Midland MXT500 vs MXT575: Which 50W GMRS Radio Should You Buy?
Both the MXT500 and MXT575 are 50-watt GMRS mobile radios. They use the same frequencies, the same channel plan, and produce the same RF signal. The MXT575 costs $100–150 more. What you're paying for: GPS location sharing and Bluetooth. If those features matter to your use case, buy the MXT575. If they don't, buy the MXT500 and keep the difference.
Midland MXT500
Same 50W power as the MXT575. Save $100–150 if GPS location sharing and Bluetooth aren't part of your use case.
Midland MXT575
GPS location sharing + Bluetooth + 50W. The feature-complete choice for convoys, large ranch operations, and search and rescue groups.
The One Real Difference
Marketing copy for both radios runs long. Here's what actually separates them:
- GPS location sharing. The MXT575 broadcasts your GPS position over GMRS alongside voice traffic. Other MXT575 radios in your group display your direction and distance on their screen. The MXT500 has no GPS and cannot receive or display position data.
- Bluetooth. The MXT575 pairs with the Midland MXT app on Android and iOS. The app shows channel and scan status and delivers weather alerts to your phone. The MXTA11 Bluetooth handset (sold separately) enables fully hands-free, voice-activated operation. The MXT500 has no Bluetooth.
- Integrated control mic design. The MXT575 combines the microphone and all radio controls into a single unit that runs to the driver area. The radio body mounts out of sight. The MXT500 has a separate control head plus a standard mic — more wiring, more mounting hardware.
Everything else — power, channels, repeater access, weather alerting, antenna connector — is the same.
Where They're Identical
These are the specs that do not change between the MXT500 and MXT575:
- 50 watts output. Both transmit at the FCC maximum for GMRS mobile radios. Signal strength at the receiver is identical.
- 15 GMRS channels + 8 repeater channels. Same frequency plan, same channel numbering.
- NOAA weather monitoring. Both radios monitor NOAA weather channels and trigger SAME-coded alerts for your area. This feature works the same on both.
- Repeater operation. Both support GMRS repeater access with user-programmable offset and CTCSS/DCS tones.
- FRS interoperability. Both transmit on the shared GMRS/FRS channels, allowing voice communication with FRS handhelds on channels 1–7.
- SO-239 antenna connector. Same antenna connection, same antenna compatibility.
- 12V DC power requirement. Same installation power requirements.
On voice communication, the radios perform identically. A person calling you on channel 20 through a repeater cannot tell whether they're talking to an MXT500 or an MXT575.
GPS Location Sharing Deep Dive
The MXT575 has an integrated GPS receiver that continuously tracks your position. It encodes that position data and transmits it over GMRS alongside normal voice traffic. Other MXT575 radios that receive your signal display your direction (as a compass bearing) and distance on their screen.
This is useful in specific situations:
- Overlanding convoys. The lead vehicle knows if the tail vehicle has fallen behind, taken a wrong fork, or stopped — without requiring a voice check-in. In terrain where radio range is spotty, you can see when someone drops out of range.
- Large ranch or farm operations. Track where every vehicle on the property is without radio calls. Useful when coordinating multiple crews across hundreds of acres.
- Search and rescue groups. Team members can track each other's positions across a search grid without maintaining continuous voice contact. Reduces radio traffic and maintains situational awareness.
GPS Sharing Requires MXT575 on Both Ends
Position data only displays between MXT575 units (and other Midland radios that support the feature). An MXT500 communicates by voice with an MXT575 normally, but neither radio displays position data from the other. For full position sharing across a group, every member who needs location awareness needs an MXT575. If only some vehicles need GPS tracking, the MXT575/MXT500 mix still works for voice — position sharing is simply unavailable for the MXT500 users.
The GPS position update rate and range are line-of-sight dependent — the position data travels over radio, so the same range limits that affect voice also limit how far position data propagates. Through a repeater, position data does not relay (only voice does).
Bluetooth and App Integration Deep Dive
The MXT575 pairs to the Midland MXT app via Bluetooth. Here's what the Bluetooth connection enables versus what requires the base radio functionality regardless:
| Feature | MXT575 (Bluetooth) | MXT500 (No Bluetooth) |
|---|---|---|
| Channel status on phone | Yes (via app) | No |
| Weather alerts to phone | Yes (via app) | No |
| Hands-free voice activate | Yes (with MXTA11, sold separately) | No |
| Remote channel change | Yes (via app) | No |
| NOAA weather monitoring | Built-in (no Bluetooth needed) | Built-in |
| Repeater access | Built-in (no Bluetooth needed) | Built-in |
The Bluetooth is most practically useful when the radio body is mounted somewhere inconvenient — a cargo area, under a rear seat, in a UTV storage compartment — and reaching the control mic requires awkward movement. The MXTA11 Bluetooth handset provides voice-activated transmit from anywhere in the cabin without touching any hardware.
Range Is the Same
Both radios transmit at 50 watts. Given the same antenna in the same location, the received signal strength is identical. Marketing copy about "up to 65 miles" applies equally to both — those figures assume line-of-sight conditions that rarely exist in practice.
| Terrain | MXT500 and MXT575 (both 50W) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Flat open (ranch, highway, lake bed) | 15–35 miles | Best case with quality antenna |
| Rolling hills, mixed terrain | 8–20 miles | Varies significantly with terrain |
| Forest, canyon, mountain | 3–10 miles | Terrain shading is the dominant factor |
| Through a GMRS repeater | 50+ miles | Depends on repeater coverage area |
If someone tries to sell you the MXT575 over the MXT500 on the basis of range, that's not accurate — they're the same radio on RF performance. The MXT575's premium is GPS and Bluetooth, period.
