The Quick Answer
Onx Offroad is the better trail navigation and land boundary tool. Dispersed is the better campsite finder. They serve different purposes and actually pair well together.
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Feature | Dispersed | Onx Offroad |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $29.99/year | $34.99-99.99/year |
| Primary Purpose | Finding campsites | Trail navigation |
| Campsites | 25,000+ | Limited |
| Trail Database | No | Extensive |
| Land Boundaries | No | Yes (Elite) |
| Best For | Where to camp | How to get there |
Different Tools for Different Jobs
Onx Offroad excels at: - Finding and navigating offroad trails - Trail difficulty ratings - Property boundaries (private vs public) - Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUM) - Topo and satellite mapping
Dispersed excels at: - Finding specific campsites - Free/low-cost camping on federal land - Comprehensive USFS, BLM, NPS data - Purpose-built camping search
Onx tells you where you CAN go. Dispersed tells you where you can STAY.
The Camping Gap in Onx
Onx Offroad is phenomenal for trails. But for camping specifically:
- Limited campsite data: Not comprehensive
- Manual collection: Data seems user-submitted or manually curated
- Trail-first design: Camping is a secondary feature
- Price for full features: Elite ($99.99/year) needed for property boundaries
If your main goal is finding a dispersed campsite, you’re paying premium prices for trail features you might not need.
Where Onx Offroad Wins
- Trail navigation: Unmatched for offroad routes
- Property boundaries: Know exactly where public land starts
- Trail ratings: Difficulty and conditions
- Offroad community: Active trail reports
Where Dispersed Wins
- Campsite database: 25,000+ verified sites vs limited coverage
- Price: $29.99 vs $34.99+ (and $99.99 for full features)
- Purpose: Built specifically for finding campsites
- Official data: USFS, BLM, NPS sources
The Verdict: Why Not Both?
Here’s the honest take: these apps complement each other.
- Use Onx Offroad to find and navigate trails, verify you’re on public land
- Use Dispersed to find actual campsites along your route
If you have to pick one and your primary goal is finding dispersed campsites, Dispersed is the better value. But serious offroaders might benefit from having both.