OnX vs GAIA: A Comparison and Basic Tutorial

OnX Off-Road and GAIA GPS are the go to Mapping/Off-Road apps/software. This video is both a tutorial and a comparison between the two programs. I have my favorite, it differs from what I'm hearing non-stop on my newsfeed and from other off-road youtubers, but I show you both so you can make your own decision. The video is broken up by how I use it; Trail Navigation, Overland Trip Planning, and Finding Off-Road Trails.
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/ @coloradomallcrawlers
00:00 What this video will do
00:48 Let's get to the point
1:23 Downloading Off-Line Maps
1:42 GAIA Off-Line Maps Tutorial
2:26 OnX Off-Line Maps Tutorial
3:12 Map Layers: Base Maps
3:23 Accessing Maps in GAIA GPS
4:09 OnX Maps
4:33 My Favorite Maps!
4:59 Map Layers: Overlays
5:07 Adding Maps in GAIA tutorial
5:27 How OnX organizes its Map Layers
5:39 OnX vs GAIA Pricing and the private land sketchiness
6:52 Importing GPX files
6:58 How to import GPX files into GAIA
7:21 Showing downloaded GPX files on your GAIA Maps
7:36 Importing GPX files into OnX off-road
7:52 Getting to Trails from these GPS apps
7:59 What I actually use
8:12 If you have no service, use this to get to trails
8:39 I may try to use this way of getting to trails in 2023
9:00 GAIA and OnX with Apple Carplay
9:56 Getting Trail Information from your maps
10:24 How to get Trail Info in GAIA
10:52 My issue with OnX Trail Info
11:30 How to get Trail Information from OnX
11:59 Getting Weather Information from OnX and GAIA
12:59 How to Plan an Overland Trip
14:42 The information recorded tracks give you
16:01 How to find Off-Road Trails the Best Ways
18:01 OnX vs GAIA Final Comparison
Do you agree with my assessment? Add your thoughts in the Comments especially if you disagree, but tell me why. Thanks for watching!
Colorado Mallcrawlers is an off-road/overland channel featuring a railroader and his friends. We love wheeling and making videos! Unfortunately, we are limited on video production due to the insane schedule of the railroader, but our goal is to always publish the best we can. I hear people when they ask us to publish more so I'm definitely trying. Anyway, we'd love to have you as a subscriber as I want to show off all these beautiful trails to more people.

[@junk9636]

Once again, lots of great info. This is the perfect complement to your previous trip planning vid you put out where you talk more about the books.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

Thank you! When I made that first video, I was still mostly using paper maps (forest service maps were my go to), but I feel I have enough experience with both now. Thanks for watching!

[@GaryCarter-tq8uw]

Great unbiased comparison. It’s been obvious to me that lately one of these vendors has been on a campaign to solicit social media creators to pimp their product. And I don’t mean Gaia, in case it’s not obvious. Gaia is by no means perfect, for instance their search function leaves a lot to be desired, and I’m reasonably sure they are digging into even our “private” tracks for analytics and marketing. I really enjoy your trail guides and other videos. Much more so than other creators who are obviously doing so much product placement.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

I appreciate that and I truly try to be unbiased with my videos. I absolutely agree about GAIA, however, all their maps suckered me in to becoming a fan. As a video creator, I get non-stop emails about off-road and overland products. I turn them down, however, Sean has been pushing me to do product videos (he watches a lot of them and says they’re helpful). I’ve been against it, but I think I’ve come up with a plan that I’ll tell you guys about (basically I think I’m going to cut some of my expenses and buy products and test them… but I don’t know how I’ll do this yet, the main focus will be trails). I don’t know, but I do know I won’t compromise myself to become a KZbinr. Thanks for the feedback and for watching!

[@1320trail]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for this video! Your pace and content are superlative! I've subbed!

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

I really appreciate that! Thank you!

[@outbackwack368]

Thanks, Dewey! I tried On-X but wound up with Gaia Pro and have been happy with it. I also have All Trails Pro, Trail Forks, Garmin Connect and Ride With GPS. I also have Benchmark Maps Road & Recreation Atlas state maps for several states that show a lot of information. Each has its own benefits and usefulness because I'm a road/gravel/mountain biker too and do bikepacking off-road. Happy Holidays and be safe out there!

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

Happy Holidays to you! Nice assortment of apps you have… definitely agree, all have benefits and disadvantages!

