# Geological Field Notes vs Mapboard GIS

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Mapboard GIS at 100% against Geological Field Notes's 0%. Mapboard GIS also leads on price (Free vs $4.99) and rating (4.5 vs 1.0). Geological Field Notes's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and device support (3 vs 1). On ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Mapboard GIS is free to download; Geological Field Notes costs $4.99 up front. Mapboard GIS sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $29.99 per year. Geological Field Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

Mapboard GIS holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 1.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Geological Field Notes's written reviews are positive against 100% of Mapboard GIS's.

Geological Field Notes ships an update every 3 months, Mapboard GIS every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on August 23, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Geological Field Notes | Mapboard GIS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/geological-field-notes/id1013592692/reviews) | **[4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mapboard-gis/id1446188315/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **2** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 11 MB | 69 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 16.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Liansheng Zhang](https://appshunter.io/developer/448246392) | [Daven Quinn](https://appshunter.io/developer/1388611117) |

## What reviewers say

### Geological Field Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/geological-field-notes/id1013592692)

Create detailed geological field notebooks with rich media, including text, images, audio, and drawings. Organize entries with timestamps, passwords, and export them for backup or sharing.

**Highlights:** Rich media note-taking (text, image, audio, video, drawing, links), Integrated geological tools (compass, level, ruler, calculator), Password protection for individual entries, Media expiration options, Export notes as zipped HTML, Cloud backup via Dropbox

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Mapboard GIS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mapboard-gis/id1446188315)

This iPad app allows users to draw field maps using an Apple Pencil, combining the ease of pen-and-paper with the precision of GIS. It's designed for geologists and others needing interpretive mapping, offering intuitive tools for creating topologically consistent geologic maps.

**Highlights:** Pen-based editing tools, Intuitive reshaping and snapping, Iterative topology solver, Onboard Spatialite GIS engine, Native GIS software compatibility, User-configurable data types, Tether to remote PostGIS

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Version | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Geological Field Notes free?

Geological Field Notes costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Mapboard GIS free?

Mapboard GIS is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Geological Field Notes or Mapboard GIS?

Mapboard GIS is rated higher. Geological Field Notes averages 1.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Mapboard GIS averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do Geological Field Notes or Mapboard GIS have ads?

Neither Geological Field Notes nor Mapboard GIS shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Geological Field Notes or Mapboard GIS?

Geological Field Notes ships an update every 3 months, and Mapboard GIS every 2 months. Most recently, Geological Field Notes was updated on August 23, 2026 and Mapboard GIS on September 8, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*