# Polaris® vs Tread®

The clearest difference is monetization model: Tread® at free against Polaris®'s free with in-app purchases. Tread® also leads on review sentiment (63% vs 45%). Polaris®'s advantage is chart position (#81 vs unranked) and ratings volume (2.9K vs 447). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Polaris® against 4.5 for Tread®. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Polaris® has 2.9K ratings behind it against 447, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 45% of Polaris®'s written reviews are positive against 63% of Tread®'s.

Polaris® ships an update every 4 weeks, Tread® every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Polaris® | Tread® |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (2.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polaris/id493558794/reviews) | **[4.5 (447 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tread/id1518331465/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.9K** | 447 |
| Positive reviews | 45.4% of reviews | **63.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#81** | — |
| Size | 166 MB | 288 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.5** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Polaris Industries](https://appshunter.io/developer/418680707) | [Garmin](https://appshunter.io/developer/411046952) |

## What reviewers say

### Polaris®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polaris/id493558794)

**Currently charting:** #81 Top Free · Navigation (US App Store)

Manage your powersports vehicle's maintenance, plan adventurous rides with detailed maps and navigation, and discover gear. Connect to in-vehicle displays for an enhanced experience.

**Highlights:** Vehicle service history and maintenance reminders, Ride planning with snap-to-trail routing, On/offline maps and navigation, Group Ride tracking, 3D ride replays, Gear and accessory shopping, Help Center support

**Features:** Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Accurate tracking
- 🚀 Great features
- 👍 Awesome app
- 👍 Essential for riding

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App freezes/crashes
- 🐛 Clunky user interface
- 🐛 Unreliable mapping
- 🐛 Missing features
- 🐛 Buggy offline mode

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues
- Ride tracking problems
- Disappearing vehicle data
- Mapping inaccuracies
- Constant sign-outs

**Requested features**

- Ability to plan routes
- Offline map downloads
- Larger font for map details
- Dark mode option
- Apple Watch compatibility


### Tread®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tread/id1518331465)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Ability to plan routes on phone/tablet
- 🚀 Easy to sync routes to Garmin device
- 👍 Customizable route settings (e.g. adventure mode)
- 👍 Offline maps and navigation
- 👍 Seamless integration with Garmin devices

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Syncing issues between app and Garmin device
- 🐛 Corrupted/altered routes when transferred to device
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 👎 Unintuitive user interface, steep learning curve
- 👎 Limited functionality compared to competitors

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Polaris® free?

Polaris® is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Tread® free?

Tread® is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Polaris® or Tread®?

Tread® is rated higher. Polaris® averages 4.5 out of 5 from 2.9K ratings, while Tread® averages 4.5 from 447 ratings.

### Do Polaris® or Tread® have ads?

Neither Polaris® nor Tread® shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Polaris® or Tread®?

Polaris® ships an update every 4 weeks, and Tread® every 3 weeks. Most recently, Polaris® was updated on October 24, 2026 and Tread® on October 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*