[@360Investigations]

OnX is useless. The $30 doesn't get you anything. OnX doesn't even have 2 of the most basic things that are required in order for any map to be usable. There is no 1 - Glossary 2 - A legend/key

[@huf67]

I've been using Gaia for several years and it works for me. I have seen a lot of people promoting OnX but I sorta see it as just that, a paid promotion. I plan my route on my desktop with Gaia and it automatically updates to my phone and tablet. It just works.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

Absolutely! Yeah, I’m a slow adopter, I was still using paper maps when I started making these videos… but I was determined to try them out. Never thought I’d make a video on it, but it just felt like something that was the right thing to do. Sponsors are important to being a creator for sure, but I believe you should only work with companies you believe in (maybe I’m just naive on all of this)

[@coreybacon9325]

Great comparison, you're saving me alot of time for which one to use.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

I’m glad I could help! I love making trail videos, but when I think I can make a helpful video for others, I’ll try to make it!

[@ChasingDreamsLivingLife]

Great Video Dewie.. It's Gaia for the win in my jeep! I use it every single time I go out.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

Thank you!

[@Desertpunk1986]

Great stuff Dew! I was thinking about which one I really wanted to go with, couple buddies use OnX. But I’m sold on Gaia.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

I’m glad I could help!

[@thewanderingpinto5979]

We are currently in Moab having a ball! My wife purchased Gaia and got a trial for onx. So far she has found onx much easier to navigate. Looks like Gaia may have more features, but if all you need is a program that provides navigation simply, maybe that's the way to go.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

So OnX is great in Moab because they have all the funtreks trails loaded into it as their own (I’m sure they paid them tho). Funtreks books are high quality trail info, but once you go elsewhere, you’re getting so-so crowd sourced trail info. I’m also wheeling Moab lately and I’ve been using Trails Off-road exclusively (I’ve been kicked out of OnX and can’t seem to set up a new account). Trails off-road has really stepped up the game with their follow along feature. 100x better than OnX navigation. TrailsOffroad has crowd sourced trail info (at the bottom), but the guides are originally written by vetted off-roaders so they’re accurate information.

[@michaeldavis9287]

Onx has a simple, intuitive UI that will ultimately make onx successful.

[@JonDZ_Adventuring]

Excellent and informative video Dewey!! 👏 I 1000% agree. I only needed one reason to dislike OnX, the lack of information it gives me. The interface is too basic and isn’t helpful to me, where as Gaia I use the satellite with labels layer. This is incredibly useful for me as an overlander.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

It’s sometimes easy to take a good deal and I don’t blame anyone for doing so. However, when some of the OnX sponsored KZbinrs said it was better than GAIA specifically, I knew I had to make this. Thanks buddy!

[@joecaum]

That drone gets so abused! Nice Breakdown, refreshing to hear form someone that's not sponsored by one or the other. Both platforms are great. COTREX is an underrated one in my opinion.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

True, but that was this one’s first crash I believe (Air2S). However, it is the replacement of the one I crashed in Moab. The Mini 3 Pro is what I crashed on Santa Fe and both are fine. I had to buy new ND filters and propellers for the Air2S. Yeah, there’s a lot of bias when you accept sponsorships, but luckily I have a job that supports this channel. I definitely agree about COTREX… altho I don’t use it much.

[@libertystuffnthingsreviews829]

Great info. Thank you.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

Glad it was helpful!

[@stefan3225]

I’ve used OnX for years and haven’t ever loved the app. I now see all their sponsored crew pushing OnX likes it’s the end all be all of off road mapping. This makes me want to try something else once my subscription is up.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

Yeah, I talk to a few of the sponsored off-roaders, but I just couldn’t believe they were pushing OnX over GAIA. I want to believe they truly think OnX is better, but to me, it’s a stretch. I figured I’d make this to provide a counterpoint and at least save some people from spending $99/yr on OnX Elite.

[@timhardman4764]

Thanks for the video on a topic i know little about. I'm a retiree just getting into BUDGET 4-wheeling. Just bought a 2015 Nissan Xterra Pro4x from a guy that did the 1st tier mods - winch, steel bumpers, 2" lift, 33" tires, sliders. I don't plan any additional upgrades that add trail capability. I've been out 4 times now with a group of 12 highly modified Jeeps (6" lifts, 37" tires, etc...) and have loved every second of it. Fortunately there have been go arounds for the boulder crawling obstacles they can do effortlessly. Now I need to spend a little money on a navigation/trail mapping system. I have a Mac and iPhone 13 so i suspect I should stay on the same platform. What iPad (+ options) and mounting system for my Xterra would you recommend that I could also use for back packing and international travel? Based on your review here, I'll be going with the Gaia mapping software. If OnX every catches up I'll give them a try also at that time. I am getting a lot of use out my FunTreks book for AZ, Area 3 (N.Phoenix, Prescott, Wickenburg, Crown King, Carefree) Thanks for reading this and your response.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

Well, I don’t know the Xterra platform well besides being a huge fan of the vehicle. My guess is your best bet would be similar to my liberty… finding tablet mounts on Amazon. I like a phone cup holder mount as that’s what I put in the liberty. I’ve struggled to find good tablet mounts, but maybe we’ll dive into that this year with some new (but additional to trail guides) content. Thanks for your comment.

