Comparison

Rockd vs Underfoot

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

Underfoot

Features
Read full description

Underfoot is a field guide for anyone who can't walk past a bug without stopping to look. Point a phone at an insect, spider, or under-a-rock critter, and Underfoot tells you what it is — then it becomes a specimen card in your collection, illustrated by hand like something out of an old field notebook. Not a checkbox. Not a badge. A card you're proud of. HOW IT WORKS • Point, identify, collect. Photograph a bug and get an honest identification — and when the app isn't certain, it says so, narrows to the group, and shows you a real reference photo to check against, so you learn instead of just being told. A wrong first guess is never a dead end: you can decline it and search the guide yourself. • Hand-drawn specimen cards. Over 2,000 U.S. insects, spiders, and under-a-rock critters — roly-polies, millipedes, snails, centipedes — each with its own ink-and-watercolor illustration. • Collect anything. Found something rare that isn't a pre-made card? Collect it as a "wild find" and the app draws its card on the spot. • Where to look. Every entry has a plain-language habitat tip, plus real parks and trails near you to go hunt. • In season. See which bugs are out right now in your area, so there's always a reason to go outside. QUIET BY DESIGN Underfoot is a general-audience app operated through a parent. There are no accounts to create, no login, no email, no ads, and no behavioral tracking. A profile is just a nickname and a chosen mark — never a full name, an email, or a photo of your child. The only thing sent off the device is the bug photo itself, sent once to Google's identification service to name the insect — never anything about who took it. Location is coarse and optional, and your exact position is never stored. Browsing your collection works fully offline, and one tap deletes everything. The outdoors is the product. Underfoot is built to be picked up, used for a few minutes, and put back in a pocket — so you get back to turning over rocks. FREE & PRO Collect up to 10 species for free. Underfoot Pro unlocks the entire guide — unlimited collecting — for $2.99/month or $24.99/year. Auto-renewable; cancel anytime in Settings. No weekly billing, no tricks. Restore Purchase is right on the paywall. Made by someone who takes the curiosity seriously. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://underfoot.web.app/privacy

Screenshots

Rockd4 screens
Underfoot4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Rockd at none against Underfoot's 2. On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Underfoot sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Rockd asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Rockd versus Underfoot: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRockdUnderfoot
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (185 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews73.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings185 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 months—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.6 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size259 MB100 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison Shared AppsJason Brannon

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

Underfoot

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Rockd

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Underfoot

Subscriptions2
  • Underfoot Pro$2.991 Month
  • Underfoot Pro Annual$24.991 Year

Questions

Is Rockd free?
Rockd is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Underfoot free?
Underfoot is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Rockd or Underfoot have ads?
Neither Rockd nor Underfoot shows ads.

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