# Mapboard GIS vs 5e Buddy

The clearest difference is rating: 5e Buddy at 5.0 against Mapboard GIS's 4.5. 5e Buddy also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months) and device support (3 vs 1). Mapboard GIS's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mapboard GIS sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $29.99 per year and 5e Buddy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

5e Buddy holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 3 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Mapboard GIS ships an update every 2 months, 5e Buddy every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mapboard GIS | 5e Buddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mapboard-gis/id1446188315/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/5e-buddy/id6757008110/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **3** |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 69 MB | 137 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.1 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Daven Quinn](https://appshunter.io/developer/1388611117) | [Magical Duck Studios LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1864174984) |

## 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 |


### 5e Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/5e-buddy/id6757008110)

This app serves as a digital companion for tabletop role-playing games, offering interactive character sheets, dice rolling, and campaign management. It allows for the creation and tracking of multiple characters, including homebrewed content, and supports importing and exporting character data.

**Highlights:** Interactive character sheets, Character building from scratch, Homebrew content support, Virtual dice rolling, Multiple character organization, Import/export character data

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 5eBuddy Premium | $7.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mapboard GIS free?

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

### Is 5e Buddy free?

5e Buddy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Mapboard GIS or 5e Buddy?

5e Buddy is rated higher. Mapboard GIS averages 4.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while 5e Buddy averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Mapboard GIS or 5e Buddy have ads?

5e Buddy shows ads; Mapboard GIS does not.

### Which is updated more often, Mapboard GIS or 5e Buddy?

Mapboard GIS ships an update every 2 months, and 5e Buddy every 5 days. Most recently, Mapboard GIS was updated on October 10, 2026 and 5e Buddy 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.*