ExplorOz Traveller is the app many outback travellers start with: an offline topographic map, 4WD tracks and a large library of places and routes. People look for an alternative when the price adds up, when they want a camp directory or when they only need part of what it does. AussieCamps is ours, and it is not an offline map, so we say where it fits and where the other apps are the better answer. Each price, rating and feature here was checked on 21 October 2026.
What ExplorOz offers, and why people look elsewhere
ExplorOz Traveller costs A$59.99, is rated 4.3 from 1,353 Australian ratings and downloads more than 100,000 places and 190 routes to the phone, such as the Canning Stock Route, the Simpson Desert French Line and the Great Central Road. The developer says the base app includes Australia-wide overview maps offline, while its App Store listing says EOTopo maps are required for offline use; the full high-detail EOTopo maps are in-app purchases: Pro Access at A$99.99 a year, EOTopo Annual Access at A$59.99 a year, or a 4-year edition at A$79.99 once with no updates.
The app plus a year of EOTopo Annual Access comes to A$119.98, and it is built around maps and tracks more than camp listings. The separate ExplorOz Membership at A$49.95 a year adds the web planner, tracker sync and GPX export, and does not include offline maps.
- A$59.99 plus map purchases
- Offline maps, tracks and routes
- Not a camp-first directory
The alternatives at a glance
The closest swaps for ExplorOz's maps are Hema and Newtracs; the others cover the stops and the free baseline.
| App | Price (AUD) | What it is for | Offline | Rating (AU) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AussieCamps | Free to download, with in-app purchases | Rest areas, camps, dump points and water, with details on the phone | Place details only; no offline map | Not enough ratings yet |
| Hema 4WD Maps | A$99.99; state topo maps sold separately | Topographic and 4WD maps | Offline navigation | 3.9 from 1,787 |
| Newtracs | Free; Premium A$19.99 a month or A$129.99 a year | Assessed 4x4 tracks and places | Offline search and vector maps | 4.7 from 8,237 |
| CAMPS Australia Wide | Free to download; A$14.99 a year after a 7-day trial | Checked camps with 4WD and dry-weather notes | Offline maps per state | 4.4 from 3,478 |
| WikiCamps Australia | A$9.99 once per platform | Traveller-reviewed camps | Offline Mode for sites and trips | 4.5 from 16,662 |
| Google Maps, Apple Maps, Organic Maps | Free | General navigation | Downloadable offline areas | Google Maps 4.6 from 501,802 |
1. AussieCamps: the stop planner to pair with an offline map
AussieCamps is not a topographic map and does not replace ExplorOz's offline navigation. It has no offline map: place details and guides are stored on the phone, but live maps, directions, forecasts and photos need a connection. What it adds is the stops: 5,552 rest areas, 1,838 campgrounds, 1,393 dump points and 3,004 drinking water points from state park agencies, road authorities and public facility datasets, with facilities, fees and access notes you can still read with no signal.
Trips let you order stops with dates, see the driving distance and time for each leg when you build them with signal, and read arrival forecasts, and the guides include road trips such as the Gibb River Road, the Nullarbor, outback Queensland and the Red Centre Way.
It runs on iPhone only, has no traveller reviews and is new, so it has no Australian rating yet. For remote navigation, use it beside an offline map app from this list.
- Rest areas, camps, dump points and water
- Place details readable offline
- No offline map; iPhone only
2. Hema 4WD Maps: a one-off price for topographic maps
Hema 4WD Maps costs A$99.99, and its store listing says the one-time cost includes all Hema 4WD maps with no recurring subscription, with offline navigation, route planning, waypoints and track recording, and preloaded touring maps for the Simpson Desert, the Kimberley and Cape York. State topographic maps are separate in-app purchases at A$99.99 each. It is rated 3.9 from 1,787 Australian ratings.
Its App Store listing was last updated in September 2022, and Hema has retired its Explorer Cloud platform, so check which Hema app is current before you buy.
