# Relief Maps vs Map Data Explorer

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Relief Maps at 69% against Map Data Explorer's 0%. Relief Maps also leads on rating (4.6 vs 2.0) and ratings volume (166 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Relief Maps sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Map Data Explorer sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Relief Maps holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Relief Maps has 166 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of Relief Maps's written reviews are positive against 0% of Map Data Explorer's.

Relief Maps ships an update fortnightly, Map Data Explorer every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Relief Maps | Map Data Explorer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (166 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/relief-maps-backcountry-gps/id1269599076/reviews)** | [2.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/map-data-explorer/id1591995115/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **166** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **69.0% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Size | 226 MB | 138 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Batiste Vonderweidt](https://appshunter.io/developer/1269599075) | [Tech Maven GeoSpatial LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1459067502) |

## What reviewers say

### Relief Maps

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/relief-maps-backcountry-gps/id1269599076)

Navigate mountain adventures with detailed 3D maps and offline GPS capabilities. Plan routes, discover points of interest, and access specialized tools for hiking, skiing, paragliding, and more. Explore terrain, check weather, and track your progress even without an internet connection.

**Highlights:** 3D map visualization, Offline GPS navigation, Route planning and export (GPX), Points of interest discovery, Specialized tools for paragliding and ski touring, Augmented reality terrain analysis, Detailed weather forecasts

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| USGS Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Premium Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| USGS Yearly | $4.99 | per year |
| Premium Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium Yearly | $8.99 | per year |
| Premium Yearly | $9.49 | per year |
| Premium Yearly | $12.49 | per year |
| IGN Yearly | $13.99 | per year |
| Premium + IGN -30% | $19.99 | per year |
| Premium Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Premium Yearly | $24.99 | per year |
| Premium Lifetime | $13.99 | one-time |
| Premium Lifetime | $26.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🗺️ Detailed and precise maps
- ⛰️ Excellent 3D terrain visualization
- ⛷️ Great for ski touring (BERA, slopes)
- 🪂 Ideal for paragliding (hike & fly)
- 🔋 Good battery life with flight mode

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔋 High battery consumption (GPS active)
- 💻 Not working with Mac OS iMac M1
- 🖱️ Clunky UI and unintuitive interface
- 🐌 Poor map performance and loading

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on entry
- Cannot sign in for trial
- App crashes frequently (7 out of 10 times)
- Live tracking cannot be turned off
- Route from a past race opens by default

**Requested features**

- Lidar usage instructions
- Desktop version
- Integration of avalanche bulletin
- More routes
- Simulation of wind in mountains for paragliding


### Map Data Explorer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/map-data-explorer/id1591995115)

This advanced mapping application supports various data formats including GeoJSON, MBTILES, and GPKG. It offers tools for drawing, editing vector data, and collecting dynamic information. Visualize terrain in 3D and utilize a suite of navigation and measurement features.

**Highlights:** Vector tile basemaps, User-loaded GeoJSON, MBTILES, GPKG data, Map catalog support, Vector data drawing and editing, 3D terrain and building visualization, Advanced data collection forms, Coordinate conversion and measurement tools

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| TMG Elevate API | $4.99 | per year |
| Map Data Explorer Subscription | $4.99 | per year |
| TMG Vector Conversion API | $14.99 | per year |
| MapBox RGB PNG Elevation Tiles | $24.99 | per year |
| GeoRequest Area of Interest | $99.99 | per year |
| Pre-Staged Data Downloading | $199.99 | per year |
| Tile Downloader Module | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Relief Maps free?

Relief Maps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Map Data Explorer free?

Map Data Explorer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Relief Maps or Map Data Explorer?

Relief Maps is rated higher. Relief Maps averages 4.6 out of 5 from 166 ratings, while Map Data Explorer averages 2.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Relief Maps or Map Data Explorer have ads?

Neither Relief Maps nor Map Data Explorer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Relief Maps or Map Data Explorer?

Relief Maps ships an update fortnightly, and Map Data Explorer every 2 months. Most recently, Relief Maps was updated on October 15, 2026 and Map Data Explorer on October 3, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*