An onX Backcountry alternative for Europe and the Balkans.

onX Backcountry is a strong map app for the American backcountry. Traverse is a free 3D terrain map for Kosovo, Albania and the Sharr range, with a free slope-angle layer and trip plans. Here is how they compare, and when onX is the better choice.

Get Traverse free

/ The short answer

Pick by where you go.

If you hike or ski in the United States, onX Backcountry has far more for you: US topo and 3D maps, guidebook routes, US avalanche forecasts and, on Elite, land ownership. Its slope angle and aspect layers come with a paid plan. If you go out in Kosovo, Albania or the Sharr range, Traverse gives you 3D terrain, a slope-angle layer, mapped local routes, trip plans and SOS for free. We found no onX trail, land, avalanche or snow data for the Balkans when we checked.

Feature	Traverse	onX Backcountry
Built for	Mountain days in Kosovo, Albania and the Sharr range: terrain, local trails and trip plans	Hiking, skiing and climbing in the US backcountry, with US land, trail, avalanche and snow data
Free plan	Yes, no ads: the 3D map, the slope-angle layer, every route, unlimited recording, trip plans and SOS	Basic: topo, satellite and hybrid maps and point weather; no trail info, slope angle or aspect
Paid plans	Pro €44.99 a year or €6.99 a month, with a 7-day free trial on the yearly plan (€19.99 a year in Kosovo, Albania and the region)	Premium $29.99 and Elite $99.99 a year (US list prices, no monthly plan, 7-day Elite trial; introductory offers vary)
3D terrain	Free in the app and on the website’s 3D map (free account)	On phone and web; offline 3D with Premium or Elite
Slope angle	Free, from 27°, for Kosovo, Albania and the Sharr range	With Premium or Elite
Slope aspect	Free for the same area: on the website’s 3D map today, and in the app in the next app update	With Premium or Elite
Offline maps	3 routes free; whole regions with 3D terrain with Pro; our terrain layers go offline with them in the next app update	Full offline access with Premium or Elite; we could not confirm whether Basic keeps an offline map
Routes and trails	18 routes on the OpenStreetMap trail network, labelled unverified until a club walks them, plus trails, peaks and huts from OpenStreetMap	Featured trails and guidebook routes (Hiking Project, Outdoor Project, MTB Project, Mountain Project) with Premium or Elite, built around the US
Route planning	Plan a line over mapped trails on the website’s 3D map with a free account: distance, climb, time and how much of it is steep	Route Builder with Premium or Elite
Avalanche information	No forecast: Kosovo and Albania have no public avalanche bulletin. The slope layer describes terrain, not today’s danger	Forecasts from US avalanche centres on the map, and ATES terrain zones in parts of ten US states
If you are overdue	Free trip plans: if you do not check in, your emergency contact gets an SMS 30 minutes after your check-in time	Not listed when we checked
SOS	Free. Hold for 3 seconds; the status says only what is true: prepared, sent or acknowledged	onX SOS add-on, $49.99 a year: 24/7 emergency coordination by Overwatch x Rescue; onX says eligible US rescue costs are covered
Land ownership	None	US public land with Premium; private land and owner names with Elite
Recent satellite imagery	None	With Elite
Platforms	iPhone and Android; the 3D map and GPX viewer also in your browser	iPhone, Android and web

Checked 16 October 2026. onX facts come from its pricing, feature and help pages and its App Store listing (sources below), read through search results because onxmaps.com did not load from our build machine. Prices are US dollars and change often. “Not listed when we checked” means we did not find the feature, not that it cannot exist. Slope angle describes the terrain, not today’s avalanche danger. See more apps side by side on the comparison page, and Traverse’s plans on the pricing page.

/ Where each is strongest

Two map apps, built on different ground.

Traverse

Free terrain, trip plans and SOS where it has data: 3D terrain, a slope-angle layer for Kosovo, Albania and the Sharr range, mapped local routes with elevation profiles, and trip plans that text your contact if you are late.

onX Backcountry

The American backcountry: land ownership, guidebook routes, avalanche forecasts and ATES zones, recent imagery and offline 3D maps, all built around US data.

