Best hunting club apps in 2026, ranked

By , FounderGraylight, LLCPublished Updated Prices checked

Ember is made by Graylight, LLC, which publishes this page. Every claim links to its source, and Ember’s shortcomings are written in the same voice as everyone else’s.

For a hunting club or lease, Ember ranks first. Of the apps listed here, it is the only one that escalates a missed check-out by SMS and phone call, and the only one that collects dues in-app through Stripe instead of just tracking them. HuntStand is the best free option. Ember’s maker, Graylight, LLC, publishes this page.

Best overall for clubs
Ember
Best free option
HuntStand
Missed check-out by SMS and call
Ember, the only app listed
Dues collected in-app (Stripe)
Ember, the only app listed
Free with unlimited members
Hunting Club
Best map, no club tools
onX Hunt
Last checked 36 sourcesSpot an error? Tell usEvery value comes from the vendor’s own site, its App Store or Google Play listing, or from using the app, and carries the date we checked it. “Not stated” means we found nothing on those pages.

Which hunting club app is best in 2026?

Ranked for a club or lease that needs one app for stand reservations, dues and safety check-ins. Most club apps are new in 2026. Ember also launched on the App Store in August 2026. HuntStand and onX Hunt are the older apps.

  1. Ember

    Best for: clubs and leases that want one app for the map, the reservations, the dues and getting everyone home.

    Price Free plan; Pro $99.99/yr; Club plans from $199.99/yrPlatforms iOS, Android, WebBy Graylight, LLC

    A hunting app built around the club: one shared map, stand reservations, dues, and a check-in chain that escalates to a phone call.

    Where it wins

    • Shared live map with member avatars, stand reservations and assignments, no member cap.
    • Dues collected in-app through Stripe; owner, admin and member roles; harvest log; searchable rules.
    • Missed check-out chain: push, then SMS and call to the hunter, then a call to emergency contacts and a push to admins.

    Where it falls short

    • Young product: listed on the App Store in August 2026. Imports GPX and KML but cannot export.
    • Offline area downloads are capped (about 250 km² per area, 2 GB per phone) and expire after 30 days; parcels and owner names are US-only.
    • Creating a club needs Pro or a Club plan (the safety chain runs on every plan); no chat assistant.
    Ember website →

  2. HuntStand

    Best for: clubs that want reservations and a group board, with a real free version.

    Price Free version; Pro $34.99/yr; Ultimate $99.99/yrPlatforms iOS, Android, WebBy GSM Outdoors (TerraStride Inc.)

    A long-running mapping app with an ad-supported free version, group hunt areas, a group message board, and stand reservations on Pro.

    Where it wins

    • Real free version with group hunt areas, a group message board, weather and HuntZone wind.
    • Stand reservations, unlimited offline maps and parcels with US owner names on Pro at $34.99 a year.
    • iOS, Android and desktop web; an established app with a long track record.

    Where it falls short

    • No dues collection, no member roles or permissions, no calendar.
    • No check-in or safety escalation; Friend Locator shows location only.
    • No data export; KML import only.
    HuntStand website →

  3. Hunting Club

    Best for: clubs that want free, unlimited members and a safety timer.

    Price Free; Premium $9.99/mo or $59.99/yrPlatforms iOS, Android, WebBy Hunting Club LLC

    A club app with a free tier that covers members, dues tracking, fines, a calendar, chat, a journal and a safety timer.

    Where it wins

    • Free, unlimited clubs and no per-seat fees.
    • Free tier includes dues and fines tracking, calendar, chat, journal and property boundary.
    • Safety Watch with a return time and arrival alerts; emergency contacts are told with the last known position.

    Where it falls short

    • Live member dots are Premium only.
    • Dues are tracked; online collection is not stated.
    • How emergency contacts are alerted (push, SMS or call) is not stated.
    • Young app: released August 2026. Stand reservations are not stated.
    Hunting Club website →

  4. LeaseBOSS

    Best for: leases that want booking rules the app enforces.

    Price Members free; lease pays Camp $59/yr, Club $129/yr or Ranch $299/yrPlatforms iOS, AndroidBy Qalrix Group, LLC

    A lease app where members are free and the lease subscribes. Plans cap at 12, 40 or unlimited members; there is a 30-day trial.

    Where it wins

    • Stand booking by AM, PM or all day, with a booking window and weekly hunt limits enforced and no double bookings.
    • Stand map shows open, yours and occupied in real time; harvest log flags rule breaks.
    • One-tap check-in with a check-out reminder after dark; chores with photo proof and work weekend RSVPs.

