Comparison

Rockd vs Earthtunes

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

Head to head
About

Rockd

Discover and document the geology around you. Access global geologic maps, 3D globes, and detailed summaries of your surroundings. Contribute your own observations and track your exploration of Earth's geologic history.

Highlights
  • Interactive global geologic maps
  • 3D virtual globe exploration
  • Field observation logging
  • Offline map caching
  • Paleogeographic map access
  • Stratigraphic column viewing
  • Geologic literature integration
Features
Read full description

Explore, learn about, and document your geologic surroundings! Whether you are a professional geoscientist or curious about the rocks around you and the stories they tell, Rockd allows you to explore and learn about the geologic record, contribute your own observations, and log your journey through the geologic record. Features: - Instant access to geologic and geographic summaries of your current location via a Dashboard - Interactive global access to more than 290 geologic maps, with more being added weekly - Explore the landscape with a dynamic, 3D virtual globe - Save maps for use in the field with a built-in map caching system - See your past location and explore paleogeographic maps from C.R. Scotese and GPlates - View Macrostrat stratigraphic columns where available (beta) - Explore published literature containing mentions of mapped geologic units (when available) via xDD (formerly, GeoDeepDive) - Elevation data for most points on Earth from digital elevation models (DEMs) - Add your own field observations even offline; tag features from Macrostrat and the Paleobiology Database - Record strike/dip or trend/plunge for geologic features, using your phone's compass - Track your progress through the geologic record privately, or share it with others - See the public activity of other users and share your own and other public checkins using unique URLs Rockd is produced by the Macrostrat lab in the Department of Geoscience at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. Support provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Dept. of Geoscience. Experiencing issues? Send an email to contact@rockd.org and we will do our best to help you resolve it.

About

Earthtunes

Explore the Earth's hidden sounds by amplifying low-frequency seismic waves. This app transforms inaudible geological vibrations into audible pitches, offering a unique auditory experience of our planet's inner workings. Discover the fascinating acoustic phenomena generated by environmental sources and seismic events.

Highlights
  • Listen to inaudible seismic waves
  • Amplify low-frequency sounds
  • Experience Earth's geological vibrations
  • Understand seismic wave origins
  • Fascinating auditory exploration
Features
Read full description

Earthtunes is a mobile App that helps you listen to normally inaudible sounds within the Earth beneath us. These sounds are caused by seismic waves and are so low in frequency that our ears do not hear them. Most of these seismic waves are weak and continuously generated by a range of environmental sources. Some of these seismic waves are strong and caused by earthquakes. If you’ve ever played videos at twice the speed, you will have noticed that the pitch of the video’s sound went up as well. Earthtunes lets you listen to the Earth’s seismic waves by increasing their pitch. Two hours of seismic data translates to several seconds of sound. We hope you find these sounds as fascinating as we do. As seismologists we are working to understand what these sounds mean, it’s like learning a foreign language without a dictionary. While we have learned a lot over the past 100 years, many mysteries remain.

Screenshots

Rockd4 screens
Earthtunes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Earthtunes at 5.0 against Rockd's 4.4. Rockd's advantage is ratings volume (187 vs 7). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Earthtunes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Rockd has 187 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Rockd versus Earthtunes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRockdEarthtunes
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (187 ratings)5.0 (7 ratings) — better
Positive reviews73.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings187 — better7
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size259 MB20 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison Shared AppsNorthwestern University

Customer experience

Rockd

All ratings185 ratings
Positive82.2%
Neutral7.6%
Negative10.3%
Written reviews91 reviews
Positive73.6%
Neutral13.2%
Negative13.2%

Earthtunes

All ratings7 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Rockd

Reported bugs

17 issues
  • Black map display in airplane mode and online
  • Persistent error dialogs that cannot be dismissed
  • GPS not tracking in real-time
  • Offline check-ins not syncing properly
  • Sign-up page jumps between fields and login page
Show 12 more
  • Fossils button not working
  • Map returns to user location after viewing check-ins
  • App crashes and becomes unresponsive
  • Data loss after app reinstall or logout
  • Maps fail to load after recent updates
  • Location search functionality broken
  • Android version windows not visible
  • Straight lines appear when zooming
  • Formations stop at state lines
  • Check-in screen stuck with no exit option
  • App won't load after initial use
  • Geological overlay won't upload to base map

Requested features

16 requests
  • Follow/friend mechanic to track other users' check-ins
  • Rock identification tool from photo uploads
  • Offline map download with customizable zoom levels
  • Stereonet tool for structural geology
  • Groundwater/aquifer information section
Show 11 more
  • Map legend/key for geological features
  • Spanish language support
  • Ability to move dashboard to different locations
  • Latitude/longitude search functionality
  • Multiple photo attachments per location
  • Strike and dip data visualization
  • Fault line labeling on maps
  • Better Android version compatibility
  • Tutorial or short course for advanced features
  • Black contact lines between formations toggle
  • Personal photo upload focus with mineral variations

Earthtunes

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Rockd

No in-app purchases

None

Earthtunes

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Rockd free?
Rockd is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Earthtunes free?
Earthtunes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Rockd or Earthtunes?
Earthtunes is rated higher. Rockd averages 4.4 out of 5 from 187 ratings, while Earthtunes averages 5.0 from 7 ratings.
Do Rockd or Earthtunes have ads?
Neither Rockd nor Earthtunes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Rockd or Earthtunes?
Rockd ships an update every 3 months, and Earthtunes every 3 months. Most recently, Rockd was updated on October 21, 2026 and Earthtunes on October 10, 2026.

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