# Mapboard GIS vs ARCS Mobile App

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ARCS Mobile App at none against Mapboard GIS's 1. ARCS Mobile App also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 2 months) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mapboard GIS sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $29.99 per year. ARCS Mobile App asks for nothing beyond the download.

Mapboard GIS ships an update every 2 months, ARCS Mobile App every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mapboard GIS | ARCS Mobile App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mapboard-gis/id1446188315/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2** | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 69 MB | 21 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.1 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Daven Quinn](https://appshunter.io/developer/1388611117) | [Zhutian Gao](https://appshunter.io/developer/1823134585) |

## What reviewers say

### Mapboard GIS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mapboard-gis/id1446188315)

This iPad app allows users to draw field maps using an Apple Pencil, combining the ease of pen-and-paper with the precision of GIS. It's designed for geologists and others needing interpretive mapping, offering intuitive tools for creating topologically consistent geologic maps.

**Highlights:** Pen-based editing tools, Intuitive reshaping and snapping, Iterative topology solver, Onboard Spatialite GIS engine, Native GIS software compatibility, User-configurable data types, Tether to remote PostGIS

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Version | $29.99 | per year |


### ARCS Mobile App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arcs-mobile-app/id6747874631)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mapboard GIS free?

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

### Is ARCS Mobile App free?

ARCS Mobile App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Mapboard GIS or ARCS Mobile App have ads?

Neither Mapboard GIS nor ARCS Mobile App shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mapboard GIS or ARCS Mobile App?

Mapboard GIS ships an update every 2 months, and ARCS Mobile App every 8 days. Most recently, Mapboard GIS was updated on October 10, 2026 and ARCS Mobile App on October 5, 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.*