Which geocaching app should you use on iPhone?
If you’re brand new to geocaching, start with the official Geocaching® app — it’s free, simple, and made by Geocaching HQ. If you cache regularly — you work offline, drive to caches, wear an Apple Watch, run Pocket Queries, or filter seriously — Cachly is built for you. Many geocachers use both: Cachly for finding and logging, the official app for its Message Center.
Feature comparison (verified July 2026)
| Cachly | Official Geocaching® app | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 one-time; optional Pro subscription ($1.99/mo or $14.99/yr) | Free download; most advanced features require Geocaching Premium ($6.99/mo or $39.99/yr) |
| CarPlay | ✓ Full support with offline maps and voice logging (Pro) | ✗ Not supported |
| Apple Watch | ✓ Full Watch app included — search, navigate, log | ✗ No Watch app |
| Offline caches | ✓ Unlimited offline lists with full details, images & logs — included in the $4.99 app | Offline lists & maps are Premium-only |
| Offline maps | Worldwide offline vector maps with contours, hillshade & trails (Pro) | Offline maps for saved areas, Premium-only |
| Search filters | ✓ 63 filter types, saved filter templates — included | Filters (size, type, D/T, found/owned) are Premium-only |
| GPX import / export | ✓ Full GPX import & export, including GSAK extensions | ✗ Not supported |
| Pocket Queries | ✓ Direct import | ✗ No direct import (save Lists offline instead) |
| Map sources | Apple Maps, Google Maps, OpenStreetMap, OpenCycleMap, custom tile URLs, Pro offline vector maps | Street, Satellite & Hybrid, plus the Premium-only Trails map |
| Trackables | ✓ Full support, plus a camera TB scanner and auto-visit with logs | ✓ Full logging support |
| Message Center | ✗ Not available to any third-party app (not in the API) | ✓ Built-in Messages |
| Log templates & drafts | ✓ Drafts, custom text templates, keywords, multi-photo logs | Drafts supported |
| With a free Basic account | Full details for 3 caches/day, unlimited lite data (geocaching.com API limit) | Traditional caches & events with difficulty and terrain 2.0 or lower |
Verified July 2026 against the official app’s App Store listing (v10.13.0), the Geocaching HQ help center, and Geocaching Forums. The official app evolves — if something here is out of date, tell us and we’ll fix it.
What the official app does that Cachly can’t
Fair is fair. The Message Center is not exposed through the Geocaching API, so no third-party app — Cachly included — can send or receive geocaching.com messages. The Trails map is a proprietary Premium layer available only on geocaching.com and in the official app (Cachly’s Pro offline maps include OpenStreetMap trails as an alternative). And because it’s made by Geocaching HQ, the official app is always first in line for new geocaching.com features.
What Cachly adds for serious geocachers
Cachly’s $4.99 purchase includes things the official app either gates behind Premium or doesn’t offer at all: unlimited offline lists, 63 filter types, GPX import/export with GSAK extensions, Pocket Query import, a full Apple Watch app, custom map sources, log templates, and a trackable scanner. The optional Cachly Pro subscription adds worldwide offline vector maps, full CarPlay support — which the official app doesn’t offer at all — live cache loading, and county/DeLorme challenge tracking. One App Store reviewer puts it bluntly:
“At this point the only reason to have the official geocaching app is for the message center.” — VW_W, App Store review
Do you need Geocaching Premium with either app?
A geocaching.com Basic (free) account is limited by Geocaching HQ in every app: in the official app you see traditionals and events rated D/T 2.0 or lower, and in API apps like Cachly you get full details for 3 caches per day. Those limits are removed by Geocaching Premium ($6.99/month or $39.99/year), which unlocks all cache types in every app — including Cachly. Cachly’s own Pro subscription is separate and adds app features, not account access; see Cachly Pro vs. Geocaching Premium.
Can you use Cachly and the official app together?
Yes. Both sign in to the same geocaching.com account, and finds logged in one appear in the other — your find count, souvenirs, and statistics live on geocaching.com, not in the app. Plenty of geocachers keep both installed: Cachly as the daily driver, the official app for Messages.
Try the power-user option
Cachly is $4.99 on the App Store — offline lists, 63 filters, GPX, and the Apple Watch app included.
Download on the App Store Optional Cachly Pro adds offline maps & CarPlay — 7-day free trial