Comparison

OldMapsOnline vs Orbessa

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

Head to head
About

OldMapsOnline

Explore a vast collection of historical maps to visualize how the world has changed. Overlay old maps with modern views, use an interactive timeline, and access integrated historical information. Contribute to a growing community database of cartographic history.

Highlights
  • Vast collection of historical maps
  • Interactive map with timeline
  • Overlay and compare maps
  • Community-driven collection
  • Wikipedia integration
  • Search by location and year
  • Browser extension for map collection
Features
Read full description

Step into the past with OldMapsOnline, the ultimate iOS app for history enthusiasts and curious minds. Discover a treasure trove of historical maps that reveal the stories of our world like never before. Key Features: Vast Collection of Historical Maps: Access over 500,000 high-resolution scanned maps from prestigious cultural institutions. Explore detailed maps from various eras and see how geographical and political landscapes have changed over time. Interactive Map with Timeline: Dive deep into history with an interactive map that features a dynamic timeline. Select any year and watch the map transform to reflect historical data, showcasing the evolution of political boundaries and significant events. Overlay and Compare Maps: Gain a unique perspective by overlaying historical maps onto modern maps. Use our compare tool to see the transformation of cities, regions, and landscapes across centuries. Community-Driven Collection: Join a growing community of history enthusiasts who contribute to the largest online collection of old maps. Share your discoveries and help uncover the hidden stories within these maps. Seamless Wikipedia Integration: For those eager to learn more, our app offers integrated information from Wikipedia, providing a gateway to extensive historical content and deeper research. Intuitive Search by Location: Effortlessly find old maps by zooming and panning on a world map, or simply type in a place name. Utilize the timeline to explore different years and watch the map update with historical boundaries. Convenient Browser Extension: Easily add historical maps found on the web to the OldMapsOnline collection with our browser extension, expanding the richness of our database. Embark on a Journey Through Time OldMapsOnline offers powerful tools to visualize history, including a 3D terrain view, augmented reality features, and advanced catalog search. Whether you're a historian, student, or an explorer of the past, our app makes it easy to delve into the rich history of any location. About OldMapsOnline Created by a dedicated team of cartographers, historians, and volunteers, OldMapsOnline is a collaborative project that harnesses the latest technology to make historical maps accessible to everyone. Our partners include renowned institutions like the British Library, ETH Zurich, and the David Rumsey Collection at Stanford. Download OldMapsOnline today and start your journey through the world's history, one map at a time!

About

Orbessa

Explore history through an interactive map and timeline. Discover illustrated stories, historical figures, and connections between events. Listen to narrated stories and access supplementary media like videos and books.

Highlights
  • Interactive map and timeline
  • Illustrated historical stories
  • Connections between events (Echoes)
  • Audio narration
  • Supplementary media (videos, books, films)
  • Cross-device syncing
Features
Read full description

History has a place. Explore it. Explore eras on a map and timeline. Discover illustrated stories, their historical figures and references, then follow connections between stories in Echoes. Travel from Athens to Apollo 11, via Magellan and Elcano, Marco Polo, the Library of Alexandria and the Eiffel Tower. Selected stories also offer videos, books and films to continue your discovery. Listen to stories with English narration and pick up where you left off reading or listening. The interface is available in English and French. Reading does not require an account. You can choose Apple or Google sign-in to sync favorites, reading progress and personal journeys across your devices. You can delete your account from Profile. An internet connection is required to load the catalogue, stories and media. Location is optional: you can explore places manually.

Screenshots

OldMapsOnline4 screens
Orbessa4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Orbessa at 5.0 against OldMapsOnline's 3.2. Orbessa also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). OldMapsOnline's advantage is ratings volume (27 vs 1). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. OldMapsOnline sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Orbessa asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Orbessa holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: OldMapsOnline has 27 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

OldMapsOnline ships an update every 4 months, Orbessa every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
OldMapsOnline versus Orbessa: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOldMapsOnlineOrbessa
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.2 (27 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews25.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings27 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.217.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB24 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperKlokan TechnologiesNICOLAS SIMON BLIN

Customer experience

OldMapsOnline

All ratings23 ratings
Positive52.2%
Neutral13.0%
Negative34.8%
Written reviews168 reviews
Positive25.6%
Neutral9.5%
Negative64.9%

Orbessa

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

OldMapsOnline

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Maps not loading properly
  • Constant crashes and freezes
  • Inaccurate GPS and location data

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to overlay maps and see current location
  • Option to download maps for offline use
  • Improved search and filtering capabilities
  • Easier map sharing and exporting

Orbessa

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

OldMapsOnline

One-time1
  • Ad free version$1.99
None

Orbessa

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is OldMapsOnline free?
OldMapsOnline is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Orbessa free?
Orbessa is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, OldMapsOnline or Orbessa?
Orbessa is rated higher. OldMapsOnline averages 3.2 out of 5 from 27 ratings, while Orbessa averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do OldMapsOnline or Orbessa have ads?
OldMapsOnline shows ads; Orbessa does not.
Which is updated more often, OldMapsOnline or Orbessa?
OldMapsOnline ships an update every 4 months, and Orbessa every 4 days. Most recently, OldMapsOnline was updated on November 1, 2026 and Orbessa on November 10, 2026.

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