Comparison

MapScribe vs Map Canvas

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

Head to head
About

MapScribe

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
Read full description

MapScribe is an IOS App that lets you draw maps on your IPad or IPhone. It has an easy to use interface that lets you quickly "paint" antique styled maps with finger swipes and taps using its map feature "brushes", such as mountains and trees. Are you an author who needs to create a map for your fantasy novel? Perhaps you are a video game designer who needs to create a map for players to use to navigate through your game? Or maybe you are an artist looking to create a unique kind of decor? ...AND You want to do it on your IPad or IPhone Then, MapScribe is for you. --Map Resolutions-- MapScribe let's you create maps as jpg files with the following resolutions both vertically(portrait) and horzontally(landscape) oriented: • 500 x 700 • 800 x 1000 • 850 x 1100 • 900 x 1200 • 1100 x 1400 • 1200 x 1600 --Fonts-- MapScribe let's you write on your maps with the following fonts: • Ariel • Bradley Hand • Noteworthy • Papyrus • Snell Roundhand • Zapfino --Brushes-- These brushes allow you to paint features on your map Mountains Hills Trees Fir Trees Palm Trees Dead Trees Bridge Castle Town House Swamp Dunes Water Compass Sea Monster Volcano 3 Kinds of grasses Roads Tower Shop Classic Building Mine Jail Tavern Mill City Hall Church Townhouse Arena - Color Brushes - Green (for grass) Blue (for water) White (for snow) Snow capped Mountains Green Hills Green Trees Green Fir Trees

About

Map Canvas

Create and share custom maps with drawing, annotation, and pathfinding tools. Supports collaboration via iCloud and offers map templates for illustrations. Import and export geographic data in GeoJSON and GPX formats.

Highlights
  • Drawing, annotation, and pathfinding tools
  • Alternative map engine (Google Maps)
  • iCloud map collaboration
  • Map templates for illustrations
  • GeoJSON and GPX file import
  • GeoJSON export
Features
Read full description

Map Canvas is a collaborative tool for planning, journalling and illustration on Apple Maps. Key features: 1. Tools for drawing, annotating and pathfinding. 2. Google Maps as alternative map engine for browsing. 3. Map collaboration via iCloud. 4. Map templates of countries and regions overlays for illustrations. 5. GeoJSON and GPX files import. 6. GeoJSON export.

Screenshots

MapScribe2 screens
Map Canvas4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Map Canvas at Free against MapScribe's $2.99. Map Canvas also leads on rating (4.5 vs 3.4) and review sentiment (81% vs 50%). MapScribe's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and iOS requirement (12.1 vs 18.0). On ratings volume, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Map Canvas is free to download; MapScribe costs $2.99 up front. Map Canvas sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. MapScribe asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Map Canvas holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 47 and 110 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of MapScribe's written reviews are positive against 81% of Map Canvas's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MapScribe ships an update every 3 months, Map Canvas fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
MapScribe versus Map Canvas: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMapScribeMap Canvas
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating3.4 (47 ratings)4.5 (110 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews81.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings47110 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS12.1 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size36 MB27 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDaniel EskridgeKa Chun Wong

Customer experience

MapScribe

All ratings46 ratings
Positive52.2%
Neutral17.4%
Negative30.4%
Written reviews38 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral21.1%
Negative28.9%

Map Canvas

All ratings109 ratings
Positive88.1%
Neutral1.8%
Negative10.1%
Written reviews21 reviews
Positive81.0%
Neutral4.8%
Negative14.3%

Bugs and requests

MapScribe

Reported bugs

11 issues
  • App crashes when exporting
  • App crashes with larger resolution canvases
  • App shuts down or freezes phone
  • Exporting map results in "eRrOr"
  • Undo doesn't work on first item drawn when zoomed
Show 6 more
  • Water brush not suitable for diagonal/vertical rivers
  • Erasing shows up as a different color
  • App crashes when using larger canvases
  • App doesn't work on some phones
  • Brush scales with zoom level
  • Export function crashes app

Requested features

23 requests
  • Add more brushes (ships, camps, lighthouses, ruins, animals)
  • Add town ruins and castle ruins
  • Add a smaller text brush size option
  • Add a military base building and outpost
  • Add a map adding feature (attach maps)
Show 18 more
  • Allow importing images to trace or add assets
  • Add Apple Pencil support for variable width strokes
  • Add a clone tool for stamping
  • Add more terrain stamps
  • Add tools for drawing coastlines/borders
  • Add ability to crop, resize, and drag maps
  • Add a redo button
  • Make compatible with iPad
  • Add urban map stamps
  • Add fields, mines, sea monsters, sea features
  • Add a volcano option for mountains
  • Add road drawing tool
  • Add ability to rotate canvas or compass
  • Add a cancel button for menus
  • Add ability to delete saved maps
  • Add more precise brush control
  • Add option to control canvas size and export resolution
  • Add a free version to try

Map Canvas

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

MapScribe

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Map Canvas

One-time4
  • 3-Days Free TrialFree
  • Map Canvas Watch App$0.99
  • Donation$2.99
Show 1 more
  • Map Canvas Premium$4.99

Questions

Is MapScribe free?
MapScribe costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Map Canvas free?
Map Canvas is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, MapScribe or Map Canvas?
Map Canvas is rated higher. MapScribe averages 3.4 out of 5 from 47 ratings, while Map Canvas averages 4.5 from 110 ratings.
Do MapScribe or Map Canvas have ads?
Neither MapScribe nor Map Canvas shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MapScribe or Map Canvas?
MapScribe ships an update every 3 months, and Map Canvas fortnightly. Most recently, MapScribe was updated on November 6, 2026 and Map Canvas on November 8, 2026.

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