KickTheMap vs RTAB
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.
RTAB
This utility app enables real-time 3D scanning and mapping of environments using LiDAR or RGB-D sensors. It features online loop closure detection and map optimization for immediate feedback, with export options for various 3D formats.
- Online 3D scanning and mapping
- Loop closure detection and map correction
- Save maps in DB format
- Export in PLY, LAS, or OBJ
- Multi-session mapping
- AR/VR visualization mode
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RTAB-Map (Real-Time Appearance-Based Mapping) is an Open Source LiDAR / RGB-D / Stereo Graph-Based SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) approach based on an online incremental appearance-based loop closure detector. The loop closure detector uses a bag-of-words approach to determinate how likely a new image comes from a previous location or a new location. When a loop closure hypothesis is accepted, a new constraint is added to the map's graph, then a graph optimizer minimizes the errors in the map in real-time. An optional memory management approach can be used to limit the number of locations used for loop closure detection and graph optimization, so that real-time constraints on large-scale environnements are always respected. ARKit's visual inertial odometry (VIO) is used as the SLAM front-end for RTAB-Map (the SLAM back-end). * Note that unlike other scanning apps that optimize the map only after mapping, with RTAB-Map you get loop closure detection and map optimization online so you can have a live feedback to know when you have enough constraints in the map for good global optimization before stopping the scan. *** 3D reconstruction available only with LiDAR sensor. Features: * Online 3D scanning/mapping of the environment. * Online loop closure detection and map correction. * Save in DB format (RTAB-Map desktop and rtabmap_ros format). * Export in PLY, LAS or OBJ. * Multi-session mapping (save and continue later). * Use Apriltags to help finding loop closures in textureless environments. * Mixed AR/VR First-Person in visualization mode. * Raw ARKit data recording (up to 60 Hz!), useful to record long sessions without comprising battery life.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: RTAB at 4.8 against KickTheMap's 4.3. RTAB also leads on ratings volume (41 vs 4). KickTheMap's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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.
RTAB holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RTAB has 41 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
KickTheMap ships an update every 3 weeks, RTAB every 4 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | KickTheMap | RTAB |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (4 ratings) | 4.8 (41 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4 | 41 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 4 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 14.3 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 275 MB | 19 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | KickTheMap Sarl | Mathieu Labbe |
Customer experience
KickTheMap
RTAB
In-app purchases
KickTheMap
No in-app purchases
RTAB
No in-app purchases









