EPA VSAT vs Mapboard GIS
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
EPA VSAT
This tool helps drinking water and wastewater systems assess risks from malevolent acts and natural hazards. It assists in evaluating improvements for enhanced security and resilience, aiding compliance with regulatory requirements.
- Risk assessment for water systems
- Resilience evaluation
- Security improvement assessment
- Compliance with Safe Drinking Water Act
- Assesses malevolent acts and natural hazards
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VSAT is a tool for assessing risk and resilience at drinking water and wastewater systems. It can be used to estimate risks from malevolent acts and natural hazards and to evaluate improvements for increased security and resilience. The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) section 1433 requires that each community water system serving more than 3,300 people assess the risks to and resilience of its system from malevolent acts and natural hazards. EPA designed VSAT Web 3.0 to help water systems comply with SDWA section 1433.
Mapboard GIS
This iPad app allows users to draw field maps using an Apple Pencil, combining the ease of pen-and-paper with the precision of GIS. It's designed for geologists and others needing interpretive mapping, offering intuitive tools for creating topologically consistent geologic maps.
- Pen-based editing tools
- Intuitive reshaping and snapping
- Iterative topology solver
- Onboard Spatialite GIS engine
- Native GIS software compatibility
- User-configurable data types
- Tether to remote PostGIS
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Mapboard GIS is an iPad app for drawing maps with an Apple Pencil. Mapboard combines the intuitive workflow of pen-and-paper mapping with the precision, flexibility, and scale-independence of geospatial information systems (GIS). Its forward-looking design helps beginner and expert mappers produce multiscale, topologically consistent geologic maps. MOTIVATION AND DESIGN Mapboard GIS was born out of frustration with both paper– and GIS-based mapping workflows. It is primarily designed for geologists but is potentially useful in many situations demanding interpretive mapping. Mapboard attempts to bring digital mapping closer to the intuitive experience provided by paper. A sophisticated open-source spatial engine drives simple tools for drawing, erasing, and reshaping features. Outputs are natively compatible with common GIS software. Mapboard allows mapping time to be spent refining interpretations instead of fighting with technical tools. KEY FEATURES - Editing tools geared towards pen-based mapping - Powerful and intuitive reshaping, snapping, and erasing - Iterative topology solver to fill map units - Sophisticated onboard Spatialite GIS engine - Project files natively readable by standard GIS software (QGIS, ArcGIS, etc.) - User-configurable data types for line and polygon features - Tether to remote PostGIS for work across large datasets and real-time collaboration - Interoperable with standard formats (mbtiles, Spatialite, PostGIS) and open-source + commercial software OTHER FEATURES - Load MBTiles basemaps - Satellite, streets, and topographic basemaps - Dark mode support - Geologic line types TERMS OF USE: https://mapboard-gis.app/terms-of-service PRIVACY POLICY: https://mapboard-gis.app/privacy CHANGELOG: https://mapboard-gis.app/docs/ios/releases
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: EPA VSAT at 5.0 against Mapboard GIS's 4.5. EPA VSAT also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, ratings volume, 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. Mapboard GIS sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $29.99 per year. EPA VSAT asks for nothing beyond the download.
EPA VSAT holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively.
EPA VSAT ships an update fortnightly, Mapboard GIS every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | EPA VSAT | Mapboard GIS |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | 4.5 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 2 — better |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPad | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | 16.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 69 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) | Daven Quinn |
Customer experience
EPA VSAT
Mapboard GIS
In-app purchases
EPA VSAT
No in-app purchases
Mapboard GIS
- Full Version$29.991 Year









