Comparison

GPS OS Grid Reference vs GridFinder

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

Head to head
About

GPS OS Grid Reference

This app accurately pinpoints your location on Ordnance Survey maps for Great Britain and Ireland, even without a phone signal. It offers precise grid references, waypoint creation, and navigation features. The display is designed for clarity in all lighting conditions, and it optimizes battery usage.

Highlights
  • Offline map location
  • Accurate grid references
  • Waypoint creation and management
  • High-contrast display
  • Battery optimization
  • Share waypoints
Features
Read full description

GPS OS provides a fast and accurate way to locate your position on an Ordnance Survey map, both in Great Britain and Ireland. • No phone signal required - works in the most remote locations. • OSTN15 transform data for high conversion accuracy (better than 1m). • 6, 8 and 10 figure grid references. • A large, clear, high contrast display ensures you can easily read your position in any light conditions. • Optimises the frequency of position updates depending on battery charge and speed of travel to make sure you can always make calls at the end of the day. • Create waypoints from a map, your current location or manually enter Ordnance Survey coordinates. • Explore waypoints and get directions in Apple Maps. • Share waypoints with other apps or users. • No adverts. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Includes OSTN15 transform data licensed with permission. Copyright and database rights Ordnance Survey Limited 2016, ©Crown copyright and database rights Land and Property Services 2016 and/or ©Ordnance Survey Ireland, 2016. All rights reserved.

About

GridFinder

Features
Read full description

GridFinder shows you exactly where you've already searched. As you move, GridFinder paints a mesh grid over the map, filling in every cell you pass through. At a glance you can see which areas you've covered — and which you still haven't — so you never search the same spot twice or miss a corner. Perfect for any task where covering ground thoroughly matters: • Searching for a lost item, key, or dropped belonging • Looking for a lost pet • Foraging, beachcombing, or mushroom hunting • Ground search, field surveys, and patrols KEY FEATURES Visual coverage grid Your path is recorded cell by cell on the map. Covered ground is filled in, so gaps are obvious. Adjustable resolution Choose 5m, 10m, or 20m cells depending on how finely you want to record. Auto-stop timer Set a time to stop automatically so tracking never runs longer than you need. Search history Every session is saved. Reopen past searches and overlay them on the map to compare where you've been. Search together (optional) Share an 8-character code with friends or teammates and cover a large area as a group. Everyone sees each other's explored cells in real time, so no one overlaps. Your cells appear in a darker color, teammates' in a lighter shade. GridFinder works entirely around your location on the map — simple, focused, and built to make sure no ground goes unchecked. Note: The real-time group sharing feature uses tickets, available as an in-app purchase. Solo searching and history are always free.

Screenshots

GPS OS Grid Reference4 screens
GridFinder2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: GridFinder at every 5 days against GPS OS Grid Reference's every 3 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. GPS OS Grid Reference sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per year and GridFinder sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

GPS OS Grid Reference ships an update every 3 months, GridFinder every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
GPS OS Grid Reference versus GridFinder: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGPS OS Grid ReferenceGridFinder
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (17 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews89.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings17 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.017.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTomstrails.comSatoshi Takezawa

Bugs and requests

GPS OS Grid Reference

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Waypoint finder satellite view is blurry
  • Compass is not accurate
  • Accuracy has dropped recently
  • Location services permanently dimmed off (iOS)
  • App does not work for users not in England

Requested features

10 requests
  • Add map data and search functionality
  • Improve satellite map clarity
  • Add ability to view location on a map
  • Enable navigation from point to point
  • Add Apple Watch equivalent app
Show 5 more
  • Display latitude and longitude
  • Add a dynamic display for accuracy improvement
  • Implement time averaging for accuracy
  • Allow copying grid reference to clipboard
  • Add facility to store and recall reference information

GridFinder

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

GPS OS Grid Reference

Subscriptions1
  • Premium Features7 Days trial$5.991 Year
One-time1
  • Feature Pack - Compass & sharing features.Free
2 purchases

GridFinder

One-time2
  • Mini Ticket$0.99
  • Standard Ticket$4.99

Questions

Is GPS OS Grid Reference free?
GPS OS Grid Reference is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is GridFinder free?
GridFinder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do GPS OS Grid Reference or GridFinder have ads?
Neither GPS OS Grid Reference nor GridFinder shows ads.
Which is updated more often, GPS OS Grid Reference or GridFinder?
GPS OS Grid Reference ships an update every 3 months, and GridFinder every 5 days. Most recently, GPS OS Grid Reference was updated on September 26, 2026 and GridFinder on September 10, 2026.

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