    Where it falls short

    • No escalation beyond the check-out reminder.
    • Dues are tracked; online collection is not stated. Member GPS on the map is not stated.
    • New app: released October 2026 at version 1.0.
    LeaseBOSS website →

  5. Back by Dark

    Best for: groups that want stand booking with QR check-in and an escalation ladder.

    Price Free to use; Pro listed at $29.99/yr with a 7-day trialPlatforms iOS, Android, web console for managersBy Cisco Sanchez LLC

    Stand booking and check-in by QR tag at the stand, with a “Who’s Out” view and an escalation ladder when someone is late.

    Where it wins

    • Stand booking, first come first served, plus QR tag check-in with a typed-code fallback.
    • Who’s Out shows who is at which stand, only between check-in and check-out.
    • Late hunters are escalated to managers and then emergency contacts by push or email; offline area downloads on Pro.

    Where it falls short

    • SMS and phone call escalation are not stated.
    • The site and the App Store listing give different escalation timings (30, 45 and 60 minutes versus 15 minutes).
    • Dues and harvest log are not stated. New app: released October 2026.
    Back by Dark website →

  6. Hunt-Sync

    Best for: hunters whose families want to watch check-ins on a dashboard.

    Price Starter free (2 members, no safety check-ins); paid $7.99 to $24.99/moPlatforms iOS, Web loginBy Hunt Safe Technologies, LLC

    A safety-first app with GPS stand check-in, periodic check-ins at set intervals, SOS, and a family dashboard that needs no account.

    Where it wins

    • Periodic safety check-ins at configurable intervals, GPS stand check-in and out, and SOS with GPS.
    • Family dashboard shows live GPS while a hunter is checked in; family needs no account.
    • Overdue alerts go to the family dashboard; emergency alerts go to the club and emergency contacts.

    Where it falls short

    • The free tier has no safety check-ins and only 2 members; plans cap at 5, 10 and 20 members.
    • How overdue alerts are sent (push, SMS or call) is not stated.
    • Stand reservations, dues and harvest log are not stated. Android is not stated.
    Hunt-Sync website →

  7. Hunt Ledger

    Best for: small clubs that want a simple check-in log.

    Price Free up to 5 members; paid from $99.99/yr for up to 20 membersPlatforms iOSBy William Scott (App Store seller)

    A check-in app for small clubs with a live map, stand and zone check-ins, and harvest and observation logging.

    Where it wins

    • Check in and out with a tap; live map and check-ins show who is hunting and where.
    • Managers create stands and zones; harvest and observation logging with a club activity feed.
    • Free for up to 5 members.

    Where it falls short

    • Escalation when someone does not check out is not stated.
    • Reservations and dues are not stated. Android and web are not stated.
    • Small member caps: 5 free, 20 on the entry paid tier. New app: released May 2026.
    Hunt Ledger website →

  8. onX Hunt

    Best for: members who mostly hunt public land, and for the map itself.

    Price 7-day trial; Premium from $34.99/yr (one state); Elite $99.99/yr (all states)Platforms iOS, Android, WebBy onXmaps, Inc.

    A mapping app with nationwide public and private land data, offline maps in three resolutions, and a web map.

    Where it wins

    • 161.5 million private parcels with owner names and 1.8 billion acres of public land, per its App Store listing.
    • Offline downloads in three resolutions, limited only by phone storage; GPX export and import in the app, KML on the web map.
    • Live location sharing for up to ten people per session on paid plans.

    Where it falls short

    • No club features: no reservations, dues, roles or harvest log.
    • No check-in or automatic escalation; onX SOS ($49.99/yr) sends your GPS to a 24/7 rescue team only when someone taps the SOS button.
    • Location sharing requires everyone on Premium or Elite and a data connection.
    onX Hunt website →

How were these apps ranked?

We weighted what a club needs most: reserving stands, knowing who is in the woods, what happens when someone does not come back, and how dues are handled. Price and platforms break ties. A map-only app can be excellent and still rank low here, because this page is about running a club.

Ember is made by Graylight, LLC, which publishes this page. We list what each app states and write “not stated” where a source says nothing. Ratings and download counts are left out on purpose: most of these apps are too new for them to mean much.

What other hunting club apps did we look at?