[@05Dragon1]

Yeah, I love the historic and NOAA maps in GAIA; extremely usefull

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

Me too! Probably my favorite GAIA feature!

[@CampgroundRecon]

Great info. Curious if you've noticed how accurate Gaia's cell coverage overlays are? We occasionally forget to log the info on our recon trips. It'd be worth the annual fee just for that purpose.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

Thanks! I use the cell maps mostly as a rough estimate. The darker the map is, the more certain you’ll have coverage (and data). The light areas are spotty, BUT if you climb, you can usually get voice/text coverage in an emergency. It’s definitely helpful in my opinion.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

Hey guys, I’m at work (3am call), but I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic… I hope I’ve shown why I recommend GAIA GPS over OnX off-road, but am I missing something? Also, we’ll do a live premiere for the next trail guide but due to my on call schedule, there may be short notice. I’m definitely loving watching these with y’all tho! Edit: my train got dropped, so I’m waiting to be called at time of this going live. I’m starting work on the next trail guide tho… it’ll have a renegade on street tires. Should be entertaining!

[@johngalt3659]

Are you a rail? BNSF?

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

Yes, but due to our social media policy, I’m just a class 1 freight railroader.

[@takenpictures]

I prefer Gaia, too. I sometimes use OnX in the planning phase of a trip, but create the route and use Gaia once on the trip.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

That’s not a bad way especially since OnX really highlights those MVUM trails!

[@JoshSpring3746]

I was expecting this video to be another advertisement for OnX. It seems like they’re sponsoring/buying out off road KZbinrs to sell their product for them. Glad it wasn’t. Gaia is what I use and very trustworthy and reliable.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

Not everyone gets that when you take a deal, you become somewhat biased. I just don’t want to let down those who trust me so I’ll always try to buy any product I do a review of. Thanks for watching!

[@aflo6475]

Ive had gaia pro for a few years now, once you get the hang of it its a great navigation tool. I use it for all my outdoor hobbies. For driving i import routes from trails offroad and have made a lot of my own routes as well. I havent tried onx but ive read some of their trail reviews and they dont give much useful information.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

I keep trying OnX to see if they’re improving… but usually it’s still pretty lacking compared to other options.

[@rocklanderoffroad]

TN here, Gaia is definitely my go to. MAINLY for me, Gaia seems to almost ALWAYS have a sat signal. Onx last year out west kept losing signal.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

Yeah, more reliable for me too!

[@billj5645]

I've been using GAIA, mostly because when I got it OnX was very new. I tend to download my maps through WiFi before I start a trip. Be sure to download more than you need because you might have to take detours. We got detoured once from southern Utah into northern New Mexiso and we didn't have maps for it or cell service. I tend to pay for the cheapest offline option from GAIA so a lot of maps aren't available for me. I think you should compare the 2 programs based on the lowest subscription level, and then also compare based on the more costly plans. I've been happy enough with GAIA but the user interface can be hard to use. It is hard to understand how to do some things through your computer vs. through your phone. I also have a recurring bug with GAIA and carplay- I'll be on a trail, open my phone and GAIA will suddenly think I'm sitting at my house. Something I have just started doing is looking for tracks that other people have saved. The interface for doing this is very crude and you either get a lot of different tracks or you get nothing. However despite these comments that might seem like complaints- if you go offroad in an area that may not have cell coverage then paying the subscription for either of these products so you can download trail maps is very much worth it.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

Thank you for your comment. This is a comparison between the two lowest paid subscriptions for both. I think the free ones just give you access to the maps. These are both the best bang for the buck if you’re going to pay for them. The next step in GAIA gives you Outside+ and the next step in OnX gives you private land data.

[@slickbama8322]

Here is what I've found using both. You want to hike and drive, use Gaia, you want to hunt use OnX. In my opinion it's apples and oranges.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

Not a bad take!

[@FearlessTrailhawk]

I've used Gaia for 4 years. Used the free version for a year, then got the Pro. When OnX came out it looked promising, but Gaia just has soo much more functionality, though it is a little more intimidating at first. My biggest complaint on Gaia is it tends to overheat my phone very quickly in the summer months. (4 year old LG) My ex didn't like Gaia and got a cheap membership for OnX, and i tried to use it a few times but imho, it just was not as good. I definitely like some of the good functions that i can do for Gaia on my PC. Really easy to look at and edit track info. I've actually not flown my drone much lately when doing Jeep stuff because i'm too afraid i'm going to crash it again. (flew backwards into a electric line this summer)

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

Good information, thanks man! About the drones, this was all my fault and I was trying to rush to the spot before I lost too much light. I get DJI refresh or whatever which will replace a drone for a small fee (I learned this after the crash in Moab where I had to buy a new one). Thankfully here, I think all is fine besides the ND filter and I need to replace a propeller. I need to test it, but I’m not getting any errors with it so I think it’s good. I definitely recommend the dji refresh option altho I have yet to use it.

