Cell Towers Canada vs Public Mobile
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Cell Towers Canada
Locate nearby cell towers across Canada using your device's GPS and compass. Filter by service provider and frequency band to find the best signal or aim directional antennas. Ideal for residents and travelers in Canada.
- Locate nearest cell towers
- Uses GPS and compass
- Filter by service provider
- Filter by frequency band
- Aim directional antennas
- Uses latest Industry Canada data
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Living in Canada and wondering where the nearest tower is to you? Or soon traveling to Canada and wondering if there's going to be any cell service close by? This app is for you! Using the latest data available from Industry Canada, this app shows you where every cellular tower in Canada is located. Use your device's GPS and compass to find and point you toward the closest towers. If you are trying to aim a directional cellular antenna, this is the app for you! Apply filters based on the service providers and frequency bands you are interested in. This app is completely FREE with NO advertising and all features are enabled right out of the box!
Public Mobile
This app offers a 5G wireless subscription service with self-service account management. Activate your service, manage plans, track usage, and earn rewards. Get 24/7 online support for all your mobile needs.
- 5G subscription phone service
- eSIM activation
- Self-service account management
- Plan usage tracking
- Rewards program
- Refer-a-friend savings
- 24/7 online support
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Welcome to different. Public Mobile is a wireless subscription service that does mobility differently. Sign up for Canada's first 5G subscription phone service in a few simple steps. With the Public Mobile app, you're in control. Activate in minutes with eSIM along with an eSIM compatible device and choose from 5G speed plans and unlimited data on Canada's largest network. Manage your own account with easy, self-service features in the app. Just like your other subscription services set it and forget it. Download the Public Mobile app for free to get started. Subscribe with a few quick clicks in the app: • Select and activate your subscription • Save with a 90 day subscription • Purchase and activate your eSIM or SIM card • You can keep your phone number when you subscribe to Public Mobile. Manage your plan anywhere, anytime with My Account: • Manage your subscription • Track your plan usage • Purchase add-ons Earn points that save you money with our Rewards program: • Check rewards balance • Redeem your points • Refer-a-friend to share savings Skip the wait time with 24/7 online solutions: • Access virtual support at your fingertips • Find answers and ask questions Download the Public Mobile App now. Learn more at publicmobile.ca
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Public Mobile at 4.5 against Cell Towers Canada's 2.5. Public Mobile also leads on ratings volume (245 vs 17) and review sentiment (45% vs 36%). Cell Towers Canada's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Public Mobile holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Public Mobile has 245 ratings behind it against 17, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 36% of Cell Towers Canada's written reviews are positive against 45% of Public Mobile's.
Cell Towers Canada ships an update monthly, Public Mobile every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Cell Towers Canada | Public Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.5 (17 ratings) | 4.5 (245 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 35.9% of reviews | 44.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 17 | 245 — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 16.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 24 MB | 74 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ison Solutions Ltd. | TELUS Communications Inc. |
Customer experience
Cell Towers Canada
Public Mobile
User reviews
Cell Towers Canada
From 17 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Intuitive and easy-to-use interface
- 🗺️ Accurate tower location mapping
- 🆓 Free app with no payments or memberships
- 📊 Shows carrier information and frequency bands
- 🔍 Useful for signal booster antenna positioning
Room to improve
- ⏰ Severely outdated data (5-12 months old)
- 🐛 Missing tower data in many locations
- 🌍 Only works in Canada, not USA or other countries
- ❌ Incomplete carrier coverage (missing Bell, Freedom towers)
- 📉 Infrequent and delayed database updates
Public Mobile
From 245 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Surprisingly good service
- 👍 Great app overall
- 👍 Good value for money
- 👍 Smooth and user-friendly
- 👍 Awesome, nothing to complain about
Room to improve
- 🐛 Just a fake app
- 🔒 Never works properly
- 🔒 Access to support is appalling
- 🐛 Seriously garbage
- 🔒 Deal with care
Bugs and requests
Cell Towers Canada
Reported bugs
7 issues- Info boxes display at 100% transparency making content unreadable
- App shows no towers within 62-mile radius when towers are nearby
- Tower provider information not displaying when selected
- Missing frequency bands (2100MHz, 2300MHz) for major carriers
- iOS compatibility issues with newer devices
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- Blank information boxes after recent updates
- Hybrid map view quality issues
Requested features
10 requests- Signal strength visualization
- Dark mode compatibility
- Latitude/longitude coordinates display
- Support for USA and international carriers
- NFC cellular connectivity feature
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Ability to add missing carriers
- User-submitted signal strength data
- Terrain elevation and antenna height information
- Azimuth angle and transmission power details
- More frequent automatic database updates
Public Mobile
Reported bugs
5 issues- Activation issues
- Logging in problems
- App crashes and freezes
- Unreliable service
- Billing and payment issues
Requested features
3 requests- Wifi calling
- Support for iPad/tablets
- Improve customer service access
In-app purchases
Cell Towers Canada
No in-app purchases
Public Mobile
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Cell Towers Canada free?
Is Public Mobile free?
Which has better reviews, Cell Towers Canada or Public Mobile?
Do Cell Towers Canada or Public Mobile have ads?
Which is updated more often, Cell Towers Canada or Public Mobile?
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