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Cheap GPS: Gokivo app drops to 99 cents

iPhone users leery of dropping $40-50 on a navigation app now have a much cheaper alternative: subscription-based Gokivo. A buck buys you your first 30 days of service.

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rickbroida
Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
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If you've been wanting to test-drive an iPhone navigation app but didn't want to invest $34.99 on CoPilot Live, $49.99 on TomTom U.S.A., or $59.99 MobileNavigator, here's good news: Now you can get Gokivo GPS Navigator for just 99 cents (iTunes link).

Just to clarify, that 99 cents buys you 30 days' worth of navigation (complete with real-time traffic). After that, Gokivo will cost you $4.99 per month or $39.99 if you pay annually (a considerable savings).

It will cost you more over the long haul than a flat-rate app like CoPilot or MobileNavigator, but Gokivo might be a more attractive option for infrequent drivers--since there's no contract, no commitment.

If you're like me and only occasionally need turn-by-turn navigation assistance, you can, literally, pay as you go. Gokivo now supports in-app transactions, so if you're leaving for a road trip or happen to get lost somewhere, just tap out $4.99 and presto: You've got another month of GPS.

If you want to learn about the app's navigation acumen, read Dong Ngo's recent comparison of Gokivo and MapQuest (another subscription-based solution).

But I think with an entry point of just 99 cents and the option of paying five bucks whenever you want 30 days of traffic-enhanced navigation, Gokivo is hard to beat.

What's your favorite GPS app? Do you prefer the flat-rate offerings or a subscription option like this one? Share your thoughts in the comments.