The military's DAGR costs $2,500 and weighs a pound. Red Grid MGRS puts the same core land navigation capabilities in your pocket for free. Offline maps, Meshtastic mesh networking, 10 tactical tools. Zero tracking.
4/6/8/10-digit precision. 1-meter resolution. Tap to copy any grid to clipboard.
WMM 2025 model (same as DoD). Auto-calculate or manual offset.
Save positions. Get bearing, distance, and a compass-relative arrow to any waypoint.
Back azimuth, dead reckoning, magnetic declination, resection, pace count, TDS, sun/moon, precision selector, elevation/slope, photo geostamp.
SALUTE, 9-Line MEDEVAC, SPOT, CASEVAC, ICS 201, CFF. Fill and copy, radio-ready.
Download tiles for your AO. Three styles: standard, dark tactical, and topographic with contour lines. Zero-network map use. Pro feature.
Share your grid position over LoRa mesh via BLE. See other mesh users' coordinates, bearing, and distance. No cell service needed. Pro feature.
No analytics. No tracking. No accounts. GPS coordinates never leave your device.
Burn MGRS grid + DTG onto any photo. Evidence-grade location proof, no metadata stripping. Pro feature.
Hear your grid in NATO phonetics. Shake to speak for hands-free position readout. Pro feature.
Garmin GLO, Bad Elf, and other BLE GPS receivers for enhanced accuracy. Pro feature.
Route overlay on map, leg distances, nearest-neighbor optimization. GPX/KML import and export. Pro feature.
Haptic feedback when crossing MGRS grid boundaries. 100m and 1km alerts. Pro feature.
Open-source What3Words alternative. Share locations as memorable phrases. Patent-free. Pro feature.
Full in-app localization: 16 languages (English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Italian, Dutch, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Turkish, Polish, Arabic, Hindi).
| Feature | Red Grid MGRS | DAGR (AN/PSN-13) | Tactical NAV | MilGPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | $2,500 | $4.99+ | $4.99 |
| Live MGRS | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Magnetic Declination | ✓ WMM 2025 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Report Templates | ✓ 6 types | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Open Source | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Zero Network / Tracking | ✓ Verified | ✓ | Unknown | Unknown |
| Tactical Tools | ✓ 10 tools | Limited | Some | Basic |
| Offline Maps | ✓ Tile download | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Mesh Networking | ✓ Meshtastic | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| External GPS | ✓ BLE | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| GPX/KML Import/Export | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mission Planning | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Weighs | 0 lbs (your phone) | 1.0 lb | 0 lbs | 0 lbs |
Red Grid MGRS makes zero HTTP requests during normal operation. Your position data exists in memory only.
Read: How the zero-network architecture works →Each release maps a single field workflow rather than a feature grab-bag. Strategy: the private, offline-first solo navigator for operators who need MGRS, mission packaging, mesh awareness, and interoperability — without accounts or tracking.
Live. External GPS app-wide. Mesh auto-share now broadcasts your active position over LoRa. New Pro route-planning workflow on the map. Removed first-launch attribution call to match the no-tracking policy.
Live. Fixes the startup black screen that could affect some v3.3.5 installs after the SDK upgrade. Restores the native iOS launch path. No privacy, network, or data changes — same zero-tracking architecture.
Live. PFL button on the Map tab opens a READY / CAUTION / NOT READY summary covering GPS source, Meshtastic radio, offline tile coverage + missing zooms, permissions, and battery/network hints. Saved AO Packages: name the current viewport, free tier 1 AO, Pro unlimited with one-tap refresh.
Planned. Turn route mode into a paid mission artifact. Route card with leg distance, bearing, est. time, start DTG, notes. Export as GPX route/track, KML, KMZ, or radio-friendly text. Elevation profile and route templates (patrol, SAR sweep, rally, land-nav).
Planned. Be the best solo tactical UI for Meshtastic position awareness. Node roster with bearing, distance, last-seen. Send-grid for current position, waypoint, or route summary. Mesh setup checklist. Position broadcast stays explicit and battery-aware.
Planned. Useful next to TAK/iTAK, CalTopo, Avenza without becoming a cloud platform. Cursor-on-Target (CoT) export. KML/KMZ mission packages. Better KML import (folders → lists, route LineStrings). “Copy as”: MGRS, lat/lon, CoT XML, radio report.
Planned. Operational reporting for the individual field user. FEMA/NIMS forms (ICS 201, 202, 204, 205, 206, 213, 214). Incident folder with operational period, waypoints, reports, photos. PDF + radio-friendly text export. SAR segment helper.
Planned. Course mode with imported checkpoint lists, hidden grids until the clue unlocks, scoring on time/distance/error. Pace and azimuth drills. Instructor export with printable course card and student summary.
Planned. Faster core field use. Apple Watch first slice: current MGRS, bearing/distance to active waypoint, mark position, mesh broadcast indicator. Widgets and Live Activity. Siri/App Shortcuts (“Mark position”, “Copy grid”, “Start preflight”).
Exploratory research that runs alongside — and never blocks — the paid-workflow roadmap above: camera target acquisition (start as bearing capture), inertial / GPS-denied fallback (start with dead-reckoning + confidence decay), satellite position reporting, full TAK server integration.
Team features (roles, messaging, geofencing, shared waypoints, AAR, live shared sessions) live in Red Grid Link. MGRS is the solo navigator; Link is the team coordinator.
For training, STXs, ruck marches, and permissive GPS environments: yes. The DAGR's SAASM module matters in contested environments, but for the other 90% of use, Red Grid MGRS delivers the same core land nav capabilities.
Yes. The app uses your phone's GPS receiver, which communicates directly with satellites. No cell tower, no Wi-Fi, no internet required. Works in airplane mode.
None. Red Grid MGRS embeds zero analytics, zero tracking, and zero crash-reporting SDKs. GPS coordinates exist in device memory only. Read the source code to verify.
MGRS is built on UTM but adds a grid zone designator and 100km square identification. Red Grid MGRS shows both formats (Pro feature), plus decimal degrees and DMS. Try the free online MGRS/UTM converter in your browser.
Red Grid MGRS uses the DMA (Defense Mapping Agency) MGRS algorithm with the Vincenty formula for bearing/distance calculations (sub-millimeter accuracy on the WGS84 ellipsoid). The same math the DAGR uses. GPS accuracy depends on your phone's receiver chip and satellite geometry.
The app is free to download. Pro unlock is available as $3.99/month, $29.99/year (best value), or $149.99 lifetime (one-time, own forever).
Meshtastic is open-source firmware for LoRa radios that creates off-grid mesh networks. Red Grid MGRS connects to a Meshtastic radio via Bluetooth LE to share your grid position with other mesh users. You need a Meshtastic-compatible radio (~$20-40) to use mesh features. Without one, all other features work normally.
Yes. Red Grid MGRS is live on Google Play as of April 2026. Same features, same zero-network architecture, same pricing. Android 7+ (API 24+) — phones and tablets.