KickTheMap vs CavernSeer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
KickTheMap
Create detailed 3D models of infrastructure and sites using augmented reality. Simply walk around your area, and the app automatically captures images to generate accurate 3D models within 24 hours. Visualize, measure, and export your data for various mapping and modeling needs.
- Augmented reality 3D scanning
- Automatic picture capture
- 3D models delivered within 24 hours
- Model scaling and georeferencing
- Export data in DXF, CSV, JSON, LAS
- Offline mode
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This is the perfect tool for utility mapping, volumes calculation, road mapping and infrastructure modelling (bridges, tunnels, retaining walls..). No prior knowledge required! Just walk around your site and the app works by itself, taking pictures all along the way thanks to an advanced Augmented Reality engine. 3D models are delivered within 24 hours on your personal desktop platform, allowing you to visualise, measure, digitise and export your data. Possibility to scale or georeference your model within the app with simple and intuitive features. App Features: - Picture auto-trigger based on user's motion - 3D model delivered within 24h - Up to 2000 pictures/job - Lightweight pictures for fast upload - Scale your model with a known distance - Georeference your model with on known points - Accuracy of 3 cm (1.2 in) in XYZ - In-app warnings - Unlimited number of jobs - Output quality checks - Offline mode in case of no internet coverage - Pictures counter Platform features: - High-quality visualisation - Fast rendering of millions of points - Distance, height, area - Easy digitisation with points and polylines - Objects attributes to export - Multiple point clouds display - Export objects in DXF, CSV or JSON - Export point clouds in LAS Trial version is limited to 5 projects of 150 pictures max.
CavernSeer
This app uses LiDAR scanners to create detailed 3D models of real-world spaces like caves and shelters. It offers various viewing modes, including 3D, top-down, and side-view projections, with export options for generated meshes.
- LiDAR-powered 3D mesh generation
- Multiple viewing modes (3D, plan, elevation)
- Export scan files (.OBJ)
- High-resolution screenshot capture
- Unit conversion (meters/feet)
- Debugging overlays
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Designed for cave and shelter surveying, CavernSeer leverages the LiDAR scanner of the 2020 iPad Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro, and RealityKit's scene reconstruction, to generate relatively-accurate 3D meshes of real-world spaces and render them in various convenient ways. ### App Usage ### All iOS/iPadOS 14 devices can run the app and view existing scans shared by others, but devices with a LiDAR scanner (currently iPhone 12 Pros and newer iPad Pros) can capture new scans. ### Viewing ### Scans created by the user or imported from elsewhere will appear in the "Scan List" tab, which lists out the names and the starting photo of the scan. Selecting a scan displays the start and end photos (if available), *export* options for the scan file as well as a plaintext .OBJ render, as well as the following: * Advanced - underlying information about the scan. * 3D Render - a 3D perspective rendering view navigable based on the setting "3D render interaction mode". * Plan Projected Render - a "top-down" orthographic projection complete with scale bar. Defaults to north-up. The height control allows for raising or lowering the camera to show or hide obstructions. * Elevation Projected Render - a "side-view" orthographic projection with scale bar, compass, and various controls. The angle controls change the direction the camera is facing relative to magnetic-north. The depth control is similar to the plan-projected height control, allowing for pushing the camera through obstructions. * Cross Section Render - an elevation projection (see above) with an inset plan-projection indicating the position and size of the camera, and a switch for making the camera "depth-of-field" 1-meter deep to create a cross-section slice. All of the renders support high-resolution screenshots scaled to higher detail than the device itself. ### Scanning ### Devices with a LiDAR scanner can capture new scans in the "Scanner" tab. Pressing the center button starts a scan, after which you can enable Apple's debugging overlays, either showing _Debug_ information or a _Mesh_ preview which displays the currently captured mesh on screen, as well as enabling the device's flashlight. Clicking the center button again will complete and save the scan, which will appear in the scan list. ### Settings ### * Three settings for mesh color change the way that the meshes in the various viewers are displayed. * Switch for changing between meters and decimal-feet in any distance contexts. * Setting for changing the interaction mode in the 3d Render view. The recommended option is "Orbit angle mapping". * Debugging options where appropriate.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: CavernSeer at 5.0 against KickTheMap's 4.3. KickTheMap's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
CavernSeer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 3 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
KickTheMap ships an update every 3 weeks, CavernSeer every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 8, 2026 and June 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | KickTheMap | CavernSeer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (4 ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 160 MB | 10 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | KickTheMap Sarl | Samuel Grush |
Customer experience
KickTheMap
CavernSeer
In-app purchases
KickTheMap
No in-app purchases
CavernSeer
No in-app purchases








