LeadNav GPS vs DirtOS
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
LeadNav GPS
Plan, coordinate, and navigate off-grid with this powerful GPS tool. Designed for demanding environments, it offers advanced features for mission planning, team communication, and detailed trip recording. Ideal for professionals and outdoor enthusiasts operating without reliable cellular service.
- Mission planning and coordination
- Offline mapping and navigation
- Team location tracking
- Route creation and sharing
- Audible and visual warnings
- Track recording and analysis
- GPX file support
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LEADNAV GPS is the professional off-road GPS for iPhone and iPad. Plan the route at home, run it with turn-by-turn voice guidance where there are no roads, and put your whole team on one map. Built for teams that work and travel off the grid: search and rescue, security details, expeditions, hunting camps, work crews, race teams and their chase crews. NAVIGATE WHERE THERE ARE NO ROADS • Turn-by-turn voice guidance from routes you build or import. Waypoints speak by name as you approach them. • Red warning rings and blue proximity rings that adjust to your speed, so the call comes when you need it. • Any ring you cross alerts, on the route or off it. Serpentine points keep you on the line without a word. • Works with no signal at all. Navigation never needs a connection. • Record tracks, convert them to routes, reverse a route to come back the way you went. • Drop markers for anything you want to find again. Recon, Aviation and Hunting marker sets are included for everyone. • Compatible with Bluetooth headsets, helmet intercoms and speakers for eyes-free navigation. TRIP PACKAGES • One file per trip, event or property: routes, tracks and markers together, with categories and Recently Deleted. • Built on the GPX standard. Import from and export to any GPS device or planning software. • Share a whole Trip Package with your team by AirDrop, Messages or email. • Route Editor with Undo, Join Multiple Routes, Convert Markers to Audio Waypoints, Export to GPS Unit for Garmin, Lowrance and other units. YOUR WHOLE TEAM ON ONE MAP • Group tracking is included with the app. One Team Code, a QR or an invite link builds the team. Teammates join in seconds and see each other live. • Runs over any internet connection: cellular, Wi-Fi at camp, or vehicle-mounted satellite internet such as Starlink. • Keeps sharing with the screen locked when you turn on background tracking. • No account, no login, nothing to sign up for. Your team identity is a random code you can reset any time. COMMS (PRO LICENSE) • Hold to talk with your teams from the pad on the map or from a wireless button. Release to send. • Every message is written out as text in the team thread, so a call you missed at speed is still there when you look down. • Several teams at once, each with its own channel and switch. Faster updates, teammate speed, off-screen arrows and breadcrumb trails. PRERUNNING TOOLS (PRO LICENSE) • PreRunner Bar and Pocket PreRunner: one-tap waypoint drops at speed, with a wipe-safe screen lock. • Wireless buttons: drop waypoints, record tracks, zoom and talk with your hands on the wheel. Part of our patent-pending prerunning system. • Waypoint Mic: hands-free voice notes at speed through your helmet comms. • Speed Highlighter: paint the route green, yellow and red as you run it. • Package Rules: proximity rings and marker symbols by name, saved in the file for everyone you share it with. • Off Route Alert: hear it the moment you leave the line, and which side the route is on. • Edit at speed: tap any waypoint in run mode to edit or delete it. OFFLINE MAPS • Free online map sources include USGS Satellite, USGS Topo and OpenStreetMap. • The Entry and Pro Licenses add offline map imagery for every map type, MBTiles import and overlays, and custom map URLs. Select areas and store them before you go. Maps are provided by outside services and are subject to change. LICENSES The app is a one-time purchase. Entry and Pro are auto-renewing licenses, managed in your Apple account. Details at leadnavgps.com/pricing. NOTES • This is a high-powered GPS and needs power for prolonged use in the field. Continued background GPS use can dramatically decrease battery life. • Wi-Fi-only iPads have no internal GPS chip. Use a cellular model, or an external GPS receiver with the app. • Group tracking and Comms need an internet connection. Navigation does not.
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
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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 price: DirtOS at Free against LeadNav GPS's $19.99. DirtOS also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.9) and review sentiment (100% vs 68%). LeadNav GPS's advantage is ratings volume (121 vs 3) and chart position (#17 vs #185). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model 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
DirtOS is free to download; LeadNav GPS costs $19.99 up front. LeadNav GPS sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and DirtOS sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $49.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
DirtOS holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LeadNav GPS has 121 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 68% of LeadNav GPS's written reviews are positive against 100% of DirtOS's.
LeadNav GPS ships an update every 5 weeks, DirtOS fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | LeadNav GPS | DirtOS |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $19.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.9 (121 ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 68.1% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 121 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | #17 — better | #185 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 40 MB | 153 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | LeadNav Systems LLC | Sean Jeffrey Connell |
Customer experience
LeadNav GPS
DirtOS
Bugs and requests
LeadNav GPS
Reported bugs
9 issues- Subscription renewal issues
- Restore purchases not working
- App shuts down when opening tracks
- App dumping out when plotting routes
- Add-ons not purchasable
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- Support link not working
- Location inaccurate
- Battery draining even after force closing
- License not recognized on new devices
Requested features
18 requests- Option to disable confirmation notifications for edits for a period
- Alphabetical order for collections/files
- Call out waypoints in advance
- iCloud Sync
- Apple CarPlay Support
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- More user training videos
- Dark mode option
- Advanced analytics dashboard
- Ability to upload multiple files at once
- Download off-road maps along the route
- Ability to download maps for offline use without high cost
- Support for metric units
- Easier way to contact developers
- Photos for markers
- Custom names for downloaded areas
- Smaller on-screen buttons (zoom, speed)
- Hide unnecessary UI elements by tapping map
- Dark mode
DirtOS
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
LeadNav GPS
- Entry License Monthly$6.991 Month
- Pro License Monthly$24.991 Month
- Entry License$69.991 Year
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- Satellite Group Tracking$149.991 Month
- Pro License$249.991 Year
- Hunting Markers$4.99
- Aviation Markers$4.99
- Recon Markers$4.99
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- Advanced Pack (1Year Subscription) - Map to Advanced Upgrade$19.99
- Advanced Subscription (1 Year)$69.99
- Advanced to Pro Upgrade$179.99
- Map to Pro Upgrade$199.99
- Pro Pack Subscription (1 Year)$249.99
DirtOS
- PreRun Pro$49.991 Year