[@FearlessTrailhawk]

@@coloradomallcrawlers I have an Autel, better AI than the DJI. Though i'll likely go Skydio when its time to replace. My first trail flight i crash landed IN a tree...150ft up...(pilot error, being new to the controls) thankfully i was able to spin the props back up and fly it out and to the ground.

[@guywheeler4225]

I'll second that. I had gaia and switched to onX and it feels super dumbed down in comparison. It's growth is clearly a byproduct of apparent ease of use and a lot of marketing.

[@lowe-landeroutdoors0407]

I haven't used Gaia enough to know how to use it . I fond on-x easy to use. I also have Trails offroad lol so I need to use them all to have a opinion. I am interested in using Gaia due to the overland map options. I have some long trips planed for the summer and I fell like it maybe more helpful

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

This is my first attempt at a tutorial, but if you just watch the screen captures, you’ll be able to use it as well as me. Or at least that was the goal with this. Thanks for watching buddy!

[@treksonwheels]

trails offroad maps will import directly into Gaia. you can even download them and save them locally.

[@philgriswold2133]

I may be missing something, but since I live in the Asheville, NC area, ON-X doesn't seem to have hardly any info for this area due to their maps being populated by user input. I admit that I am a GAIA user and may be biased, but it works great for this area of the US.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

Yeah, I agree! I found East Tennessee Overlanders to be useful for finding trails in the area, but when I lived in the East, off-road parks were my go to.

[@bogdandanailescu]

The Gaia Gps on your Apple Car Play looks way more detailed than on mine. Different vehicle I know, but I was wondering you think if it's because you have the paid version and I have the free version? Thanks! Keep up the good work that you do! Greetings from Romania (Eastern Europe)!

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

Hmmm, it’s probably just because it’s the paid version. The maps in the video are from the middle tier subscription. Thank you, I appreciate it!

[@michaeldavis9287]

Great video! For me it's onx when the jeep is moving, Gaia when I hike. How do you manage your waypoint icons?

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

I rarely use waypoint icons when I’m wheeling. I have used them in both OnX and GAIA, but im not sure what you mean.

[@michaeldavis9287]

There is no standard code for icons. I would like to change icon code on groups of waypoints (like campsite) so I can manage waypoints between onx, Gaia and my Lowrance.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

@michaeldavis9287 that would require them all to work together.

[@michaeldavis9287]

@@coloradomallcrawlers or a separate program that allows one to manage a gpx file (which is essentially a spreadsheet with gpx housekeeping info).

[@Mudgard]

Great vid. Very informative. I did want to add that Gaia uses Tom Tom maps for streets. I’ve found these far superior to my vehicles onboard GPS. I also use google, but have come to prefer Gaia for street guidance.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

That’s good to know, thank you!

[@legendarytrails]

We use gaia all the time off road. I like that I can make my own trail file on my computer and it syncs to all our devices instantly. It's really great and we've never had a problem with it. To be fair, we've never used onx but I can't see paying for it to have the same information I can find online for free. Just my two cents.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

Yeah, I’m with you! Some think I’m biased against OnX, but I would recommend whatever one I thought was better. Thanks for watching!

[@somewheretoday]

I use multiple map sources. I pay for the premium services on each that I use and hands down GAIA is the best. Maprika Ski (has glitches for Iphone) is great for National Forest trails but you have to stay on top the current updates (input buy users not Maprika) for closed trails. Avenza is what the Arkansas National forest service uses it compares to Maprika. On X is not user friendly if you are trying to learn it and you better download the area before you loose cell service and I just don't trust it. I have been using On X more and more just to try to learn it. All Trails is getting better but I stopped using it. Trails Off Road I didn't use it very much and have stopped using it. I am going to check out FunTreks but the $59.99 fee is keeping me away for now. Thanks for the informational video!

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

I’m a big fan of Funtreks, but I haven’t used their app yet for the same reason. I’m also a big fan of TrailsOffroad, but their East Coast offerings are lacking (however, I know they are actively mapping the East). I’ll be keeping an eye on all of these tho! Thanks for watching!

[@rocks4brains]

Both will allow you to create a driving routes over trails where only hiking and bicycling are allowed by park maps.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

I haven’t encountered that. Where has this happened? I’d like to recreate it.

[@rocks4brains]

@@coloradomallcrawlers big bend ranch state park texas

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

When I get some free time, I’ll take a look. Interesting, thanks!

