# Garmin Alpha vs Forest Track GIS

The clearest difference is update cadence: Forest Track GIS at daily against Garmin Alpha's monthly. Forest Track GIS also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Garmin Alpha ships an update monthly, Forest Track GIS daily. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Garmin Alpha | Forest Track GIS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.7 (137 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/garmin-alpha/id6449200205/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **137** | — |
| Positive reviews | 27.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Subscription | — |
| Size | 478 MB | 71 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Garmin](https://appshunter.io/developer/411046952) | [Forestry Technologies LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6796766163) |

## What reviewers say

### Garmin Alpha

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/garmin-alpha/id6449200205)

Track your dog's movements using cellular technology and your smartphone. This app works with a compatible Garmin dog tracking system to provide real-time location data and navigation features.

**Highlights:** Cellular dog tracking, Smartphone integration, VHF tracking signal support, Integrated mapping, Waypoint marking

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Peace of mind for dog owners
- 👍 Good technology for hunting
- 👍 Easy to use software
- 👍 Good maps
- 👍 Customer service is second to none

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Many bugs currently
- 🐛 New update needs tweaking
- 🐛 New update is garbage
- 🐛 Map options don't work
- 🐛 Lost functionality from old app

**Reported bugs**

- Cursor lag on opening
- No distance, heading, or name on map when tracking dog
- Tracks won't clear
- Green screen when satellite map selected
- Unable to view any data from Alpha 10 on the map

**Requested features**

- Add yards as a unit of measure
- Add watch app
- Option to make corrections directly from the app
- Easier to switch between Bluetooth devices
- Option to connect multiple devices at once


### Forest Track GIS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forest-track-gis/id6762863791)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Garmin Alpha free?

Garmin Alpha is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Forest Track GIS free?

Forest Track GIS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Garmin Alpha or Forest Track GIS have ads?

Neither Garmin Alpha nor Forest Track GIS shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Garmin Alpha or Forest Track GIS?

Garmin Alpha ships an update monthly, and Forest Track GIS daily. Most recently, Garmin Alpha was updated on November 1, 2026 and Forest Track GIS on October 25, 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.*