  • HuntScrape. A web-only club app with no iOS or Android app; the free Starter plan covers 3 members and 1 property, and the Club plan is $490/yr for unlimited members.
  • huntLODGE. An iOS app with a dues ledger and a harvest log; Lite is free, Plus is $19.99/yr, Max is $49.99/yr, and the App Store page lists a $119.99/yr club plan the admin pays. Check-in is not stated.

Questions hunters ask

What should a hunting club app do?

At minimum: one shared map with everyone’s stands, a way to reserve a stand for a date, and a way to know who is in the woods. A good one also handles dues, keeps the harvest log and rules in one place, and does something when a member does not come back.

Is there a free hunting club app?

Yes, several. HuntStand has an ad-supported free version with group hunt areas and a message board. Hunting Club is free with unlimited members. Hunt Ledger is free up to 5 members. Hunt-Sync is free for 2 members but has no safety check-ins on that tier. On Ember, members join a club free; the person who creates the club needs Pro ($99.99 a year) or a Club plan.

Which hunting club app calls or texts a hunter who is overdue?

Ember. Its chain is a push at the deadline, then an SMS and a call to the hunter, then a call to emergency contacts and a push to club admins. Back by Dark escalates by push or email. Hunting Club and Hunt-Sync alert emergency contacts but do not state how. None of the other apps here states SMS or phone-call escalation.

Which hunting club app collects dues in the app?

Ember collects dues in-app through Stripe. Hunting Club, LeaseBOSS and huntLODGE track dues or payments, and their sources do not state online collection. HuntStand and onX have no dues feature.

Why is Ember ranked first on Ember’s own website?

Because, of the apps listed here, it is the only one that escalates a missed check-out by SMS and phone call and the only one that collects dues in-app. Those are two things clubs ask for most. Graylight, LLC makes Ember and publishes this page, so weigh the ranking accordingly. Ember’s shortcomings are listed in the same voice as everyone else’s, and every fact links to its source with a date.

Are these hunting club apps new?

Most are. Every club app here launched in 2026 except HuntStand and onX Hunt. Ember also launched on the App Store in August 2026. New apps change fast, so check the dates on this page and the vendor’s own listing before you pay.

Which hunting club apps work on both iPhone and Android?

Ember, HuntStand, onX Hunt, Hunting Club, LeaseBOSS and Back by Dark list both iOS and Android. Hunt-Sync and Hunt Ledger list iOS; Android is not stated. HuntScrape is web-only.

Sources

Every fact above comes from one of these pages. Each shows the date we read it.

  1. [1]Ember: Groups and clubs
  2. [2]Ember: Safety
  3. [3]Ember: Pricing
  4. [4]Ember: Features
  5. [5]Ember Hunt on the App Store
  6. [6]HuntStand: App
  7. [7]HuntStand: Pro
  8. [8]HuntStand: Subscriptions
  9. [9]HuntStand: Managing hunt clubs
  10. [10]HuntStand: Can I export my data?
  11. [11]HuntStand on the App Store
  12. [12]Hunting Club: Website
  13. [13]Hunting Club on the App Store
  14. [14]Hunting Club on Google Play
  15. [15]LeaseBOSS: Product page
  16. [16]LeaseBOSS on the App Store
  17. [17]LeaseBOSS on Google Play
  18. [18]Back by Dark: Website
  19. [19]Back by Dark on the App Store
  20. [20]Back by Dark on Google Play
  21. [21]Hunt-Sync: Website
  22. [22]Hunt-Sync on the App Store
  23. [23]Hunt Ledger: Website
  24. [24]Hunt Ledger on the App Store
  25. [25]onX: Pricing
  26. [26]onX: FAQ
  27. [27]onX: Features
  28. [28]onX: Location sharing
  29. [29]onX: Offline maps
  30. [30]onX: Export and import
  31. [31]onX: SOS
  32. [32]onX Hunt on the App Store
  33. [33]HuntScrape: Pricing
  34. [34]HuntScrape: Check-in blog post
  35. [35]huntLODGE: Website
  36. [36]huntLODGE on the App Store

Changes to this page

  • First published with eight apps. Competitor facts re-read from each app’s site and store listing. HuntScrape and huntLODGE listed under also considered.

HuntStand, Hunting Club, LeaseBOSS, Back by Dark, Hunt-Sync, Hunt Ledger, onX Hunt, HuntScrape, huntLODGE are trademarks of their respective owners. Ember is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them. See something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it and log the change above.

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