ZTrails vs CartoExplorer | maps | GPS
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ZTrails
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Discover Pyrenees Roads with ZTrails! ZTrails offers a wide catalog of routes in continuous growth, informs of the state of the trails and facilitates the coexistence of the different users of the mountain. ZTrails warns of the hunting scheduled in the area and other incidents that affect the routes such as landslides, flooding of rivers, closures due to overexploitation of a path, sports races, snow or other conditions. MAIN FEATURES - Search engine for routes, allowing you to filter the search by name, nearby routes, zone, activity, difficulty, recommended season, status, distance, time, elevation gain, distance by path, routes marked, variants, circulars, etc. - List of routes, showing their status (opened without events, affected or closed). - Access to detailed information about the route, including visualization of the route on the map and access to multimedia information (profile, general map, photographs). - Tracking of a specific route or free navigation, keeping you informed of your position with respect to scheduled hunting beats (warnings when approaching or entering a hunting beat). - Incidents map that shows the different types of events that have been registered, and their status (beginning, ending, description, photographs). - History of routes made by the user, classified by activity type, history of conditions and comments made by the user. - Access to detail of routes made at the user history, showing associated profile and altitude data. - Update routes and conditions when entering the application, to have the last minute changes on your mobile. REMEMBER - Your safety is the most important, do not put yourself in danger - Respect the rest of the users of the mountain and traditional activities - Do not throw garbage or get out of the way - If you go by bike and you meet with hikers, stop, say hello and let them pass - In hunting season pay attention and respect the signage choosing alternative routes - Remember that to receive notifications you have to be following a route or have started free navigation ABOUT US ZTrails arises from the collaboration between the Zona Zero Business Association and the Cerveza Rondadora company, with the aim of contributing to the sustainable growth of the region's economic development and improving the coexistence of all mountain users. This project could not have been carried out without the collaboration of the town councils, the Sobrarbe region and the hunting associations of the territory that have lent their trust, their help and knowledge throughout the project. This project has been carried out under the Local Development Strategy Leader 2014-2020, managed by the Center for the Development of Sobrarbe and the Ribagorza (CEDESOR) and financed by the European Fund EAFRD and the Government of Aragon. All the information published in ZTrails, and, specifically, the information of the hunting hunts, is what the different preserves and users provide to ZONA ZERO. ZONA ZERO will verify, within its capabilities, such information, without being responsible for the consequences derived from the use of this information.
CartoExplorer | maps | GPS
This navigation app offers a vast library of high-quality maps for outdoor adventures like hiking and cycling. Plan routes, track your progress in real-time, and mark points of interest. Offline map management ensures you stay on course without an internet connection.
- Extensive map library (USGS, IGN, SwissTopo, World)
- Route planning and saving
- Real-time track following
- Precise marker placement
- Polygon area calculation
- Offline map management
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Discover CartoExplorer, the mapping app designed to accompany you on all your outdoor adventures. Wherever you are, thanks to its wide range of maps (USGS, Europe, worldwide), and whatever your activity (hiking, skiing, cycling…), from planning on your computer to tracking your progress on your mobile, CartoExplorer will quickly become your trusted partner in the field. Easy to use, CartoExplorer is a complete application that adapts to your needs. Explore the world with a rich variety of maps. CartoExplorer provides direct access to a vast library of high-quality base maps tailored for all your exploration and geographic analysis needs: - USGS Maps (United States): Navigate the vast territories of the U.S. with topographic maps from the United States Geological Survey (USGS). - IGN Maps (France): Benefit from the precision and detail of the National Institute of Geographic and Forest Information’s maps. Please note that access to certain IGN maps (IGN Maps, Topo25, and OACI) requires a specific subscription. - SwissTopo Maps (Switzerland): Discover the legendary accuracy of Swiss Federal Office of Topography’s maps. - IGN Maps (Spain): Explore the Iberian Peninsula with topographic maps from Spain’s National Geographic Institute (IGN). - World Maps: Travel across the globe with the power of OpenStreetMap and a wide variety of specialized base layers built on its data. among many others. CartoExplorer doesn’t just offer exceptional maps. It also provides a suite of intuitive and powerful tools to plan, record, and analyze your activities in the field: - Create and save tracks: Plan your routes easily directly on the map. Draw paths freehand or follow existing trails. Record your GPS movements in real time, view your track on the map, and monitor key data. Export and share your tracks in GPX format for use on other devices and platforms. - Follow tracks in real time: Import GPX tracks or select a created route and let CartoExplorer guide you. View your current position on the track and get real-time updates on remaining distance and estimated arrival time. - Place precise markers: Mark important points of interest on your map — summits, springs, viewpoints, campsites, incidents, and more. Customize markers with colors, names, icons, and descriptions. View GPS coordinates and easily share them with other users. - Define areas with polygons: Outline specific zones on the map by drawing polygons. Automatically calculate their surface area. Useful for identifying search zones, delimiting plots, or planning operations in targeted territories. - Manage your offline maps: Never let a lack of internet connection limit your explorations. CartoExplorer offers simple yet powerful offline management: automatic caching of viewed maps and precise offline downloads where you select the exact region you want to store locally. Some of these features (sharing, tracking, offline mode, etc.) are not available in the free version of the app. Unlock the full potential of CartoExplorer with our Premium subscription (€19.99/year) or Duo subscription (€29.99/year).
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ZTrails at none against CartoExplorer | maps | GPS's 4. CartoExplorer | maps | GPS's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 5 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.5). On price, 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. CartoExplorer | maps | GPS sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $17.99 per year. ZTrails asks for nothing beyond the download.
ZTrails ships an update every 5 months, CartoExplorer | maps | GPS monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ZTrails | CartoExplorer | maps | GPS |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 35 MB | 44 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | GeoSLab | Lucas Miller |
In-app purchases
ZTrails
No in-app purchases
CartoExplorer | maps | GPS
- Premium$17.991 Year
- Premium + IGN$24.991 Year
- Duo$24.991 Year
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- Duo + IGN$34.991 Year