[@kayleighdrouin6378]

Do either of them back up your trails? Like on a cloud? I just recently switched phones and lost all of my offline maps with onx and im devastated i had so many camp sites on there. Idk how to get them back.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

I’m not really sure… but GAIA backs stuff I save to a folder on my iCloud. The best for offline maps is TrailsOffroad tho… you just download the state and you have everything for whenever you want to use it (all their waypoints including camp spots).

[@kayleighdrouin6378]

@coloradomallcrawlers does trails offroad work out of the US. I frequent canada

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

@kayleighdrouin6378 they have some trails in Canada, but they’re working on expanding. GAIA might be the best option for you. Just save your routes and waypoints to a folder on your cloud drive. I don’t save a lot of my routes, but my buddy Zach does and it works well for him.

[@kayleighdrouin6378]

@@coloradomallcrawlers I'll try both. Do you work with them? Do you have a code or something

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

I have a TrailsOffroad code, but do the free trial first. They’re expanding, but check your area before joining. Also, if they don’t have trails in your area, they’d probably hire you to make them granted they vet all their authors first.

[@eda715]

I’ve used both for backpacking and Gaia wins for me. Even though a lot of KZbinrs promote OnX. Gaia does more for free as OnX does for a fee. It’s not as pretty, but I don’t need it to be.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

That’s good to hear… I’m all for OnX succeeding, but I’m not a big fan of how they’ve been promoted when they need to improve the software to justify the cost imo

[@cadecorneliusen3047]

Have you compared Gaia to Back Country Navigator? I'm looking for off road trails forest service and blm roads and trails etc. I'm going to be using an extra Samsung Galaxie Tab E and there will be no cell service on it. Will not be using it on the highways.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

I have not used backcountry navigator… both Gaia and OnX work offline and I’ve had no issues running them on a tablet without cell service. I’ve just switched to using my phone as it’s easy and having the occasional service helps with last minute plans. If you go with the navigator, let me know how it goes.

[@bearchow1929]

Different problem here in the southwest. Many ex-off road trails and routes that existed on USGS Topo maps are not shown. Environmentally inclinded map makers (like Gaia) adhere to these federal and "sierra club style" recommendations. My solution is old paper topo maps and Garmin gps data prior to 1999 along with the old gps to display it. Somehow you see so much and so much faster without getting married to gps and mapping like this high tech new stuff. A lot more of just load up and go. And I'll be on roads you don't even know exist.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

I appreciate your perspective. I too use to be a paper map user, but gps maps have been great for me. GAIA has been flawless for me. However, I’m not glued to my gps software. It’s just wondering in the background. It has been extremely valuable when I need to backtrack in the dark. That was never easy with paper maps. I still carry paper maps as a back up tho.

[@robertwilliams2762]

I tried Gaia but here in NY state it is suggesting walking trail. How do I get it to show only off road trails

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

Use the GAIA overland layer and it’ll show trails as tan and dark tan or grey and dark grey. You can also add a MVUM layer above the map and that will show you all the motor vehicle trails. Then if you click on the trail, you get more info. However, on the east coast, I think your best bet is to join a local Facebook off-road group to find the best trails in your area. Then use the GAIA to keep you on track. Also TrailsOffroad has 14 scouting trails in New York that may be useful. They’re actively trying to expand their National coverage.

[@t.o.f.t.s.]

Not sure what I'm doing wrong, but just can't get OnX to work as well as Gaia. I'll keep testing both.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

Keep me updated! That’s my experience too!

[@tomshunpiker4554]

Many parts of the country have owner information available on their County GIS pages.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

That’s good to know! Thanks!

[@JT-iw2cw]

ON-X private land information is useful for hunters who may have to cross private land to reach another location. The consequences are serious for trespassing while hunting.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

OnX charges 99/yr for private land info (at least they use to when I made the video), GAIA charges 28/yr for private land info. So why pay more as I said in the video?

[@numulis321]

Hey bud ty for this video. I'm trying to dip my toes into offroading and onX Offroad was just not happening. They advertise there 99 dollar plan before their cheaper one. Just seems scummy to me.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

They seem scummy to me and my wheeling buds too. If you watch my how to find trails video from a while ago, I legitimately was excited to use and learn the software. Just through experience, I learned it was not good stuff. It really rubbed me the wrong way on how they took funtreks book data and presented it as their own. I’m sure they paid for it, but OnX made their own technical ratings that clearly demonstrated they never ran the trails themselves. No one should making trail information without actually running the trails in my opinion.

