Choosing the right hunting app can make or break your hunt. We've tested the top 5 hunting GPS apps in 2026 to give you an honest comparison. Here's our comprehensive analysis of CoHunt, onX Hunt, BaseMap, HuntStand, HuntWise, and WeHunt, including features, pricing, pros and cons, and our recommendations.
Quick Comparison Overview
| App | CoHunt $24.99/yr |
onX Hunt Elite $99.99/yr |
BaseMap Pro Ultimate $99.99/yr |
HuntStand $99.99/yr |
HuntWise Varies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Cost | $24.99 | $99.99 | $99.99 | $99.99 | Tier-based |
| Property Boundaries | ✓ US + Int'l | ✓ US only | ✓ US only | ✓ US only | ✓ US only |
| Group Tracking | ✓ Real-time | ✗ | ✓ | Basic | Basic |
| Encrypted Messaging | ✓ E2E | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Bluetooth Mesh | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Meshtastic LoRa Radio | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Trail Camera Integration | ✓ Spypoint | ✓ | Basic | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ballistics Calculator | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Dog Tracking | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Privacy (No Tracking) | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
Detailed App Reviews
1. CoHunt - Best Overall Value
Price: $24.99/year, all features included
CoHunt delivers the most comprehensive feature set at the lowest price. It's the only hunting app with Meshtastic LoRa radio integration, encrypted messaging, Bluetooth mesh networking, ballistics calculator, Spypoint trail camera management, and international boundary coverage.
Pros
- Lowest cost with most features ($24.99 vs $99.99)
- Only app with encrypted group messaging
- Bluetooth mesh works without cell service
- Meshtastic LoRa radio for long-range off-grid communication
- Integrated ballistics calculator
- Spypoint trail camera integration with AI species detection
- Dog tracking support
- International boundaries (5 countries)
- Zero data collection or tracking
- No account required
- Pricing hasn't moved since launch
Cons
- Newer app with smaller community
- No desktop web access
- Limited hunting content partnerships
- Trail camera support limited to Spypoint (more brands planned)
Best for: Hunters who want reliable core features, group coordination, and privacy protection without paying premium prices.
2. onX Hunt Elite - Twice-Institutionalized PE Rollup
Price: $99.99/year (Elite) · $34.99/year (Premium 1-state) · $49.99/year (Premium 2-state)
onX is now backed by TCV (the firm behind Netflix, Airbnb and Spotify pre-IPO) - strategic investment announced November 3, 2025 - layered on top of Summit Partners (since 2018, $26M + $87M follow-on), Madison Valley Partners and Cross Creek. onX's own announcement states the investment thesis explicitly: nearly tripling ARR over the next phase. Every Elite subscription feeds that target.
Pros
- Hunt.onX desktop browser app, CarPlay and Android Auto
- Lidar slope-angle layer (Elite tier) for steep Western terrain
- Deepest US property data - all 50 states + Canadian government layers
- MeatEater partnership content
- Moultrie, Bushnell, and Covert trail camera integration
Cons
- Backed by four institutional investors with a stated ARR-tripling thesis
- $99.99/year - 4x CoHunt's price
- No real-time party tracking or in-app messaging at any tier
- "Sharing" is still just sending waypoint links via text/email
- No native ballistics (third-party Horus integration only)
- No GPS dog collar integration
- No Bluetooth mesh or Meshtastic LoRa
- Suggests buying a Garmin inReach (~$179.88/yr) for off-grid messaging
- Privacy policy permits targeted advertising and ad-partner data sharing
- Account required
Best for: Hunters who depend on the desktop browser app, work steep Western terrain with the Lidar slope layer, or are deep in the MeatEater ecosystem. For the full ownership-and-features breakdown, see our dedicated CoHunt vs onX Hunt comparison.
3. BaseMap Pro Ultimate - The Android Tax
Price: $39.99/year (Pro) · $69.99/year (Pro Advantage) · $99.99/year (Pro Ultimate)
BaseMap is the only major hunting app that still tiers 3D maps as iOS-only - by their own App Store copy, which literally says "3D Earth view (iOS)". Their stated reason ("Google doesn't license 3D maps to mobile apps") expired on May 22, 2025 when Google launched the Maps 3D SDK for Android at Google I/O - free during the experimental phase. BaseMap has had eleven months to ship Android 3D parity. Their most recent shipped feature is a "GearDrop" mini-game with hint videos in version 6.3.0. Android users pay the same $39.99/$69.99/$99.99 as iOS users for less product.
