Interesting...
IMHO when you can do routing within an app you are using you are better off. Saves time from exporting and importing. You can also route via forest roads, not sure if you can do that in Google Earth. Gaia has many more map layers with more to come for planning purposes. I won't go into all the map layers offered but the USFS are top notch. Hema does. It have them. Plenty of topo map, road and satellites options as well. Pro Version you can get even more things like hunting boundaries, public lands, etc. Visit the Gaia GPS Web site for more details. An entirely new version written from scratch is currently under development. No release date yet.
True true... I literally just watched that episode. At least you get to see some of the gear in action though... For someone whos very new to overland or offroad in general i think its a good learning tool. It contributed to my interest in offroading, and i saw alot of things for the first time. Plus its entertaining haha
Enthusiast III
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Member III
This is true, their mapping is really great. On a software level, Gaia and Hema pretty much look the same, and honestly, they're GPS apps.. they literally function the same. Call a spade a spade, you know. I think it all comes down to your preference, you can't go wrong with either, they'll both allow you to have GPS while on your trips. So, if you're in the market go with what you think is best, they will do the same thing with some minor variations on features.
Gaia has the same cloud service. They don't have specific people promoting specific overlanding routes like those associated with Hema but the cloud app can do the same thing.
We can all go round and round on this but Gaia offers a lot more map options than Hema. If you don't need/want them. Thats fine but the apps offer different capabilities. Gaia charges for some of the map layers in its pro subscription but they are available. Not sure how else I can convey this. I am very well versed on both apps and a number of others. I have personally found the USFS raster maps to be the best for overlanding. Hema to date does not offer that map type. Gaia also has a dedicated team, a good sized one at that, constantly enhancing the app. Hema does not. I know they are working on things at Hema. I have no clue what the development timeframe is because I am not involved with that group. I am on the alpha testing team with Gaia. Competition is always good but you have to make fair comparisons between all of the apps.
Member III
Both apps use satellites to position you on the globe, which is a fair comparison, unless Gaia has some alien technology we're not aware of. Like I mentioned, call a spade a spade. Both apps will serve an Overlander just fine. Its personal preference on which to use, what makes one better than the other for one person may be the opposite for another, which you demonstrated in your post.
A flip phone and an iPhone are both phones. Now back to you...
Member III
Don't get me wrong, I'm not here to disagree with you. After all, this is a community that fosters learning and knowledge. What I am saying, is that both applications are offer a GPS service. Your comparison of phones isn't really relevant given that these two apps are direct competitors. But when it come down to it, each individual will have a personal preference, and each application will serve its purpose, so you can't really go wrong.
Member III
You are not alone in your feelings and that has been expressed on other message forums. I am sure they will have some sort of a new release right around Expo West time again and folks will lap it up.
Pathfinder I
Advocate I
