Driving in a convoy: which app should you use?
To drive as a group, crews often juggle several apps: a GPS, a location-sharing app, a walkie-talkie on the phone. Here's what each type of app offers, compared with Koast.
Checked on September 26, 2026, against the official pages of the best-known apps in each category. Apps change fast: if something is no longer accurate, email us at contact@grouperzk.com and we'll fix it.
Driving as a group takes three things at once: seeing everyone on the same map, talking without texting, and following the route. Mainstream GPS apps are built to navigate and share your trip. Location-sharing apps are built for families day to day. Phone walkie-talkies are for talking. Koast puts all three together for a group of cars or motorcycles, in French or English.
Koast vs. other types of apps
Each of these apps is great at what it does. According to their official pages, most aren't built first and foremost for driving in a convoy, and that's where the difference is.
| Koast | Mainstream GPS | Family location sharing | Phone walkie-talkie | Other convoy apps | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Built for | Group drives, cars and motorcycles | Navigation, live traffic | Knowing where your loved ones are, day to day | Talking in channels | Group drives, often with a specific focus (events, stats, motorcycles) |
| Whole group on one live map | Yes, shared convoy map | Sharing your location or trip, one person at a time | Yes, within a circle of loved ones | Not in the consumer versions we checked | Yes |
| Talk to the group with one button | Yes, push-to-talk | Not listed | Not listed | Yes | Often (voice channel or push-to-talk) |
| Turn-by-turn navigation | Yes, voice guidance and multiple stops | Yes | Not listed | Not listed | Yes, for most |
| Arrival time | Shared for the whole convoy | Yours, when you share your trip | Not listed | Not listed | Varies by app |
| In French | Yes, designed in Québec | Yes | Yes | Yes | Often English only |
| Base price | Free, optional Koast+ | Free | Free, paid plans | Free, paid options | Free, paid options depending on the app |
Swipe the table left to see every column.
Each column sums up what we found on the official pages of the best-known apps in that category. A specific app may be an exception. "Not listed": not found on the official pages we checked.
What about motorcycle navigation apps?
Some well-known motorcycle navigation apps also have a group side that shows friends on the map. In the ones we checked, live tracking or turn-by-turn guidance is often part of the paid subscription, and no group voice is listed.
What sets Koast apart
Other convoy apps exist, and some also offer a group map and voice. What sets Koast apart:
- French and English, designed in Québec and used by crews in Canada and Europe.
- Database in Canada; some providers, mostly in the United States, also process information outside Quebec and Canada. No advertising data, nothing sold.
- Convoy and community in one app: crews with chat, photos and events, ride feed, garage.
- Radar mode: see at a glance whether the group is together or strung out.
- Koast, the voice copilot, and a ride planner: describe your outing and Koast suggests a route.
- On iPhone with CarPlay.
Good to know: on Android, Koast isn't on Google Play yet. The app is available in early access and installs from koast.grouperzk.com.
Which app for which need?
- You drive alone and want the best traffic data: a mainstream GPS app.
- You want to know where your family is, day to day: a family location-sharing app.
- You just want to talk, no map: a phone walkie-talkie.
- You ride a motorcycle and mostly plan scenic routes: a motorcycle navigation app.
- You organize group drives with your car or bike crew, in French or English: Koast.
Frequently asked questions
Can you drive in a convoy with a regular GPS app?
Not really. Mainstream GPS apps let you share your location or arrival time, usually one person at a time. Their help pages describe no convoy group and no voice to talk to each other. Koast is built for exactly that: the whole group on the same map, one button to talk, and turn-by-turn navigation.
How is Koast different from a family location-sharing app?
A family location-sharing app is for knowing where your loved ones are, day to day. Koast is for driving together: the convoy map during the ride, one-button voice, navigation and the group's arrival time. In the background, your location is only tracked during a ride.
Which convoy app works in French?
Koast is designed in Québec and works in French and English. Most of the other convoy apps we checked are available in English only.
Is Koast free?
Yes. The live convoy map, voice and crews are free. Koast+ is an optional subscription (CA$9.99 per month or CA$49.99 per year on the Canadian App Store) that adds the unlimited assistant, the advanced planner, premium traffic and the premium voice.
Does Koast work on Android?
Koast is on the App Store for iPhone (iOS 15.1 or later), with CarPlay. On Android, the app is available in early access and installs from koast.grouperzk.com.
Does Koast work for motorcycles?
Yes. Koast is built for groups of cars and motorcycles: every member shows up on the convoy map, whatever they ride.
Where is my data stored?
Our database is hosted in Canada (ca-central-1 region). To run the app, some providers, mostly in the United States, also process information outside Quebec and Canada; the privacy policy names each of them. In the background, your location is only tracked during a ride. Your data is never sold.
Sources on Koast: the App Store listing and the privacy policy. iPhone, CarPlay and App Store are trademarks of Apple Inc. Android and Google Play are trademarks of Google LLC. Koast is not affiliated with any of these companies.
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