Pros
- Bluetooth laser rangefinder (LRF) integration - genuine differentiator
- HuntPlanner draw odds and harvest analytics (Pro Ultimate)
- Global Rescue field-advisory bundle (Pro Advantage / Pro Ultimate)
- Web/desktop access
- Independent - no PE or conglomerate parent
Cons
- 3D Earth view is iOS-only - by BaseMap's own App Store copy
- Same price for Android users despite the degraded experience
- Hasn't shipped Android 3D in 11 months since the Google blocker expired
- No funding since September 2018, ~11–12 employees
- No in-app messaging, no off-grid mesh, no Meshtastic
- No ballistics calculator
- No GPS dog collar integration
- No international property data
- Privacy policy explicitly does not honor Do Not Track
- Privacy policy enables targeted advertising
Best for: iOS hunters who depend on Bluetooth laser rangefinder pairing, HuntPlanner draw odds, or the bundled Global Rescue subscription. Android users should look elsewhere. For the full breakdown, see our dedicated CoHunt vs BaseMap comparison.
4. HuntStand Ultimate - Owned by a Hardware Conglomerate
Price: $99.99/year (Ultimate tier) · $34.99/year (Pro tier)
HuntStand is owned by GSM Outdoors - the hardware conglomerate that also owns Stealth Cam, Muddy, Halo, Walker's and Western Rivers - after GSM acquired TerraStride Inc. in June 2022. HuntStand's trail-camera integration is limited to GSM-brand cellular cameras (Stealth Cam and Muddy via Command Pro), and Ultimate subscribers are funnelled into the HuntStand Gear Store selling GSM hardware at member discounts. HuntStand's own privacy policy permits targeted advertising and third-party marketing sharing of your hunting data.
Pros
- Deep Stealth Cam and Muddy cellular camera integration via Command Pro
- HuntZone scent-cone and LandZone waterfowl prediction tools
- 15-day county-level game activity forecasts (Ultimate tier)
- Stand reservation system for Group Hunt Areas
- Western GMU and exclusive rut maps
Cons
- Owned by GSM Outdoors hardware conglomerate (since June 2022)
- Trail cameras limited to Stealth Cam and Muddy (GSM brands only)
- Ultimate tier funnels subscribers into GSM hardware sales
- Privacy policy permits targeted advertising and third-party marketing sharing
- No encrypted messaging, Bluetooth mesh or Meshtastic LoRa
- No ballistics calculator, no dog tracking
- Account required - no anonymous use
- $99.99/year for subscription + advertising + hardware-sales business model
- No international property data
Best for: Hunters already running Stealth Cam or Muddy cellular cameras who don't mind their hunting data living on the same hardware conglomerate's servers. For a deeper look at the GSM ownership angle, see our dedicated CoHunt vs HuntStand comparison.
5. HuntWise Pro/Elite - Complex Pricing
Price: Tier-based (Pro / Elite)
HuntWise offers advanced analytics and forecasting but uses confusing tier-based pricing where essential features require higher-cost plans.
Pros
- Advanced game tracking analytics
- Detailed hunting forecasts
- Comprehensive hunt journal
- Public land information
- Species-specific features
Cons
- Confusing tier-based pricing
- Essential features in higher tiers only
- No encrypted communication
- No ballistics calculator
- Complex interface
- US boundaries only
- Requires account and collects data
Best for: Data-driven hunters who want extensive analytics and don't mind complex pricing. Most hunters will find it overly complicated.
6. WeHunt - Expensive Stacked Tiers
Price: Free / Standard 399 SEK / Premium 799 SEK / GPS Max 1,099–4,399 SEK per hunter
WeHunt is the incumbent hunting app in Scandinavia, but its pricing has gotten dramatically more expensive after Open Air Group consolidated WeHunt with Tracker, Ultracom and Burrel into Natlink in 2024 (and announced a sale to Verdane in July 2025). Critically, WeHunt is billed per individual hunter - there is no team plan. A typical 5-hunter Swedish jaktlag with 5 dogs pays roughly 5,994 SEK per year in WeHunt fees alone (5 × Premium + GPS Max 5), or about 7,744 SEK with Tracker SIM renewals - versus roughly 1,325 SEK on CoHunt for the same team.
Pros
- Native pass lottery (passlottning) and drevjakt workflow
- Nordic property maps including Denmark and France
- Garmin Connect IQ smartwatch app
- 24-hour day passes for occasional hunters
Cons
- Per-hunter billing - every team member needs their own subscription
- Four-tier ladder: Free / Standard / Premium / GPS Max 1–20
- Premium hiked from 599 → 799 SEK (grandfathered SKU still visible in App Store)
- NJFF (Norway) member discount discontinued June 30, 2022
- Live hunter tracking requires cellular coverage
- No encrypted messaging, no Bluetooth mesh, no Meshtastic LoRa
- No ballistics calculator at any tier
- Privacy policy permits product, sales and marketing use of location data
- 9 SEK/km² map IAPs and other hidden add-ons in the App Store
- No US, Canadian or New Zealand property data
Best for: Hunt leaders who depend on the native passlottning wizard and don't mind per-hunter stacked pricing. For a deep cost breakdown - including the full GPS Max ladder and what a 5-hunter jaktlag actually pays - see our dedicated CoHunt vs WeHunt comparison.