[@clementstevens]

Are your seats custom? Thank you

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

Nah, just cheap seat covers from Walmart here. They got the job done, but they’re cheap materials. I was considering custom seat covers, but the seat cover manufacturers would never respond so I just bought some better ones from Walmart for now. I ended up buying the seat covers I put in the Liberty (thicker solid black covers from Dickies I believe). I like stock seats, but I get so dirty at work that I definitely needed a good cover to protect them.

[@RevereOverland]

They serve different purposes. Both can be used for route planning and navigation, but OnX is far better for finding trails, and Gaia is far better for browsing maps. Asking which is better is like asking if the Instagram or Twitter app is better. There’s some crossover, but they have different purposes.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

I address that all in this video, but they are map software. OnX Maps just rebranded to be more trail focused, but I show you the same trail info is all in GAIA. Also GAIA has TrailsOffroad integration and the only good trail info OnX has is because it is from funtreks. If you watch it, you’ll see.

[@RevereOverland]

​@@coloradomallcrawlers I went back through and the only trail data I saw from Gaia was the MVUM data that onX also uses for its base trails? I don't see anything that comes close to the curated trails that onX has on top of that (a small percentage of which are from Funtreks) without using a third party subscription. I don't mean to be rude, and it's possible there's something I missed.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

First off, by no means do I think you’re rude and I appreciate cordial disagreements where one can come to new understanding. I must ask tho, are you or have you been sponsored by OnX? If so, I actually think it’s cool that they sponsor KZbinrs, but it creates bias. I purchased both and my opinion is GAIA has so much more functionality that I could not recommend OnX over it to my viewers. Let’s address this further and discuss finding trails as that’s pretty much all we do here. OnX Colorado and Moab trails are still ported from Funtreks from what I saw. I checked a few before making this (I know the funtreks books like the back of my hand). I haven’t checked Arizona or California. Since I know Colorado and Moab trails better than most, let’s cover trail finding in TN where I only know off-road parks. I tried OnX and GAIA there. As I said in the video, neither cut it. I found a trail near me in TN using the OnX discover function. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t up to my standards for trail data (a few so so pics, iffy description, iffy rating) and it wasn’t even a trail that the locals on East Tennessee Overlanders recommended. This is a problem to me. I only had a few days to wheel as I go to TN to help my parents. Had I wasted my time wheeling the ones OnX recommended and not the ones I actually did, I wouldn’t have two more awesome trail guides filmed with my Liberty. GAIA wasn’t better tho so that’s why I recommended using local groups like East Tennessee overlanders (a free group) in this video. My opinion is that OnX and GAIA can’t compete with Funtreks, TrailsOffroad, and local wheeling groups/clubs for finding trails at this time. Additionally, my other opinion is that OnX (formerly known as OnX maps) can’t compete with GAIA when it comes to being map software either. I’m also not a fan of OnX for a few additional reasons, a big one being the elite membership. The fact that OnX will charge their subscribers $99 to get private land data that GAIA gives you for $28 does not seem right to me. That, and all the additional functionality you get with GAIA made this an easy video to make for me. Still, I know GAIA isn’t for everyone so I showed how to use OnX too. My apologies for the long response, but I felt your comments deserved a more thorough response.

[@RevereOverland]

@@coloradomallcrawlers I have been paid by both onX and Gaia, and currently earn more through Gaia referrals. I also paid for both apps initially. I actually use Gaia about as often as I use onX, but I use them for different reasons (see original comment), so for that reason I wouldn't recommend one over the other. I just don't think you've given onX the credit it deserves 😂 Both are pretty sparse in the east, but I planned a fantastic 400 mile route in the Oregon desert entirely using onX curated trails. I've got another one planned in Nevada this summer that's also from onX curated trails. A lot of those BLM roads have no info on Gaia. I don't think I've ever specifically driven a Funtreks trail from onX since I also have those books and know those trails already! Also, don't bother with the $100 subscription. The $30 one has what we need!

