# Paper Maps vs MapLayers

The clearest difference is ads: Paper Maps at none against MapLayers's shown. Paper Maps also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 14.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Paper Maps sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and MapLayers sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $24.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 14, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Paper Maps | MapLayers |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.9 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paper-maps/id1147385120/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **13** | — |
| Positive reviews | 42.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 59 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Abbro Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/880528039) | [CartoLake, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1604655747) |

## What reviewers say

### Paper Maps

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paper-maps/id1147385120)

This app allows you to view and edit digital maps with support for various file formats. You can customize maps by adding placemarks, recording tracks, and drawing shapes. It also offers real-time annotation sharing and useful tools like a theodolite.

**Highlights:** View PDF, TIFF, KAP, KML files, Cloud integration (iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox), Add placemarks and record tracks, Draw lines and shapes, Real-time annotation sharing, Theodolite and georeferencer tools

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $4.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $9.99 | per year |
| Map | $0.99 | one-time |
| Map | $1.99 | one-time |
| Map | $2.99 | one-time |
| Map | $3.99 | one-time |
| Map | $4.99 | one-time |
| Unlock data export | $4.99 | one-time |


### MapLayers

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/maplayers/id6446806262)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Basic Yearly | $24.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Paper Maps free?

Paper Maps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is MapLayers free?

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

### Do Paper Maps or MapLayers have ads?

MapLayers shows ads; Paper Maps does not.

### Which is updated more often, Paper Maps or MapLayers?

Paper Maps ships an update every 3 weeks, and MapLayers every 3 weeks. Most recently, Paper Maps was updated on September 14, 2026 and MapLayers on September 19, 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.*