What each app gives free
RackIQ is listed first because we publish this page, and it is marked as ours. The rest are in alphabetical order. The order is not a ranking.
| App | What its own page says is free | Cheapest paid plan its page names | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| RackIQ (ours) | The whole app through the 2026 season, public or private ground, cameras optional. No credit card and no trial clock. | Next season starts at $49 for the season, and normal logged use brings that down, as low as $0. | RackIQ pricing RackIQ on the App Store |
| BaseMap | Free to download, with a free Basic tier in its App Store listing. | Pro at $39.99 a year, which the listing says adds "Access to over 800 Layers" and "Unlimited Data & Offline Use". | BaseMap on the App Store |
| DeerCast | Free to download. Its listing: "Install now to see today's whitetail forecast for free!" | Elite at $29.99 a year. Its FAQ says Track and Custom are Elite features. | DeerCast on the App Store DeerCast FAQ |
| HuntStand | Its site: "Download and use HuntStand for free." and "No credit card required." The page does not list which features stay free. | HuntStand Pro at $34.99 per year on its Pro page. | HuntStand whitetail app HuntStand Pro |
| HuntWise | Free to download, with "Get a Week Free" on its HuntCast page. Neither the listing nor that page says which features stay free. | Pro at $59.99 a year in its App Store listing. | HuntWise on the App Store HuntWise HuntCast |
| onX Hunt | Free to download. Its pricing page offers a free trial "for seven days" and describes no ongoing free tier. | Premium, one state, at $34.99 a year on its pricing page. | onX Hunt pricing |
| TrophyTracks | Free to download. Its listing describes hunt, scouting and trail camera logging, and says "TrophyTracks PRO unlocks advanced tools". | Seasonal Pro at $39.99 per season on its Pro page. | TrophyTracks on the App Store TrophyTracks Pro |
How to read this table
Free to download and free to use are different things. Almost every hunting app is free to download, and most of them sell the features hunters download them for. Before you count an app as free, check three things on its own page.
- A trial or a tier. A free week ends. A free tier does not. Several of these apps offer the first and not the second.
- Which job the free part covers. A free map, a free forecast and a free hunt log are three different apps. Match the free part to the job you need done this season.
- What the page leaves out. Where a vendor's page does not say which features stay free, this table says so instead of guessing.
What RackIQ gives free, and why
We make RackIQ, so read this part as ours. RackIQ is a whitetail hunting app for iPhone, Android and the web. Drop one pin on public or private ground and it makes the call before you hunt: whether to go, which stand, which wind and which window, with the reason attached. No cameras and no history are needed to start, and it learns that ground from every sit and camera you add.
The whole app is free through the 2026 season because this is its first scored season. Every call is graded under rules frozen before opening day, and the record publishes April 1, 2027, pass or fail. The full pricing, including next season's rate, is on the pricing page.
What this page will and will not claim
This page lists what each app's own page says, and nothing about which one finds more deer. RackIQ publishes no accuracy number it has not earned. The head-to-head comparisons cover what each app is built to do.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free whitetail hunting app?
There is no single best one, because each free tier covers a different job: a map, a forecast, a wind check or a hunt log. This page does not rank them. It lists what each app gives free, quoted from its own page, so you can match the free part to the job you need done. RackIQ, which we make, is the whole app free through the 2026 season.
Is RackIQ really free?
Yes. RackIQ is free through the 2026 season for every hunter, with the full app rather than a trimmed trial, and no credit card is needed to start. Next season starts at $49 for the season, and normal verified use (cameras running, sits logged, calls closed) brings that rate down, as low as $0.
Is there a free deer hunting app for public land?
Yes. RackIQ starts from one pin on public or private ground with no cameras and no history needed. A public pin is checked against PAD-US, the national protected-areas database, and the unit is named. It is free through the 2026 season.
Is there a free deer hunting log app?
RackIQ logs every sit free this season. Tap Start at the truck and close the hunt at the truck, and the sit, what you saw and how it ended stay on your own record. Nobody sees your stands, cameras or walks unless you invite them to your crew.
Does RackIQ publish a prediction accuracy number?
No. RackIQ is in its first scored season and publishes no accuracy number it has not earned. Every call is graded under rules frozen before opening day, and the record publishes April 1, 2027, pass or fail.
Sources and corrections
Each vendor row links the page it came from, read on October 25, 2026. Prices and plans change, so check with the vendor before you buy. RackIQ is not affiliated with any app named here; the names are used only to identify the products listed. A vendor who finds a cell out of date can write to RackIQ and it will be corrected.