# MapScribe vs Fortelling

The clearest difference is price: Fortelling at Free against MapScribe's $2.99. Fortelling also leads on rating (4.5 vs 3.3) and update cadence (every 8 days vs every 3 months). MapScribe's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and ads (none vs shown). On device support there is nothing between them.

Fortelling is free to download; MapScribe costs $2.99 up front. Fortelling sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $7.39 per month. MapScribe asks for nothing beyond the download.

Fortelling holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Fortelling has 1K ratings behind it against 46, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of MapScribe's written reviews are positive against 73% of Fortelling's.

MapScribe ships an update every 3 months, Fortelling every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MapScribe | Fortelling |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.3 (46 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mapscribe/id1271371859/reviews) | **[4.5 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fortelling-story-writing/id1503524513/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 46 | **1K** |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **72.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 36 MB | 117 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.1** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Daniel Eskridge](https://appshunter.io/developer/1271371858) | [AJP Digital Tools B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1503524512) |

## What reviewers say

### MapScribe

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mapscribe/id1271371859)

Easily create antique-styled maps on your iPad or iPhone.  Utilize a variety of "brushes" to paint features like mountains, trees, and towns.  Export your creations in multiple resolutions.

**Highlights:** Draw antique-styled maps, Finger swipe and tap interface, Variety of map feature "brushes", Multiple map resolutions, Selectable fonts for text, Color brushes for terrain

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Fortelling

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fortelling-story-writing/id1503524513)

This app helps novelists plot and write their books by organizing story elements like characters, locations, and items. It offers tools for world-building, real-time collaboration, and writing statistics, along with weekly challenges to inspire creativity.

**Highlights:** Advanced plotting tools, World-building for fictional universes, Story element organization, Real-time collaboration, In-app novel writing, Writing statistics, Weekly writing challenges

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Fortelling Pro - Monthly | $7.39 | per month |
| Fortelling Pro - Monthly | $7.49 | per month |
| Fortelling Pro - Monthly | $7.49 | per month |
| Fortelling Pro - Annually | $74.99 | per year |
| Fortelling Pro - Annually | $74.99 | per year |
| Fortelling Pro - Annually | $74.99 | per year |
| Fortelling Pro Lifetime | $199.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Amazing tools
- 🚀 Interesting prompts
- 👍 Helpful for planning stories
- 👍 Detailed character and world-building
- 👍 Organized and easy to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Unresponsive save feature
- 🐛 Difficulty deleting or rearranging content
- 🔒 Concerns about intellectual property rights
- 💰 Paid features for desktop version

**Reported bugs**

- Blank screen when trying to delete characters
- Inability to rearrange timeline events
- Inconsistent behavior when adding images
- Disappearing projects and lost progress

**Requested features**

- Ability to import/export data
- More customization options
- Better organization and navigation
- Offline mode or autosave functionality
- Collaborative features and social sharing


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MapScribe free?

MapScribe costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Fortelling free?

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

### Which has better reviews, MapScribe or Fortelling?

Fortelling is rated higher. MapScribe averages 3.3 out of 5 from 46 ratings, while Fortelling averages 4.5 from 1K ratings.

### Do MapScribe or Fortelling have ads?

Fortelling shows ads; MapScribe does not.

### Which is updated more often, MapScribe or Fortelling?

MapScribe ships an update every 3 months, and Fortelling every 8 days. Most recently, MapScribe was updated on October 26, 2026 and Fortelling on October 27, 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.*