Gaia vs Onx

WeLikeCamping

Explorer
I'm getting frustrated with GAIA's website. I really like the layered maps and the ability to share files between Android/Windows devices and I like to draw out road-trip routes that can include all types of roads. I use the website to draw these tracks, because it's easier to do on a 20 inch monitor, despite the bugs. Right now, I'm trying to draw a route from Phoenix to Devil's Tower. The "snap to track" route feature would be just awesome if it worked. As it is, every. time. I. map. through. an. interchange, the route wants to snap to the exit ramp, cross the road, then the on ramp. Sometimes, it will snap off my route to a parallel route, like when going through cities, adding much frustration. I have to go back over my route several times to correct the errors, zooming in to make sure pin placement is accurate, then out to scroll jerkily because the website does not work very well. Do you have any idea just how many interchanges are between PHX and DT? Too many. My tablet or my phone are just too small for this kind of route planning.

I've brought it up to support before, and I got the "Oh, that's interesting", but no solution. I brought it up again, recently, and I've got zero response from a human. My subscription expires next month and I'm thinking I'll just switch over to OnX and give that a try for a while. Can it be any worse? Suggestions are welcome.
 

SDDiver5

Expedition Leader
I'm getting frustrated with GAIA's website. I really like the layered maps and the ability to share files between Android/Windows devices and I like to draw out road-trip routes that can include all types of roads. I use the website to draw these tracks, because it's easier to do on a 20 inch monitor, despite the bugs. Right now, I'm trying to draw a route from Phoenix to Devil's Tower. The "snap to track" route feature would be just awesome if it worked. As it is, every. time. I. map. through. an. interchange, the route wants to snap to the exit ramp, cross the road, then the on ramp. Sometimes, it will snap off my route to a parallel route, like when going through cities, adding much frustration. I have to go back over my route several times to correct the errors, zooming in to make sure pin placement is accurate, then out to scroll jerkily because the website does not work very well. Do you have any idea just how many interchanges are between PHX and DT? Too many. My tablet or my phone are just too small for this kind of route planning.

I've brought it up to support before, and I got the "Oh, that's interesting", but no solution. I brought it up again, recently, and I've got zero response from a human. My subscription expires next month and I'm thinking I'll just switch over to OnX and give that a try for a while. Can it be any worse? Suggestions are welcome.


OnX is far superior to Gaia in my opinion. I have completely switched to Onx for Hunting and offroad and only use Gaia for one individual person I camp with who refuses to switch. There is a cost behind it but it makes navigation so much easier. Highly suggest it. I have converted most of my non cheap friends from Gaia to Onx. OnX allows you to hover your mouse over a route and slide it along the route and it tracks it for you. Not sure if Gaia does that now but when I was using it I had to click at each bend in the road or at each turn and it got annoying clicking so many dang times. The maps on Onyx are very detailed and far superior as well.

Give it a shot, you wont regret. They even offer a free trial so there's no reason not to try. Just set a date in a calendar to cancel if you dont like.
 

WeLikeCamping

Explorer
Thanks, SDDiver. Normally, the snap to route works just great, if there are no intersecting routes ;-). GAIA also has horrible memory/power usage on my tablet that I use in the truck. Over the course of say 4-5 hours driving, I can literally kill the tablet battery, despite being connected to a power source. Okay, to be fair, I often run Pandora and GAIA on the same device at the same time, but crikey, it's got 32mb of memory.
 
I have gaia but I think you can never have too much info. Can you tell how much space. Say. A whole state like ca takes on your iPad or phone? Are there varying base maps ? One think I like about gaia is the variety of maps from usgs to their own to all sorts of others .
 

DieselRanger

Well-known member
Gaia is nice in some ways because they offer Android Auto mirroring, which if you know how to use it well on your phone and have a newer vehicle with a decently sized display, then it will work pretty much the same on AA and you don't need to jerry-rig some tablet mount that will bounce all over and fall off your windshield when it gets hot and dusty.

However, for ease of use and pure features, I actually prefer Backcountry Navigator Pro.
 

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