- One-off A$99.99
- Offline navigation
- Last updated September 2022
3. Newtracs: assessed 4x4 tracks, free to start
Newtracs is free to download, with Premium at A$19.99 a month or A$129.99 a year, and lists more than 13,000 assessed 4x4 trails and more than 8,000 campsites, parks, towns and places that you can search offline, with offline vector maps and crowd-sourced track ratings. It also shows a daily feed of Victorian track closures, and topographic detail is a Premium feature. It is rated 4.7 from 8,237 Australian ratings and also runs on Android.
It focuses on 4WD tracks, not on a general camp directory.
- Free to start
- Track ratings and closures
- 4WD tracks, not a camp directory
4. CAMPS Australia Wide: checked camps and state offline maps
CAMPS lists camps its team says it has checked in person, with notes such as 4WD-only access and dry-weather conditions, and mobile coverage detail on site pages. You download maps one state at a time over Wi-Fi, and if you have not downloaded a state, the app reverts to basic offline maps with limited zoom. The download is free and the first 7 days cost nothing, after which it is A$14.99 a year; the rating is 4.4 from 3,478 Australian ratings.
It is a camping app, not a track-navigation or topographic one.
- Checked camps
- Offline maps per state
- Not a topographic app
5. WikiCamps Australia: reviews of remote camps
WikiCamps costs A$9.99 once per platform and lists more than 65,000 sites by its own count, with reviews and photos from travellers. Its Offline Mode lets you explore sites and your trip plans without phone reception. It is rated 4.5 from 16,662 Australian ratings.
It shows ads and listings are written by travellers, and it is not a topographic map app.
- A$9.99 once per platform
- Offline Mode
- Not a topographic map
6. Google Maps, Apple Maps and Organic Maps: free offline baselines
Google Maps lets you download an area for offline driving, but offline maps expire, can auto-update and have no traffic offline. Apple Maps offers offline maps with turn-by-turn driving directions on iPhone. Organic Maps is a free, ad-free app built on OpenStreetMap that describes itself as fully offline, and is rated 4.7 from 568 Australian ratings.
ExplorOz, Hema and Newtracs are built around 4WD tracks, so on a desert track we would keep these free apps as a backup, not the main map.
- Free
- Offline areas
- A backup for remote tracks
When ExplorOz is still the better choice
If you need offline topographic maps with 4WD tracks, your own routing, and a library of places and routes written for remote travel, ExplorOz does that and the others here do parts of it. Its EOTopo map is built to show remote tracks that mainstream maps often miss, and its offline EOTopo maps are not metered.
The cost is higher, and its base app only carries the overview maps offline, so budget for the full offline maps before you leave signal.
- Offline topo and tracks
- Routes and places for remote travel
- Budget for the map purchase
How we compared them
We checked each app's price, in-app purchases, rating, version and features on the Australian App Store and the developers' own pages on 21 October 2026, judging them on what an ExplorOz user needs: offline maps, tracks and stops.
We make AussieCamps and list it first as the stop planner, not as a map; no other developer here paid to be included. If an app has changed its price or its maps, tell us on the support page and we will recheck.
- Checked on 21 October 2026
- Judged on offline needs
- No paid placements
Places along the way
Check before you go
Rules and conditions change. Recheck the official source and the page for your exact park or campground before departure.
Common questions
What is the best alternative to ExplorOz?+
For offline topographic maps, Hema 4WD Maps and Newtracs are the closest, and CAMPS and WikiCamps add offline camp data. AussieCamps is not an offline map, but it keeps rest area, dump point and water details readable on the phone.
How much does ExplorOz cost?+
ExplorOz Traveller costs A$59.99. Full offline EOTopo maps are in-app purchases: Pro Access at A$99.99 a year, EOTopo Annual Access at A$59.99 a year, or a 4-year edition at A$79.99 once.
Is there a free alternative to ExplorOz?+
Newtracs is free to download with a paid Premium tier and shows track difficulty ratings. Google Maps, Apple Maps and Organic Maps are free with offline areas, and are best kept as a backup in remote country.
Which apps work without phone signal in the outback?+
ExplorOz, Hema 4WD Maps, Newtracs, CAMPS and WikiCamps all have offline modes or downloadable maps. AussieCamps keeps place details on the phone, but its map, directions and weather need signal.
Take it on the road
Save the stops. Plan the whole trip.
Build an ordered route from saved places, calculate the distance and keep dates, notes and to-dos attached.
