AIA Guide to Boston vs CitySign
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
AIA Guide to Boston
Explore Boston's architecture and urban landscape with this comprehensive digital guide. Discover over 1,200 landmarks, historical buildings, and parks, with GPS-enabled features and integrated directions. Perfect for residents and visitors interested in design and history.
- 1,200+ landmarks, buildings, and parks
- Neighborhood and architect guides
- GPS-enabled site discovery
- Integrated directions
- Walking and site tours
- Color images and descriptions
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Published in three prior paper editions, the AIA Guide to Boston been called "the best [field guide] of its kind on the continent." This new digital version adds more than 500 new sites along with color images from leading photographers. This is the first AIA Guide anywhere to be published as a mobile app. It's: Effortless to carry. If you have your phone, you have the Guide (now the equivalent of a 500+ page book!) Smart. Using GPS, the app can find the guides closest to you Connected. Directions are available with a tap, and live links to online resources provide more depth instantly Up-to-date. New sites and guides are added to the app as the city grows and evolves. The Guide features: Descriptions, stories, and photos of more than 1,200 contemporary landmarks, historical buildings, urban features, and parks across the metro area In-depth guides to neighborhoods, architects, styles, and award winners Walking and site tours around prime destinations including Downtown, Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Harvard, MIT, and emerging districts. Follow the Freedom Trail and Walk to the Sea with new eyes, focusing on the old and new architecture along the way. For residents and visitors, architects and design lovers, builders and students, the AIA Guide to Boston offers a unique, fun new way to explore the nation's oldest major city.
CitySign
Augmented reality app lets you place iconic city signs in your photos. Move, scale, and rotate signs for realistic pictures. Share your creations with friends.
- Place virtual city signs
- Augmented reality integration
- Move, scale, and rotate signs
- Take realistic photos
- Share photos with friends
- Multiple city sign options
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The CitySign App Place the famous City Sign of Amsterdam wherever you want and make great pictures like its really there! NEW: Choose between the IJmuiden city sign, the 3 Amsterdam crosses, the Groningen city sign ‘Moi!’ and Eberhardjes! Even more City Signs soon available! So stay updated! Download the CitySign App. Move, scale and rotate your favorite city sign by swiping it with your fingers. Make great pictures! They all look very real! The app uses Augmented Reality for great results. Share it with friends! Let them know where you are and what you love! :) Easy to use, free ...and a lot of fun! ---------------------------------------------------- Safe and Appropriate Use While you are using our Services, please be aware of your surroundings, and play and communicate safely. You agree that your use of the Services is at your own risk, and that you will not use the Services to violate any applicable law, regulation, Event policies, or instructions as outlined in these Terms and you will not encourage or enable any other individual to do so. Further, you agree that in conjunction with your use of the Services you will not make available any unlawful, inappropriate, or commercial Content (defined below). You agree that you will not submit inaccurate, misleading, or inappropriate Content, including data submissions, edits, or removal requests. CitySign does not intend Apps to be medical or health devices, or provide medical or health advice. Your Interactions with Other People You agree that in conjunction with your use of the Services, you will maintain safe and appropriate contact with other players and other people in the real world. You will not harass threaten or otherwise violate the legal rights of others. You will not trespass, or in any manner attempt to gain or gain access to any property or location where you do not have a right or permission to be, and will not otherwise engage in any activity that may result in injury, death, property damage, nuisance, or liability of any kind. If you have a dispute with any third party relating to your use of Services, you release CitySign, Rdesign & Happy Ship (and our officers, directors, agents, subsidiaries, joint ventures, and employees) from all claims, demands, and damages (actual and consequential) of every kind and nature, known and unknown, suspected and unsuspected, disclosed and undisclosed, arising out of or in any way connected with such disputes. The CitySign App is not associated with the Municipality of Amsterdam and iamsterdam. © 2019 rdesign & Happy Ship
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: CitySign at 5.0 against AIA Guide to Boston's 4.5. CitySign also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 8 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.1). AIA Guide to Boston's advantage is ratings volume (16 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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.
CitySign holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AIA Guide to Boston has 16 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
AIA Guide to Boston ships an update every 8 months, CitySign every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | AIA Guide to Boston | CitySign |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (16 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 81.8% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 16 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 150 MB | 56 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Thomas Pounds | happy ship |
Customer experience
AIA Guide to Boston
CitySign
In-app purchases
AIA Guide to Boston
No in-app purchases
CitySign
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is AIA Guide to Boston free?
Is CitySign free?
Which has better reviews, AIA Guide to Boston or CitySign?
Do AIA Guide to Boston or CitySign have ads?
Which is updated more often, AIA Guide to Boston or CitySign?
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