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

I appreciate your response and now I’m intrigued by the OnX curated content you show in Idaho and Nevada. I’m looking forward to those videos. Maybe I’m not giving OnX enough credit, but this video is based on my recent (post transition to GPS software) personal experience in Colorado, Moab, and Tennessee/North Carolina. I just don’t think map software is a good way to find trails anymore (20 years ago, paper maps [and my local club] is all I used for trail finding). I bet I could more efficiently find better trails and plan a better trip for my crew using a local wheeling group. If I couldn’t get any info from locals and just had GAIA and OnX, then I’d likely have a little bit better idea from OnX. Still, I wasn’t impressed with the 3-4 OnX trails I randomly picked in Idaho. Not everyone has the money to buy both GAIA and OnX, so I stand by picking GAIA over OnX if you had to get one. This is because it does a lot more and is more valuable for people truly trying to off-road/overland (cellular maps, real-time radar info, more detailed maps, has legal routes, offline route planning abilities). I’m not getting a lot of disagreement on this video so my curiosity got to me. Your OnX video is a month old, your GAIA video is 2 years old. I’m absolutely not saying you’re not giving your best advice, but there is likely at least some bias with that. Also, I get being a full time KZbinr which I’m assuming you are, is not easy at all. Not many know this (besides those that wheel with me), but I’m a retired medical doctor (this channel was created to improve my confidence to the point that I could believe in myself to write science fiction [my literary agent only wanted the nonfiction book on why I left medicine]). Anyway, when I was a practicing pediatrician, there was a movement to go “pharm free.” Now, all of us thought we weren’t influenced by free products, free meals, and trips. We thought no money involved, no problem, but considering we’re scientists, we dug into it and did research. The research showed we had bias (prescribing habits, treatment recs) based on these interactions even when we swore we didn’t. Now, I think we can all see why that’s a big issue in healthcare, but maybe it’s not a big deal on KZbin. In fact, my buddy Sean (who loves your channel) has been pushing me to take the free products and do reviews on them like a lot of KZbinrs do. He finds them helpful. It’s just something I don’t personally want to get into, but I don’t mind reviewing stuff I have purchased myself like this video. I also didn’t sensationalize this video (Title: “Off-road KZbinrs are lying to you: OnX vs GAIA”) and instead just showed people how each program works so they can decide what’s best for them. I hope you don’t take this disagreement the wrong way as I do respect what it takes to be a full time off-road KZbinr, but this video is simply my perspective. People will disagree and people will agree.

[@NebulousCat]

Google Maps also works great off-road

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

Unfortunately it doesn’t have all trails… I’d say use OnX over google maps off-road.

[@ThisTall]

All I know about Gaia is that every time my buddy sends me his days riding map, it’s practically impossible to make a shred of use out of the image. It’s just thick blurry lines over blurry looking topo graphics. On anything smaller then an iPad, it’s embarrassing.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

Hmmm, sounds like there’s an issue on how he’s sending it. Have him send it as a gpx file as I’ve never had that issue.

[@gearhead53704]

@@coloradomallcrawlers Really liked the vid. I've been Wheelin for 40+ years, got into GPS through boating and loved my old Garmin's that ran Map Source maps. Used nautical when on lake Michigan and switched to Topo when Wheelin. Once Garmin went to other maps and my old equipment started to fail, I started (struggling) to find something that worked as well. Garmin's UI is untouchable in my opinion (When I bought my first Garmin, In 15 minutes I figured out how to do 90% of everything I needed to do with no manual or tutorials, in my opinion that's a great UI). I played with Venza? tried the free Gaia (after watching some tubers vids) and watched some of my friends with google maps... As reported by the tubers I had watched, the UI has been certainly challenging but now in my 4tth or fifth year? of use I'm getting a much better handle on things. I am currently in the process of using all the data I've created (much to the frustration of my Wheelin friends having to wait for me) to help in the creation and mapping of a complete trail network in the state of Wisconsin. My reason for this reply is I too have had problems sharing my GPS data with the Forestry Service and I have been exporting as a GPX file. Getting the sames results as @brendonmartens, big bold lines and the waypoints/icons haven't even carried over to their maps. Another thing I'm trying to figure out is how to print a VERY large map of an area and maintain the details with very small icons. When you zoom out to get the large area, you lose detail and the icons all overlap and is becomes a mess. I'll probably end up reaching out to Gaia for help but thought I would share. Sorry such a long reply, thanks again for the vid and I'm impressed that you've been replying to so many comments 👍

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

Thanks for the reply gearhead (funny, I called Sean that in a video I just filmed). Yeah, definitely reach out to GAIA as I’m not sure what’s going on there. Good luck!

[@PittiesAndMore]

It looks like Apple vs Android. onX vs Gaia 😆 I use onX for local trails in Southern California and don't need all the all of the over layers of the Gaia maps.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

Yeah, if you’re doing simple off-roading, OnX should work for you. Good luck. I’d switch to TrailsOffroad instead of OnX for trails… made by off-roaders for off-roaders.

[@NotGonnaSayFO]

My problem with both is that they say right up front, "we will sell your personal information to 3rd party companies".

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

Intriguing, I’ll have to look into that.

[@BrianWest58]

Or just skip the cost of a tablet and apps and get a Garmin Overlander then no worries about "off line" mapping.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

I appreciate different ways of thinking, but how much does that cost? Both of these apps work on your phone and they have gps built into them. I rarely use my tablet while wheeling, I use it for planning. I used it for this video as it offered a bigger screen for screenshots, but it’s the same process with either.

