NomadTracks vs. Avenza Maps
Avenza Maps made the GeoPDF famous on phones — and since its March 2026 pricing change, importing your own maps is no longer possible at all on the free tier, while the Plus subscription ($34.99/year, per device) caps you at 20 imported maps. If that change brought you here: NomadTracks does the same core trick — georeferenced PDF/TIFF maps with your live position — with unlimited imports, for free. Here's an honest look at where each app is stronger.
Side by side
| NomadTracks | Avenza Maps | |
|---|---|---|
| Import your own GeoPDF / GeoTIFF | Unlimited, free | Free: no imports (since March 2026); Plus $34.99/yr: 20 maps; unlimited needs Pro |
| Georeference a plain PDF, scan or photo | Yes — in-app control points with accuracy readout | No — maps must already be georeferenced |
| Built-in map store | No | Yes — large catalog of commercial and agency maps |
| GPS track recording | Full recorder: elevation, charts, photos, Live Activities | Basic recording |
| Apple Watch standalone recording | Yes — GPS + heart rate without the iPhone | No |
| Route planning on roads and trails | Yes (Pro) | No |
| Account required | No | Account for store/sync features |
| Where your data lives | Your device + your own iCloud/Dropbox/NAS | Device + vendor account services |
| Platforms | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — Android coming soon | iOS and Android |
| Price model | Free core; optional Pro subscription | Free with limits; Plus subscription |
Feature overview as of June 2026, written by the NomadTracks team in good faith — products evolve, so please verify current features and pricing with each vendor. All product names are trademarks of their respective owners.
Choose Avenza Maps if …
you want a curated store of commercial maps (nautical charts, county atlases, agency products) or you need Android today — a NomadTracks Android version is coming soon, but Avenza's catalog and cross-platform reach are available right now.
Choose NomadTracks if …
you bring your own maps. Unlimited GeoPDF/GeoTIFF imports for free, the ability to georeference ANY map — including a photo of a paper one — plus a real track recorder, Watch app and private sync around it.
FAQ
Is NomadTracks a free Avenza alternative?
For the core use case — opening georeferenced PDF/TIFF maps with your live GPS position — yes, and without any map-count limit. Since March 2026 Avenza's free tier allows no custom map imports at all and Plus ($34.99/year) allows 20; in NomadTracks unlimited custom maps are part of the free core, and the optional Pro subscription covers other features (route planning, extra basemaps, Dropbox) — never your maps.
Can NomadTracks open the same maps as Avenza?
Generally yes: GeoPDF and GeoTIFF files with embedded georeferencing import directly. Maps bought inside Avenza's store are licensed to that app, but the same titles are often available as plain GeoPDFs from the original publishers or agencies.
Is NomadTracks available on Android?
An Android version is coming soon — today NomadTracks runs on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch.
What does NomadTracks have that Avenza doesn't?
In-app georeferencing of non-georeferenced maps (scans, photos, plain PDFs), a full-featured GPS recorder with elevation/speed/pace charts, standalone Apple Watch recording, route planning, and accountless private sync via your own iCloud, Dropbox or Synology NAS.