LeadNav GPS vs DirtSync
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.
DirtSync
This app keeps your group connected and on the map, even without cell service. It uses satellite and mesh radio technology for live rider tracking, SOS alerts, and group chat, ideal for off-road adventures.
- Offline mesh radio communication
- Live rider tracking with speed and heading
- One-tap SOS with GPS coordinates
- Import KML, KMZ, and GPX trail maps
- Group chat over cloud or mesh radio
- Waypoint dropping
- Web dashboard for Mission Control
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DirtSync keeps your whole group on the map — even when cell service is gone. Built for off-road crews, trail parks, guided rides, and anyone who has ever turned around to go find somebody. Create a session, share a 7-character code, and every rider appears on a live satellite map in under 60 seconds. No account required. WORKS WHERE OTHER APPS STOP DirtSync uses your internet connection when it's available and automatically switches to mesh radio when the trail goes dark. Connect a Meshtastic LoRa node over Bluetooth and your position, chat messages, and SOS alerts keep moving over radio — canyon, timber, deep park, no signal — it doesn't matter. LIVE RIDER TRACKING Every rider on the map with name, speed, heading, and live status. See who's ahead, who's behind, and who hasn't moved in a while. ONE-TAP SOS Send an SOS with your exact GPS coordinates to every rider and Mission Control instantly. Works over mesh radio when there's no cell signal — so help knows where to go even in a dead zone. TRAIL MAPS Import KML, KMZ, and GPX files from Google Earth, Gaia GPS, or CalTopo. Trail names and colors are preserved and shared to every rider in the session the moment you upload. RIDE CHAT Group chat that routes through the cloud when you have signal and through mesh radio when you don't. Messages find a path either way. WAYPOINTS Drop hazards, water crossings, fuel stops, and photo spots on the map. Visible to every rider instantly. MISSION CONTROL Park operators, ride leaders, and guides get a full web dashboard — live riders, SOS alerts, chat, trail maps, waypoints, and draw tools from any browser. No app install required for the operator. GPX EXPORT Export your recorded ride track as a GPX file for mapping, analysis, or sharing after the ride. SESSION CODES 7-character codes like DUST421 or RIDE873 — short enough to fit a Baofeng channel name. Share it at the trailhead and everyone is on the map before the first rider rolls out. Free for riders. No account required. For park licensing, relay station installs, and Node Kit fleet pricing — contact us at jdmatkowski@gmail.com.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: DirtSync at Free against LeadNav GPS's $19.99. DirtSync also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.9) and in-app purchases (none vs 13). LeadNav GPS's advantage is ratings volume (116 vs 1) and chart position (#86 vs unranked). On 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
DirtSync is free to download; LeadNav GPS costs $19.99 up front. LeadNav GPS sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. DirtSync asks for nothing beyond the download.
DirtSync holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LeadNav GPS has 116 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
LeadNav GPS ships an update every 5 weeks, DirtSync every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | LeadNav GPS | DirtSync |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $19.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.9 (116 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 67.4% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 116 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Every 6 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #86 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 40 MB | 85 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | LeadNav Systems LLC | JOE MATKOWSKI |
Customer experience
LeadNav GPS
DirtSync
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
DirtSync
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
DirtSync
No in-app purchases







