Who has left GAIA and what did you switch to?

Joined
Apr 18, 2019
Messages
1,721
***Please, only looking for answers from former GAIA users***

I have loved using GAIA for 6+ years. The immense layer library, the customization of layers and shading and all that has been great. It lacks some features of hunting specific apps but made up for that with the others. BUT, it has been buggy as hell the last month with several different issues, and the whole public data by default thing isn’t right either. But the main thing is I can’t trust it anymore for backcountry navigation so it is time to switch.

I’ve used OnX for Missouri deer hunting for a couple years but have just never really liked the interface and the satellite imagery is poor. My elk hunting friends use it, and every time they try to show me something on their phone I am reminded how I don’t like it. BaseMap is the only other app that I know of using Google Earth imagery (GAIA doesn’t by default but can be added as a custom layer). I’ve played with it some, and it seems to check most of my boxes…only thing it doesn’t have is crop layers but I can get those elsewhere the limited times it’s needed.

The one thing GAIA has that I can’t find anywhere else is cell phone service maps, which have come in handy multiple times, and could be important in case of an emergency.

So what have you former GAIA users switched to?
 

wapitibob

WKR
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Messages
5,783
Location
Bend Oregon
Partner switched to basemap then gaia, then back to onX once he upgraded his samsung and onX fixed (seemingly) their too many waypoints issue. He was shed hunting and had hundreds of waypoints and tracks, which would lock up the phone. That was a non issue on an iphone.
 

Marbles

WK Donkey
Classified Approved
Joined
May 16, 2020
Messages
4,261
Location
AK
I moved from Gaia to OnX and have been happy. Sounds like you already know OnX is not for you though. I find the OnX interface to be more usable personally. I don't use satellite image layers often though.
 

cnelk

WKR
Joined
Mar 1, 2012
Messages
7,336
Location
Colorado
Ive had both Gaia and Onx for several years.
My subscription for Gaia will expire in a month and wont be renewed.

Onx it is
 
Joined
Jan 26, 2017
Messages
3,057
Location
PA
I have left gaia a couple of times. Tried onx a couple of times, and go hunt a couple of times. Keep going back to gaia, it's my favorite
 

Jethro

WKR
Joined
Mar 2, 2014
Messages
1,312
Location
Pennsylvania
I had Gaia for 5 years. Let the subscription expire this year. I was never in love with it, thought it was ok. Did not care for the way the layers are worked/shuffled on/off. It became a back up to OnX and then became a backup I never used. Price increased, so I dropped it. I did like having USGS quads as a layer. But my backup now is Garmin Inreach w/Earthmate, so I still can have USGS maps.

Have OnX 4 years and am happy. Topo isn't great and there are a few things that could be improved on, but I don't have any problems with it functioning as it should. OnX imagery has always been better than Gaia on my iphone.
 
Joined
Oct 5, 2015
Messages
387
Location
Alaska
Gaia: better for navigating, editing coordinates, and significantly better layers library.

BaseMap: used for the remote marker feature.

OnX: good for people who need a very basic app (without features that they’d find confusing or unnecessary)
 
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