AccessMap vs VoiceVista
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
AccessMap
This app provides customized walking and rolling directions for pedestrians, prioritizing accessibility. It allows users to generate routes based on specific mobility preferences, such as including only sidewalks with curb cuts or routes within a certain steepness range.
- Customized walking/rolling directions
- Personalized mobility preferences
- Routes with curb cuts
- Steepness range filtering
- Sidewalk information
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There are many apps and sites to help people navigate by car: Waze, HERE, Apple Maps, Google Maps; all these apps offer some semblance of 'pedestrian' directions, but make gross assumptions about what hills you can take, how speedy you will be, what is a 'safe' walking or rolling environment, and many don't even provide basic information about whether or not there's a sidewalk there. AccessMap, previously a web application produced by the [Taskar Center for Accessible Technology](https://tcat.cs.washington.edu/) is bringing mobility equity to pedestrians by improving and customizing walking/rolling routing. For International Day acknowledging Persons with Disabilities (Dec 3 #IDPWD2021) the group is releasing the mobile app that will allow Seattle, Bellingham and Mt. Vernon pedestrians generate customized walking directions tuned to personal mobility preferences. Users can request routes from A to B that include only crossings with “curb cuts” that allow strollers and wheelchairs to easily pass, or only sidewalks within a certain steepness range personalized to the user.
VoiceVista
This app uses advanced audio and location technology to help blind and low vision users understand their surroundings. It provides reassurance in new places, aids in building mental maps, and supports confident navigation.
- Environmental awareness through audio
- Precise location services
- Assists in mental mapping
- Confident route navigation
- Built on open-source Soundscape project
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VoiceVista is a critical application for the blind and low vision users' community. It is built upon Microsoft's discontinued and open-source project Soundscape (https://aka.ms/ossblog) and is licensed under the MIT License (https://github.com/microsoft/soundscape/blob/main/LICENSE.txt). The app leverages advanced iOS audio technology and precise location services to empower individuals in developing a heightened sense of their environment. It offers reassurance in unfamiliar settings, assisting users in forming mental maps and confidently navigating their desired routes. For more information on how the app works and how your data is used and protected, please review the service terms and privacy policy: Service terms: https://drwjf.github.io/vvt/terms.html Privacy policy: https://drwjf.github.io/vvt/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: AccessMap at none against VoiceVista's 2. AccessMap also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). VoiceVista's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 61 months) and rating (4.7 vs 4.3). 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
Both are free to download. VoiceVista sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. AccessMap asks for nothing beyond the download.
VoiceVista holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: VoiceVista has 205 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.
AccessMap ships an update every 61 months, VoiceVista weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | AccessMap | VoiceVista |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (3 ratings) | 4.7 (205 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 80.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 3 | 205 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 61 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 16 MB | 136 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Taskar Center for Accessible Technology at UW | Jianfeng Wu |
Customer experience
AccessMap
VoiceVista
Bugs and requests
AccessMap
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
VoiceVista
Reported bugs
15 issues- App crashes when tapping location details for more information
- iCloud storage full error despite large available storage
- Markers not visible after cloud sync issues
- Beacon detection fails to recognize arrival
- Shake feature activates during normal walking
Show 10 moreShow fewer
- App stops working when Wi-Fi signal drops
- Apple Watch communication mode not enabled error
- App closes when tapping beacon on iPhone 8
- Intersection data missing on iPad during walking
- Voice speed accelerates uncontrollably
- Persistent update notification cannot be dismissed
- Street Preview mode exit unclear
- German translation error: Schritte instead of Treppe
- Incomplete transit stop announcements
- Inconsistent location information display
Requested features
23 requests- Camera integration for building and object recognition
- Voice commands to avoid handling phone
- GPX file import capability
- Turn-by-turn directions triggering
- Route simulation from alternate starting points
Show 18 moreShow fewer
- Apple Watch voice output support
- Ability to query current velocity on demand
- Route display as text list instead of map
- City/postal code information in location details
- Searchable FAQ documentation
- Edit fields for waypoint descriptions
- Street preview mode exit instructions
- Complete sound effects library for familiarization
- BlindSquare import feature restoration
- Route deletion functionality
- Disable shake gesture option
- Automatic route recalculation when off-path
- Beacon arrival detection improvement
- Transit mode stop name announcement improvement
- Centered audio for MFI hearing aid users
- Pointing mode to identify streets ahead
- Better French localization
- German translation corrections (Treppe vs. Schritte)
In-app purchases
AccessMap
No in-app purchases
VoiceVista
- Sponsorship Monthly$0.991 Month
- Sponsorship Yearly$8.991 Year
