Comparison

The MST Guide vs Goat Maps

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

Head to head
About

The MST Guide

This comprehensive guide provides detailed maps and up-to-date information for North Carolina's Mountains-to-Sea Trail. It helps hikers navigate the nearly 1200-mile path, locate essential waypoints, and connect with other hikers through a virtual trail log.

Highlights
  • Real-time location tracking on trail
  • Up-to-date, rerouted trail maps
  • Detailed waypoint information (parking, camping, water)
  • Virtual trail logs for hiker communication
  • Offline navigation capabilities
Read full description

The North Carolina Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST) is nearly 1200 miles long, connecting Clingman’s Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains to Jockey’s Ridge in the Outer Banks. This is the most comprehensive guide ever developed for the MST, providing unprecedented information and ease of access for day-, section-, and thru-hikers. NEVER GET LOST See your location in relation to the trail and know which way to go, even when there are no blazes. Know how far away you are from key waypoints. UP-TO-DATE MAPS Thanks to the many volunteers, the MST is developing more every year and is constantly being rerouted. This app is updated with every change, so there is no need to keep track of trail updates. Hikers can view their location in relation to the entire MST, or just see the segment they are currently on. UNLOCK ACCURATE, USEFUL WAYPOINTS Everything you need from parking locations for your day hike to camping locations for your thru-hike. Locate water sources that are unlisted in other guides, discover hidden gems that you hadn't known about before, or simply determine your own location. Each waypoint has it's exact location, distance along the trail, and a detailed description (when applicable). VIRTUAL TRAIL LOGS Communicate with other hikers through comments on each trail segment or waypoint. Leave behind useful information, ask questions, or leave reviews. Learn from those who have come before you, or use comments to help plan your route. More features coming soon!

About

Goat Maps

Navigate your outdoor adventures with confidence using this reliable and easy-to-use mapping application. It offers offline maps, advanced route planning, and custom topographic views, perfect for hiking, skiing, biking, and more. Explore off the grid without distractions.

Highlights
  • Offline Maps
  • Record Tracks
  • Advanced Route Planning
  • Custom Topographic Maps
  • Multiple Base Maps
  • Worldwide Map Coverage
Features
Read full description

Goat Maps is the next-generation navigation app designed for outdoor adventures. Built from the ground up in 2024, Goat Maps offers unmatched reliability and ease of use, perfect for all your adventures—whether hiking, backcountry skiing, kayaking, biking, or trail running. No distractions, just adventure: Goat Maps is designed by real people who use it daily. We prioritize function over frills, so you'll never deal with pop-ups, intrusive graphics, or unnecessary social features. Goat Maps combines cutting-edge technology with custom-designed maps to help you explore confidently, both on and off the grid. Download today and take your outdoor adventures to the next level! ▶ Key Features • Offline Maps: Navigate confidently without cell service. • Record Tracks: Track your trips and monitor your progress in detail. • Advanced Route Planning: Seamlessly mix snap-to-trail, straight-line, and hand-drawn sections. Plan multi-sport and off trail routes with ease. • Custom Topographic Maps: Designed for maximum readability, so you can focus on your adventure, not your screen. • Multiple Base Maps: Switch between Topo, Satellite, and Hybrid views to get the perspective you need. • World wide map coverage. ▶ Free Trial Many features can be used for free, but offline maps and route planning require a membership, but a 7 day free trial is available. ▶ Feedback For support, general questions or feature requests, contact us at support@goatmaps.com EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.goatmaps.com/privacy

Screenshots

The MST Guide3 screens
Goat Maps4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: The MST Guide at none against Goat Maps's 1. The MST Guide also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 76%) and rating (4.9 vs 4.6). Goat Maps's advantage is ratings volume (51 vs 12). On price, update cadence, ads 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

Both are free to download. Goat Maps sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $29.99 per year. The MST Guide asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

The MST Guide holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 12 and 51 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of The MST Guide's written reviews are positive against 76% of Goat Maps's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The MST Guide ships an update every 2 weeks, Goat Maps every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
The MST Guide versus Goat Maps: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe MST GuideGoat Maps
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (12 ratings) — better4.6 (51 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better76.2% of reviews
Number of ratings1251 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.1 — better17.4
Further details — not scored
Size29 MB30 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJoshua SmithGoat Maps, inc.

Customer experience

The MST Guide

All ratings12 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Goat Maps

All ratings51 ratings
Positive88.2%
Neutral5.9%
Negative5.9%
Written reviews21 reviews
Positive76.2%
Neutral9.5%
Negative14.3%

Bugs and requests

The MST Guide

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Goat Maps

Reported bugs

1 issue
  • Inconsistent icon and waypoint syncing from other apps

Requested features

3 requests
  • Web-based route planning
  • Expanded map layers (e.g., private land, geology)
  • More detailed trail information (e.g., seasonal openings, surface type)

In-app purchases

None

The MST Guide

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Goat Maps

Subscriptions1
  • Goat Maps Membership7 Days trial$29.991 Year

Questions

Is The MST Guide free?
The MST Guide is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Goat Maps free?
Goat Maps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, The MST Guide or Goat Maps?
The MST Guide is rated higher. The MST Guide averages 4.9 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Goat Maps averages 4.6 from 51 ratings.
Do The MST Guide or Goat Maps have ads?
Neither The MST Guide nor Goat Maps shows ads.
Which is updated more often, The MST Guide or Goat Maps?
The MST Guide ships an update every 2 weeks, and Goat Maps every 3 weeks. Most recently, The MST Guide was updated on October 9, 2026 and Goat Maps on October 20, 2026.

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