Caltrans QuickMap vs Caltech
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Caltrans QuickMap
Access real-time California traffic conditions, including speeds, camera snapshots, and lane closures. Receive alerts for road closures near your location. Customize your map view to display various highway information and points of interest.
- Real-time freeway speeds
- Traffic camera snapshots
- Lane closure alerts
- CHP incident reports
- Highway information display
- Geotargeted notifications
- Customizable map preferences
Read full descriptionHide full description
Know Before You Go: QuickMap puts real-time California traffic data straight from Caltrans in the palm of your hand — so you can plan smarter, avoid delays, and drive with confidence. What's on the map: - Freeway speeds and congestion - Live traffic cameras and snapshots - Lane closures and CHP incidents - Chain controls and snow plows - Changeable message signs - Border wait times - Safety roadside rest areas, Park & Ride lots - Commercial vehicle information including: -- Weigh stations and Escape Ramps -- Terminal/Service Access Ramps -- Overweight Corridors and California Truck Networks Auto-refresh will refresh data every 3 minutes unless a different refresh interval is selected in the settings screen. Manual refresh is also available via the refresh button at the bottom right of the map. Enable Geotargeted Notifications to receive alerts about road closures near you — even when the app is closed. Note: If you choose to enable Geotargeted Notifications, this app will monitor your location in the background and alert you (via a Push Notification) to State Highway System road closures occurring near you. Continued use of background location may decrease battery life. Questions or something not looking right on the map? We want to hear from you — reach us at quickmap@dot.ca.gov.
Caltech
Navigate campus buildings with smart indoor maps, even without GPS. Find and get directions to campus news, events, and points of interest like restaurants and restrooms.
- Indoor smart maps
- GPS-independent navigation
- Campus news and events
- Searchable points of interest
- Zoom event viewing
Read full descriptionHide full description
The Caltech app provides services to the network of users that are somehow related to this physical campus. You have access to the campus news and events and can also view Zoom events in the App. A key element of this system is for users to access smart maps of the buildings and locate/navigate themselves even indoors where GPS does not work! You can search for places that are by now marked in these buildings for example restaurants, cafes, WC, elevators, etc. You can also navigate yourself to any of the places of interest. (This feature is currently in limited mode; contact us for more) Feel free to explore and let us know what you think! Caltech is powered by Vicinia smart enterprise solutions from cntxts Inc.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Caltech at 5.0 against Caltrans QuickMap's 3.2. Caltech also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months). Caltrans QuickMap's advantage is ratings volume (206 vs 1) and chart position (#201 vs unranked). 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.
Caltech holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Caltrans QuickMap has 206 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Caltrans QuickMap ships an update every 2 months, Caltech monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and June 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Caltrans QuickMap | Caltech |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.2 (206 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 29.6% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 206 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #201 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 28 MB | 31 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | California Department of Transportation | cntxts Inc |
Customer experience
Caltrans QuickMap
Caltech
Bugs and requests
Caltrans QuickMap
Reported bugs
11 issues- App crashes immediately upon opening
- App closes itself even when not driving
- Camera feeds display error (play button with slash)
- Search feature completely non-functional
- Location and refresh buttons stack on iPhone XR
Show 6 moreShow fewer
- App redirects to FAQ page during navigation
- Inconsistent camera functionality (works sometimes, not others)
- Tap on road closure symbols returns incorrect nearby locations
- Chain control symbols not displaying on iPhone app
- App crashes during major storms when most needed
- Codec incompatibility prevents video playback on iPhone
Requested features
15 requests- CarPlay compatibility
- Live video streaming for cameras instead of still images
- Terrain and satellite map view options
- Ability to zoom and pinch camera images
- Larger, more visible map icons
Show 10 moreShow fewer
- Customizable saved map regions with memory
- Weather radar layer integration
- Customer service request submission within app
- Hazard reporting interface in-app
- Direction indicators for road signs before opening
- Freeway speed data display instead of color bands
- Extended coverage to other US states
- Last update timestamp visibility
- Clickable explanations for all map symbols
- Fire perimeter information on fire layer
Caltech
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Caltrans QuickMap
No in-app purchases
Caltech
No in-app purchases
