SonsOfSmokey vs DirtOS
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SonsOfSmokey
This app helps users identify and report illegal dumping on public lands. Users can geo-tag and photograph dump sites, then mark them as cleaned up. It aims to unite public land users and volunteers in restoring natural areas.
- Identify illegal dump sites
- Geo-tag and photograph debris
- Real-time trash map
- Mark locations as cleaned up
- Volunteer for cleanup projects
Read full descriptionHide full description
Sons Of Smokey - SOS app is uniting public land users of all types and volunteers looking to help restore public land for future generations! Use the SOS app to identify and clean up illegal dump locations on public land. Geo tag and photograph abandoned vehicles, dump sites, etc. and update our real-time trash map. Scout out these marked locations for clean up projects and mark them as cleaned up when you're done. How it works: - Download the app and Sign-In with Apple - Open the SOS app while using public lands - If you see dumped debris, select the large "+" button in the middle of the screen, provide a description of what it is and take a few photos - You will see the trash icon appear within the app - If you can clean up a trash location, do so and tap the 'Clean Up' to provide some new photos and describe what you did
DirtOS
Navigate off-road and backcountry with specialized GPS tools. Import routes, receive audio cues, and track groups live, even offline. Designed for use in challenging conditions with customizable quick keys.
- Import GPX routes
- Turn-by-turn audio navigation
- Next 3 waypoints display
- Quick Keys for on-the-fly waypoint marking
- Live and offline group tracking
- Works offline with downloaded maps
- 3D flyover route preview
Read full descriptionHide full description
DirtOS is GPS built specifically for off-road — racers, chasers, rally teams, overlanders, UTV crews etc. Not a generic outdoor app with a "trail mode" tacked on. Built by people who actually drive in the dirt. RALLY + RACING - Pacenote Mode with 1-6 severity + tightens/opens turn classification. - Auto-Detect Turns from any GPX with severity-tagged waypoints. - Countdown Callouts: "500, 400, 300, 200, 100, here." - 4-Zone Speed-Based Zoom camera + Loop Mode with lap detection. - 28-Language Turn Audio, on-device, fully offline. QUICK KEYS 53 customizable one-tap buttons for dropping waypoints at speed. Bluetooth keyboard support for gloved race conditions — mount a keyboard on the dash and hit one key to mark a hazard at 80 mph. Import your own PNG icons. GROUP RIDE, CHAT + PUSH-TO-TALK - Live crew tracking with names and speeds. - In-app chat with presets, voice-to-text, optional TTS announcement. - NEW: Push-to-Talk voice messages. Pair a BLE PTT button (Herda, Zello-compatible) and hold to broadcast to every racer in the group. - Offline tracking via Meshtastic LoRa — share location with zero cell service. T1000-E, Wio Tracker, Heltec supported. - Public + private + persistent multi-day groups. RACE ORGANIZER PORTAL NEW: dirtos.io/org — web console for race directors. Import a master route, broadcast text or voice to every registered racer. All updates land instantly in the app. TRAIL FINDER + CUSTOM ROUTING - Trail Finder — drop pins on satellite imagery, DirtOS traces unmapped desert roads between them. - Custom GraphHopper routing, 116M edges, 9 vehicle profiles from dirt bike to full-size 4x4. - Universal Go To — tap any address, POI, coordinate, or group member. - Automatic gas stop insertion based on fuel range you set. Section Delete + Connect for field edits. OFFLINE MAPS - Route Corridor Download follows your actual track shape — 5-10x fewer tiles than a bounding box. - Silent Zoom Clamp so the map never goes white when cell drops. - Zombie-Cell Detection falls back to your downloaded zoom automatically when tiles start failing. - Region Download with polygon selection. Storage Manager with per-region size + zoom range. TOUR MODE + WEATHER - Tour Mode — Wikipedia landmarks narrated as you drive. - NEXRAD radar overlay + NWS forecast + severe alerts + precipitation warnings 20 miles ahead. ROUTE MANAGEMENT - Merge Items combines routes, tracks, or runs. - Record Mode, 3D Flyover Preview, Photo Waypoints Overlay, Cloud Sync. - USFS + BLM Trail Overlay filtered by vehicle type. RACING ESSENTIALS Next 3 Waypoints Display, Compass Pointer, Off-Course Warnings, Speed Zones with over-speed alerts, Chase Cam (double-tap Find Me for heading-up view) WHY THIS EXISTS Built by people who actually go offroad. Interface works with gloves, in sunlight, at speed. Turn detection knows the difference between a note at a gate and a critical Y-junction. Every feature exists because someone needed it in the dirt. PRICING Free to try. DirtOS Pro $49.99/year with 14-day trial — unlocks Follow Mode, audio, Quick Keys, group ride + chat + PTT, cloud sync, weather, tour mode, offline maps, and exports. Who could use? Off-road racers pre-running Baja, BITD, SCORE, NORRA. Rally teams. Overlanders. UTV crews on BLM + USFS land. Trail scouts. Search-and-rescue. DISCLAIMER: Off-road and recreational use only. GPS can be inaccurate; routes may contain errors. Always verify and drive according to conditions. Full terms at dirtos.io/terms.html. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: DirtOS at 100% against SonsOfSmokey's 45%. DirtOS also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.8) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). SonsOfSmokey's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (17 vs 3). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. DirtOS sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $49.99 per year. SonsOfSmokey asks for nothing beyond the download.
DirtOS holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SonsOfSmokey has 17 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 45% of SonsOfSmokey's written reviews are positive against 100% of DirtOS's.
SonsOfSmokey ships an update every 3 months, DirtOS fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on August 21, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SonsOfSmokey | DirtOS |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (17 ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 45.5% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 17 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | — | #190 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 43 MB | 151 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sons of Smokey | Sean Jeffrey Connell |
Customer experience
SonsOfSmokey
DirtOS
In-app purchases
SonsOfSmokey
No in-app purchases
DirtOS
- PreRun Pro$49.991 Year









