Comparison

Magic Earth Navigation & Maps vs Payload

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Magic Earth Navigation & Maps

Navigate your world with detailed offline maps and turn-by-turn directions for driving, biking, and walking. Enjoy real-time traffic updates and public transport information, all while prioritizing your privacy. Unlock advanced features with an optional subscription.

Highlights
  • Offline maps for 233 countries
  • Turn-by-turn navigation
  • Real-time traffic information
  • Public transport routing
  • Head-up Display (HUD) feature
  • CarPlay compatibility
  • Weather forecasts
Features
Read full description

As we celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Magic Earth on the App Store in 2025, our commitment to privacy and innovation has never been stronger. Magic Earth is now freemium, giving everyone free access to core features like map browsing, search, favorites, and turn-by-turn navigation. For even more powerful features, Magic Earth Premium subscription unlocks: • Traffic-aware navigation • Activity recording • Offline maps • Elevation map style for clearer terrain visualization To all our active subscribers: Thank you! Your continued support empowers us to build a better, more private Magic Earth for everyone. Magic Earth uses OpenStreetMap data and a powerful search engine to offer you the optimal routes for driving, biking, hiking, and public transportation. Find the best route to your destination even without an internet connection. PRIVACY FIRST! • We do not track you. We do not profile you. We do not trade in your personal data; moreover, we do not have it. MAPS • Save big on mobile internet costs and navigate reliably with offline maps powered by OpenStreetMap. 233 countries and regions are ready to be downloaded. • Choose between 2D, 3D, and Satellite map views. • Get ready for travel and know every detail of your route like surface, difficulty, distance and elevation profile. • Learn more about the points of interest near you from Wikipedia articles. • Spot nearby parking places to easily park your car. • Stay up-to-date and enjoy regular free map updates. CARPLAY compatibility • Connect to Apple CarPlay and enjoy the ultimate navigation experience. NAVIGATION • Find the fastest or the shortest route to your destination when you travel by car, bike, on foot or with public transport. • Plan your route with multiple waypoints. • Stay safe with the free Head-up Display (HUD) feature which projects the most important navigation info onto the windshield of your car. • Know in advance which lane to take with precise turn-by-turn navigation and lane assistance. • Get notified about speed cameras and stay up to date with current speed limits. TRAFFIC INFO • Get real-time traffic info, updated every minute. • Discover alternative routes that avoid traffic jams and save you time on the road. PUBLIC TRANSPORT • Get around town quickly and easily. Choose from public transit routes that combine all transportation modes: bus / metro / subway / light rail / train / ferry • Get walking directions, transfer times, departure times, number of stops. And when available, the cost. • Find wheelchair or bike-friendly public transportation. WEATHER • View current temperature and local weather forecasts for your favorite locations. • See what weather conditions to expect in the next hours and view the forecast for the next 14 days. APPLE WATCH • Take a quick glance at your Apple Watch to get directions, distance, speed and workout details in real-time-right on your wrist. Notes: * Some features are not available in all countries. * Some features require internet connection. Your free trial will be automatically renewed to a paid subscription if you don't cancel it at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. The payment will be charged through your Apple ID account. Subscriptions automatically renew unless they are cancelled at least 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscriptions in Settings after purchase. Privacy Policy https://www.magicearth.com/privacy/ Disclaimer https://www.magicearth.com/disclaimer/ Terms of Use https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/ https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Payload

Features
Read full description

Plan your next cycling adventure with Payload the trip planner built for riders. Whether you're mapping a weekend gravel ride, planning a multi-day bikepacking route, or exploring new mountain bike trails, Payload gives you the tools to plan smarter and ride better. SMART ROUTE PLANNING Draw routes on an interactive map Automatic bike-friendly routing for road, gravel, and MTB Add waypoints and points of interest Export routes to GPX for your bike computer ELEVATION INSIGHTS Detailed elevation profiles for every route See total climbing and descent at a glance Gradient visualiSation to prepare for the hard parts TERRAIN BREAKDOWN (Pro) Understand what surfaces your route covers Road, gravel, trail percentages Plan the right bike for the ride TRIP ORGANISATION Save unlimited trips with Pro Share routes with friends Access your trips from any device PRO FEATURES Unlimited trips Full route statistics Detailed elevation profiles Terrain breakdown analysis Start planning your next adventure today.

Screenshots

Magic Earth Navigation & Maps4 screens
Payload4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Payload at none against Magic Earth Navigation & Maps's 1. Payload also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Magic Earth Navigation & Maps sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $19.99 per year. Payload asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Magic Earth Navigation & Maps versus Payload: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMagic Earth Navigation & MapsPayload
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (569 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews51.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings569 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS17.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size94 MB41 MB
Age rating+1212+
DeveloperMagic Lane International BVALEXANDER C WEINER

Bugs and requests

Magic Earth Navigation & Maps

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Keyboard obscures search results in CarPlay mode
  • GPS signal issues and location jumps
  • Inconsistent behavior when deviating from a route
  • Crashes and freezes, especially after recent updates

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add ability to lock map orientation to North
  • Improve search by allowing voice input and better location relevance
  • Provide more detailed traffic information and rerouting options
  • Integrate with more car systems beyond just CarPlay
  • Offer more customization options for the user interface

Payload

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Magic Earth Navigation & Maps

Subscriptions1
  • Premium14 Days trial$19.991 Year
None

Payload

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Magic Earth Navigation & Maps free?
Magic Earth Navigation & Maps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Payload free?
Payload is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Magic Earth Navigation & Maps or Payload have ads?
Neither Magic Earth Navigation & Maps nor Payload shows ads.

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