[@Stealther]

You can’t even compare the two, Gaia is SO MUCH better than OnX Off-Road. OnX looks like a concept product that isn’t even fully thought out. It’s frankly a skeleton app with no meat on its bones. I bought both and completely regret the purchase of OnX. I’ve also unsubscribed from the KZbinrs that shilled for OnX because either they knowingly promoted a crap product for the $ or they actually think it’s good and have horrible judgement. Either way I don’t need to hear more from those people!

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

To me, it is map software trying to rebrand as trail finding software. It just doesn’t do a great job compared to better sources to find trails. Plus, I can’t stand the $99 for private land data when GAIA offers that and so much more at a better price. I don’t regret purchasing OnX for my purposes tho, but I could see most people regretting it. Thanks for your comment!

[@shoutingatclouds1050]

OnX off road GPS vehicle tracking was available tec and cheap to make for a trucking broker @ only 10 million and within a year blew up to being worth 10 billion. And who paid to inflate the value? Well the insurance company's of course. Only insurance companies have that kind of money. OnX Off Road will never find even a million people to subscribe and pay them for map services and get rich but they sure can sell data to insurance companies with deep pockets for personal data from the drivers that have subscribed.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

Interesting, can this be verified?

[@shoutingatclouds1050]

@@coloradomallcrawlers Just a little reading on the internet starting with asking Google "who owns OnX" is what I did. I became curious how quickly a 10 million dollar start up became 10 billion so quickly. Freight Brokers do not have a reputation for being good or nice people.

[@shoutingatclouds1050]

@@coloradomallcrawlers yup

[@shoutingatclouds1050]

@@coloradomallcrawlers I looked up the freight brokers that started OnX off road.

[@seanwatson3790]

It is funny to me that most people that use iPhones say they use them over android because android is more intimidating at first , and iphones are easier to use out of the box. Which way be true but there is so much more versatility to android than the apple ecosystem once you understand it. This comparison is the android vs apple debate only backwards hahaha

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

Lol, all I know is iPhone videos look better when I’m editing. Hell, my new camera was used to shoot that train and I’m pretty sure my phone would have looked better (altho once I learn it, that camera will make us look good!)

[@coolmountaineer]

Trails Offroad would be the best once they add more trails that are included on Gaia and OnX. For now, I have to use OnX for finding trails and their rate, and Gaia to navigate. Gaia is loaded with awesome information, more than we typically use, but they miss the most useful and important features, such as trail rates by vehicle type, user reviews and pictures, and if the trail is closed or open. Once Gaia does add these features, I will drop OnX.

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

Trails off-road is definitely working on it! I think I’m one of the best at finding trails, but I have yet to find one from OnX. Sure, they’ll have the blm or forest service trail info, but you won’t know if it’s worth doing. For me, funtreks, TrailsOffroad, and local insight has been my go to. I also find my OnX trail info to not be very good except when it’s curated from funtreks. I keep hoping OnX will get better, but I think I’ve come to the conclusion that they’re not made up of off-roaders and are simply businessmen trying to profit off of us.

[@larryperez8147]

Good video but very biased. You can’t compare the two and say “I prefer this because it’s easier” and right after say “I’ve never used that feature “ …. How can you compare something that you haven’t actually tried?

[@coloradomallcrawlers]

Where? Because I tested everything that was available at the time even if I didn’t use them in practice beforehand. For example, I filmed the talking parts before editing the video. While editing, I found new features by both and played around with them. That was reflected in the text notes, screen captures, and final comparison. I have continued to use both and will likely be making a part two even tho I was briefly locked out of OnX (I use to have two premium accounts, had to use a new email to get OnX back). The real and most solid argument to this video is that OnX is no longer map software and instead trail finding software. So I’ve been trying to give them another shot, however using them as trail finding software is not the best or in my opinion a good option. I was filming in the San Rafael swell and they were severely lacking vs other options out there. Like Maggie’s Castle was only available via TrailsOffroad and OnX didn’t even have basic trail info or the indication of a trail on their map (it was an established trail and known shortcut to Goblin valley State Park… utd as of 5/28/23). OnX’s great trail info as I said in this video is from funtreks, but go elsewhere and you’d struggle to find the good trails if you didn’t know already. This has been the case from my testing which included East Tennessee and San Rafael Swell. OnX just lacks… people who think it’s good usually say because of Colorado and Utah, which if you look closely is because that’s from funtreks (who are actual off-roaders and write amazing books). My issue is OnX isn’t by true off-roaders or overlanders and it’s evident from anyone who actually hits the trails. There are options by true off-roaders… TrailsOffroad is written by local wheelers under strict guidelines and they’re sending out wheelers to document trails in areas they don’t have local trail guide authors. Trust me, I don’t want to hate OnX… they’re supporting creators and I love that, but their product is too expensive for what you get (private land for $99/yr when GAIA gives it to you for $28/yr… but go ahead, pay more) and not even very good.