/ When onX is the better choice

Stay with onX if this sounds like you.

We would rather you pick the right app than pick us.

You go out in the US

onX’s routes, land boundaries, avalanche forecasts and snow data are built around the US. Traverse has none of that there.

You need to know who owns the land

onX shows US public land, and on Elite private land with owner names. Traverse has no land-ownership layer.

You want avalanche forecasts on the map

onX shows the daily forecast from US avalanche centres. Traverse shows terrain only, and points you to official bulletins where they exist.

You want guidebook routes

onX includes routes from guidebooks and from Hiking Project, Outdoor Project, MTB Project and Mountain Project. Traverse has 18 mapped routes in the Balkans, not yet walked by our team.

You want fresh satellite imagery

onX Elite has recent satellite imagery. Traverse has no recent-imagery layer.

You share markups with others

onX lets you share your waypoints, routes, tracks and areas with friends in collaborative folders (sharing needs Premium or Elite). Measuring on the map and your own waypoints, lines and areas (50 free, unlimited with Pro) come to the Traverse app in the next app update, and they stay private: there is no sharing.

/ Using both

Bring a route over, or use each where it is strongest.

There is nothing to cancel. Keep onX at home, and use Traverse in the Balkans.

Export the routeIf you can export a route from onX as a GPX or KML file, save it to your phone or computer.
Import it into TraverseIn the app: You → Import a route, or Open in… / Share → Traverse. It becomes a private route only you see: 5 free, unlimited with Pro.
Read the terrain and leave a planSee the line on 3D terrain with the slope layer where we have data, then leave a trip plan before you go.

Imported routes stay private. Traverse never copies routes from other apps.

Look at any GPX track in 3D, without an account, in the free GPX viewer. Browse the hiking routes with their elevation profiles.

Not affiliated. onX and onX Backcountry are trademarks of onXmaps, Inc. Traverse is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to onX; we use the names only to compare. Checked 16 October 2026.

/ Questions

Is there a free alternative to onX Backcountry?

For Kosovo, Albania and the Sharr range, Traverse is free with no ads: 3D terrain, the slope-angle layer, mapped routes, unlimited recording, trip plans and SOS. It does not replace onX in the US, where onX has land, trail, avalanche and snow data that Traverse does not.

Does onX Backcountry work in Europe?

The app runs anywhere, but its land, trail, avalanche and snow data are built around the US, and we found no onX coverage information for the Balkans when we checked on 15 October 2026. Check onX’s own pages for current coverage.

How much is onX Backcountry?

Basic is free. Premium is $29.99 a year and Elite $99.99 a year at US list prices, with a 7-day Elite trial, and onX often shows introductory offers. The onX SOS add-on is $49.99 a year. Traverse Pro is €44.99 a year or €6.99 a month, and €19.99 a year in Kosovo, Albania and the region; the map, the slope layer, trip plans and SOS are free.

Is the slope-angle layer free?

In onX it comes with Premium or Elite. In Traverse it is free, for Kosovo, Albania and the Sharr range. It describes terrain, not today’s avalanche danger.

Does Traverse have avalanche forecasts?

No. Kosovo and Albania have no public avalanche bulletin, and we will not make up a danger level from weather or slope. Traverse shows the terrain, and its slope guide links official bulletins where they exist.

Can I use my onX routes in Traverse?

If you can export a route from onX as a GPX or KML file, you can import it into the Traverse app as a private route, or look at it in 3D in the free GPX viewer on our website.

Is Traverse affiliated with onX?

No. onX and onX Backcountry are trademarks of onXmaps, Inc., named here only to compare. Traverse is an independent app.

/ Sources

onX and onX Backcountry are trademarks of onXmaps, Inc. Traverse is not affiliated with onX. Coming from FATMAP? See the FATMAP alternative.