Price Delta Reality Check
Street prices fluctuate. The general pattern at the time of this writing:
- MXT500: $300–380
- MXT575: $399–449
- Typical gap: $70–150
How to think about the gap:
- Gap is $50 or less. Buy the MXT575. You're getting GPS and Bluetooth for a modest premium, and you'll likely want the features at some point.
- Gap is $100. Decide based on whether GPS location sharing is useful for your specific situation. If you run overlanding convoys or coordinate large-group operations, yes. If it's a single vehicle, probably not.
- Gap is $150. Only buy the MXT575 if GPS location sharing is a genuine requirement — you have a multi-vehicle use case that benefits from position awareness. Otherwise, the MXT500 savings are real money.
Check prices before deciding — the gap changes with sales and stock levels.
Full Feature Comparison
| Feature | MXT500 | MXT575 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power output | 50W | 50W | Tie |
| GMRS channels | 15 | 15 | Tie |
| Repeater channels | 8 | 8 | Tie |
| NOAA weather alerts | Yes | Yes | Tie |
| GPS location sharing | No | Yes | MXT575 |
| Bluetooth | No | Yes | MXT575 |
| Integrated control mic | No (separate head + mic) | Yes | MXT575 |
| Magnetic mount antenna | Included | Included | Tie |
| Antenna connector | SO-239 | SO-239 | Tie |
| Typical price | $300–380 | $399–449 | MXT500 |
| Range | Identical | Identical | Tie |
Who Should Buy Each
- You're equipping a single vehicle for voice communication.
- GPS location sharing isn't part of your use case.
- You want 50W GMRS at the lowest cost.
- Hands-free Bluetooth operation isn't needed.
- The price gap between MXT500 and MXT575 is $80 or more.
- You're buying a secondary or backup radio for a convoy.
- You run overlanding convoys where seeing vehicle positions matters.
- You coordinate a large ranch, farm, or property with multiple vehicles.
- Your group does search and rescue or emergency response operations.
- Hands-free Bluetooth operation would be useful in your vehicle setup.
- You want a cleaner install with the integrated control mic.
- The price gap is $50 or less — it's worth it at that delta.
Need a budget option? The Midland MXT400 at 40W is worth considering if the MXT500 is out of your budget — it's not far behind on real-world performance. See the best GMRS mobile radios guide for the full category overview, or the full MXT575 review for a deep dive on the GPS and Bluetooth features.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the RF performance the same between the MXT500 and MXT575?
- Yes. Both transmit at 50 watts, which is the FCC maximum for GMRS mobile radios. They use the same 15 GMRS channels and 8 repeater channels. Given the same antenna in the same location, the MXT500 and MXT575 produce identical signal strength at the receiver. Range is determined by power, antenna gain, antenna height, and terrain — and on all of those factors except the features Midland added to the MXT575, these radios are identical.
- Does GPS location sharing work between an MXT575 and an MXT500?
- No. GPS position sharing is MXT575-to-MXT575 only. The MXT500 can communicate by voice with the MXT575 on any shared GMRS channel, but it will not display position data from an MXT575, nor will the MXT575 display position data from an MXT500. If your group includes both models, only the MXT575 users see each other's GPS positions. For full position sharing across a convoy, everyone who needs location awareness needs an MXT575.
- What does the Bluetooth on the MXT575 actually do?
- The MXT575 pairs with the Midland MXT app on Android and iOS. Through the app, you can view channel and scan status, receive weather alert notifications on your phone, and access basic radio configuration. The MXTA11 Bluetooth handset (sold separately) adds truly hands-free operation — voice-activated transmit without touching the control mic. The Bluetooth is most useful when the radio body is mounted somewhere inconvenient to reach.
- Is the MXT575 worth the extra $100-150 over the MXT500?
- It depends entirely on whether GPS location sharing or Bluetooth matters to you. If you run convoys, coordinate search and rescue, or manage a large property where knowing where your vehicles are is operationally useful, the GPS alone justifies the premium. If you're buying a single-vehicle radio primarily for vehicle-to-vehicle voice communication or repeater access, the MXT500 performs identically and the savings are real. Decide on features, not marketing language.
- What is the integrated control mic on the MXT575?
- On the MXT575, the microphone and the entire radio control interface are combined into a single unit. Volume, channel selection, programming, and all functions are on the mic head. The radio body mounts out of sight, and only the mic cable runs to the driver area. The MXT500 uses a separate control head (dashboard-mounted panel) plus a standard microphone — more wiring, more mounting points. For installs where cockpit clutter is a concern, the MXT575's design is cleaner.
- Can both radios use GMRS repeaters?
- Yes, both the MXT500 and MXT575 have 8 dedicated GMRS repeater channels (channels 15–22). Programming a repeater on either radio requires the repeater's output frequency, the offset (input frequency), and the CTCSS or DCS access tone. Most repeaters listed on myGMRS.com include this information. Through a repeater, the range of both radios extends to whatever the repeater's coverage area is — typically 30–75+ miles depending on location.