Comparison

Stereonet Mobile vs ICS

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

Head to head
About

Stereonet Mobile

This app assists geologists in collecting, visualizing, and analyzing geological orientation data. It offers automatic data entry using device sensors and augmented reality, manual input options, and various plotting and calculation tools for geological features.

Highlights
  • Automatic data entry via device orientation
  • Augmented reality for strike and dip measurement
  • Manual data entry via stereonet or text fields
  • Plotting of lines and planes with user-defined types
  • Basic geological calculations (rotations, angles, slope stability)
  • Plotting of mean vectors, rose diagrams, and contour lines
  • View plots from any orientation
Features
Read full description

Stereonet Mobile is designed to help you collect, visualize, and analyze geological orientation data. It is a companion to my Stereonet program for desktop computers. As such I have tried to incorporate the basic functionality of that program, taking into account the inherent limitations of mobile devices. Some of the basic tasks that one can perform with Stereonet Mobile include: • Provide automatic data entry as a geologist's compass by reading the iOS device orientation and converting it to strike and dip of planes and/or trend and plunge of lines. It is the only geology compass app that can use augmented reality to record the strike and dip of planes using the sighting method and the device camera. • Provide manual data entry via either tapping and dragging on the stereonet or by typing values into text fields • Plot lines and planes, which can be tagged using one of as many user defined data types (e.g., bedding, cleavage, slickensides, etc.) as you want • Carry out basic calculations such as: rotations about any axis, planes from poles or poles from planes, measure angles between lines and between planes, and basic slope stability calculations • Plot mean vectors, cylindrical best fits, rose diagrams, and contour lines. • View the plots from any orientation, not just looking straight down into the lower hemisphere • See the location of a datum on a map or satellite image (if you have an internet connection) • Show realtime changes to the stereonet projection to help students understand the geometry of the device better • Provide basic input and output of data using standard iOS conventions • Works on iPhones or iPads. The program will work on iPods or iPads lacking a cellular data connection but those devices have fewer sensors and thus cannot be used in automatic data collection mode.

About

ICS

Access authoritative geological time scale data and information on Global Boundary Stratotype Sections and Points (GSSPs). Explore charts, detailed GSSP information, and relevant statistics.

Highlights
  • Demonstration of ICS chart
  • Detailed GSSP information
  • GSSP statistics
  • Authoritative data service
Features
Read full description

ICS Timescale is the official APP of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS). It is designed to provide authoritative data service of ICS. The main functions include: 1) Demonstration of the ICS chart. 2) Detail information about each GSSP. 3) Statistics of the GSSPs.

Screenshots

Stereonet Mobile4 screens

Verdict

The call

Stereonet Mobile and ICS both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 73% of Stereonet Mobile's written reviews are positive against 50% of ICS's. Stereonet Mobile also leads on ratings volume (13 vs 3). ICS's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Stereonet Mobile against 4.3 for ICS. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13 and 3 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 73% of Stereonet Mobile's written reviews are positive against 50% of ICS's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Stereonet Mobile ships an update monthly, ICS every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Stereonet Mobile versus ICS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStereonet MobileICS
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (13 ratings) — better4.3 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews72.7% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings13 — better3
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.09.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size29 MB20 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRichard Allmendinger隽轩 樊

Customer experience

Stereonet Mobile

All ratings12 ratings
Positive91.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative8.3%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive72.7%
Neutral9.1%
Negative18.2%

ICS

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral33.3%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Stereonet Mobile

No in-app purchases

None

ICS

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Stereonet Mobile free?
Stereonet Mobile is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ICS free?
ICS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Stereonet Mobile or ICS?
Stereonet Mobile is rated higher. Stereonet Mobile averages 4.5 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while ICS averages 4.3 from 3 ratings.
Do Stereonet Mobile or ICS have ads?
Neither Stereonet Mobile nor ICS shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Stereonet Mobile or ICS?
Stereonet Mobile ships an update monthly, and ICS every 2 months. Most recently, Stereonet Mobile was updated on October 12, 2026 and ICS on October 21, 2026.

Other comparisons