Comparison

Earthmate vs Nav Camera

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

Head to head
About

Earthmate

Connect your satellite communicator to your mobile device for text messaging, navigation, and trip planning. Access offline maps, track your location, and share your adventures globally. Stay connected and safe on any outdoor expedition.

Highlights
  • Send/receive text messages
  • Offline topographic maps
  • Waypoint and route navigation
  • Tracking and location sharing
  • Trip logging and planning
  • Cloud storage for trips
  • Control inReach device features
Read full description

Pair your inReach® satellite communication device with the Earthmate® app to get all the features you need to send and receive text messages, navigate and stay connected during your outdoor adventures. It’s perfect for planning, tracking and sharing your trip anywhere around the globe. This Garmin application lets you access¹: • Unlimited topographic maps that you can cache on your device and store for offline use, including topographic maps and quad sheets • Aerial imagery • Hybrid maps • Waypoints and route navigation • Tracking and location sharing • High-detail GPS trip logging • Unlimited cloud storage of routes, waypoints and tracks • Online trip planning • Control and access all the features of your inReach device from the app: send 2-way custom or preset text and email messages, trigger an SOS from anywhere in the world, track your location and more By pairing your mobile device (via Bluetooth® technology) with inReach, the Earthmate app turns your mobile device into a true satellite communication, GPS navigation and safety tool. To access the 100% global Iridium® satellite network for live tracking and messaging – including SOS capabilities – from the Earthmate app, an inReach device with active satellite subscription is required. You can plan your adventures from your account on the Garmin Explore™ website, wirelessly sync them to your smartphone or tablet, and then save all your trip data and maps with unlimited cloud storage. With the use of the LiveTrack™ feature, loved ones can follow your location in real time² and see data such as distance, time and elevation. Learn more about inReach devices and technology at www.garmin.com/inreach. Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. Don't forget to stop tracking. ¹Access varies by model. ²When used with your compatible smartphone and the Earthmate® app or when used with your compatible inReach-enabled Garmin device.

About

Nav Camera

Capture photos and videos with integrated geo-location data overlays. Add custom notes and choose from various display options and formats. Ideal for professional documentation and field use.

Highlights
  • Geo-location data overlays (date, time, position, altitude, datum, bearing)
  • Customizable notes up to four lines
  • Movie recording with real-time overlay updates
  • Multiple reticle options
  • Colored lens filters
  • Support for various position formats (MGRS, UTM, etc.)
Currently charting
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Nav Camera uses the proven navigation, augmented reality, and image processing engines from the well known Theodolite app to create a new app that focuses on photogaphy and video recording with data overlays. The app has been crafted with attention to detail by a top iOS developer, and benefits from over 20 years of development and testing heritage, along with real world usage by surveyors, geologists, architects, engineers, competitive sportsmen, first responders, military personnel, and search and rescue workers around the world. Nav Camera supports portrait and landscape photo capture, and gives you the option to overlay date/time, geo data, street address, and four lines of custom notes on photos and videos. Nav Camera lets you take photographs and record movies in landscape and portrait orientations with geo-location overlays and custom notes. Geo-location overlays include date, time, position, altitude, GPS datum, and compass bearing. Overlay data is updated in every frame when recording movies, which is great for documenting dynamic scenes or scanning an area. You can enter up to four lines of custom notes to be rendered into the overlay, which is perfect for job descriptions, project names, company/staff information, invoice numbers, or additional comments/documentation. Various parts of the overlay can be turned on or off, and multiple overlay colors are available. Nav Camera includes features for serious users including multiple reticles (three types of crosshairs and an SLR-style focus/exposure indicator), colored lens filters to improve use in dark conditions and preserve night vision, and multiple position formats including military grid reference system (MGRS), universal transverse Mercator (UTM), British/Irish National Grids, and six latitude/longitude variations. The optional "Datum Pack" adds over 220 geodetic datums to the app for more accurate position and altitude computation from GPS data. Optional datums include NAD-27, NAD-83, OSGB-36, ED-50, and hundreds of others, covering regions and countries on all continents around the world. Find out why apps like Nav Camera and Theodolite, and their field-proven results, are featured in Apple Keynotes, written up in magazine articles and professional journals, and used by everyday explorers and pro users around the world. Where will you take Nav Camera on your next adventure? Nav Camera works on any iPhone or iPod Touch with camera, running iOS 11.4 or later. If you like Nav Camera, please leave a review/rating on the iTunes App Store. It only takes a moment, and helps us a lot. Thanks!

Screenshots

Earthmate4 screens
Nav Camera4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Earthmate at Free against Nav Camera's $3.99. Earthmate also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (monthly vs every 12 months). Nav Camera's advantage is rating (4.0 vs 2.6) and review sentiment (59% vs 22%). On 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

Earthmate is free to download; Nav Camera costs $3.99 up front. Nav Camera sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Earthmate asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Nav Camera holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Earthmate has 273 ratings behind it against 34, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 22% of Earthmate's written reviews are positive against 59% of Nav Camera's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Earthmate ships an update monthly, Nav Camera every 12 months. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
Earthmate versus Nav Camera: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEarthmateNav Camera
PriceFree — better$3.99
Rating2.6 (273 ratings)4.0 (34 ratings) — better
Positive reviews21.6% of reviews59.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings273 — better34
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 12 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#105 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.015.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size92 MB3 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperGarminCraig Hunter

Customer experience

Earthmate

All ratings273 ratings
Positive33.0%
Neutral15.0%
Negative52.0%
Written reviews153 reviews
Positive21.6%
Neutral19.0%
Negative59.5%

Nav Camera

All ratings34 ratings
Positive79.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.6%
Written reviews37 reviews
Positive59.5%
Neutral2.7%
Negative37.8%

Bugs and requests

Earthmate

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Invisible text fields
  • Disappearing waypoints and tracks
  • Inability to send preset messages from app
  • Incorrect wind speed display
  • Broken map downloads

Requested features

5 requests
  • Apple Watch integration
  • Customizable preset messages
  • Improved map detail and customization
  • Seamless sync between app and device
  • Frequent message check intervals

Nav Camera

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Earthmate

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Nav Camera

One-time1
  • Datum Pack$2.99

Questions

Is Earthmate free?
Earthmate is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Nav Camera free?
Nav Camera costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Earthmate or Nav Camera?
Nav Camera is rated higher. Earthmate averages 2.6 out of 5 from 273 ratings, while Nav Camera averages 4.0 from 34 ratings.
Do Earthmate or Nav Camera have ads?
Neither Earthmate nor Nav Camera shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Earthmate or Nav Camera?
Earthmate ships an update monthly, and Nav Camera every 12 months. Most recently, Earthmate was updated on October 30, 2026 and Nav Camera on October 30, 2026.

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