmin |
Customer experience
r.485
Tread®
Bugs and requests
r.485
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Tread®
Reported bugs
4 issues- Inability to save/load routes on mobile app
- Inconsistent behavior when importing routes
- Frequent disconnections between app and device
- Lack of metric units and other regional support
Requested features
5 requests- Web/desktop app for route planning
- Improved offline map coverage
- Collaborative route planning features
- Better organization and folder structure
- Larger text/UI options for accessibility
In-app purchases
r.485
- Unlock all features$9.991 Year
Tread®
No in-app purchases









