xcNav vs XCSoar
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
xcNav
This app provides essential navigation tools for paramotor pilots, including waypoints, ETAs, and live location sharing. It also offers group chat, airspace charts, weather information, and proximity warnings with external hardware.
- Navigation tools (waypoints, ETAs)
- Live location sharing
- Group chat
- Airspace sectional charts
- Weather tools
- ADSB-in proximity warnings
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- Navigation tools (waypoints, ETAs, etc) - Live location sharing - Live shared waypoints - Group chat - Airspace sectional charts - Weather tools - ADSB-in with proximity warnings (requires external hardware)
XCSoar
An open-source flight navigation tool for gliders and sailplanes. It offers a moving map, task planning, airspace data, and thermal detection to aid pilots in route optimization and real-time flight information.
- Moving map display
- Task planning
- Airspace information
- Thermal detection
- Route optimization
- Real-time flight data
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Disclaimer: Do not rely on this app for navigation or flight-critical decisions. XCSoar is an open-source flight navigation software designed for gliders and other sailplanes. It provides features like a moving map, task planning, airspace information, and thermal detection. The software helps pilots with route optimization and offers real-time data on altitude, speed, and location. It can be used on various devices, including tablets and smartphones, making it versatile for both recreational and competitive flying.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: XCSoar at 5.0 against xcNav's 4.0. XCSoar also leads on review sentiment (50% vs 20%) and device support (4 vs 2). xcNav's advantage is ratings volume (4 vs 1). On price, 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
XCSoar holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 1 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 20% of xcNav's written reviews are positive against 50% of XCSoar's.
xcNav ships an update every 6 weeks, XCSoar every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | xcNav | XCSoar |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (4 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 20.0% of reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 52 MB | 29 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Caleb Johnson | praechtig gbr |
Customer experience
xcNav
XCSoar
In-app purchases
xcNav
No in-app purchases
XCSoar
No in-app purchases