Key Decision Factors
Budget Considerations
CoHunt at $24.99/year costs 75% less than competitors while offering more features. Over five years, you save $375 compared to onX Hunt, BaseMap, or HuntStand while getting superior functionality.
Group Hunting
If you hunt with others, CoHunt is the only app with real-time encrypted communication, Bluetooth mesh networking, and Meshtastic LoRa radio integration. Other apps require separate messaging apps and risk exposing your location data.
Platform Compatibility
Android users should avoid BaseMap due to iOS-only 3D features. CoHunt provides identical functionality across all platforms.
Privacy Protection
Only CoHunt offers true privacy with no account required and zero data collection. All other apps track your hunting patterns and locations.
International Hunting
CoHunt is the only app with broad cross-Atlantic boundary coverage (US, Norway, Sweden, Finland, New Zealand). The four major US apps limit you to US hunting only. WeHunt covers the Nordic countries plus France, but no US data - so for hunters who travel between North America and Scandinavia, CoHunt is the only single-app option.
Scandinavian Hunters
WeHunt is the incumbent jaktapp in Scandinavia, but it is billed per individual hunter and stacks Standard, Premium and GPS Max tiers on top of each other. A typical 5-hunter Swedish jaktlag with 5 dogs pays roughly 5,994 SEK per year in WeHunt fees alone - about 7,744 SEK with Tracker SIM renewals. The same team on CoHunt pays approximately 1,325 SEK per year, total, for one flat plan that includes Nordic property data, encrypted off-grid messaging, Meshtastic LoRa, a built-in ballistics calculator and Spypoint trail cameras WeHunt doesn't offer at any tier. See our full CoHunt vs WeHunt comparison for the team-cost breakdown and the complete GPS Max ladder.
Our Recommendations
Best Overall: CoHunt
CoHunt offers the best value with essential features, Meshtastic radio, group communication, trail camera integration, privacy protection, and ballistics tools for 75% less than competitors. Perfect for most hunters.
Best for iOS Power Users: BaseMap
If you use iOS, want advanced 3D mapping, and don't need communication features, BaseMap offers sophisticated mapping tools despite the high cost.
Best Brand Recognition: onX Hunt
If brand recognition matters more than features or cost, onX Hunt is the most established name. However, you pay significantly more for less functionality.
HuntStand: Hardware Conglomerate Owned
HuntStand is owned by GSM Outdoors - the parent company of Stealth Cam, Muddy, Halo, Walker's and Western Rivers - and its business model funnels Ultimate subscribers into the HuntStand Gear Store selling GSM hardware. Its privacy policy permits targeted advertising and third-party marketing sharing. For hunters who don't want their hunting app owned by a trail-camera conglomerate, CoHunt is a cleaner fit.
Feature Importance Rankings
Based on hunter feedback and real-world usage:
- Reliability - App must work consistently in the field
- Offline Maps - Essential for areas without cell service
- Property Boundaries - Critical for legal and safe hunting
- Group Communication - Increasingly important for safety and coordination
- GPS Accuracy - Must provide precise location data
- Battery Efficiency - Can't drain your phone in remote areas
- Cost - Value for money matters for annual subscriptions
- Privacy - Protecting your hunting spots from data collection
Making Your Choice
Choose CoHunt if you want the best overall value with modern features like group communication, ballistics calculator, and privacy protection. It's perfect for budget-conscious hunters who don't want to sacrifice functionality.
Choose onX Hunt if brand recognition is important and you don't mind paying premium prices for basic mapping features without communication tools.
Choose BaseMap if you use iOS, want advanced 3D mapping, and don't need communication features or international coverage.
Only choose HuntStand if you are already invested in Stealth Cam or Muddy cellular cameras and are comfortable with your hunting data living on GSM Outdoors servers, alongside targeted advertising and third-party marketing sharing.
Consider HuntWise only if you want extensive analytics and can navigate complex pricing tiers.
Try the Best Value Hunting App
Start with CoHunt's 1-week trial for $1.99. Get property boundaries, Meshtastic radio, group communication, Spypoint trail cameras, ballistics calculator, and privacy protection for 75% less than competitors.
