CalTopo vs Yonderlust
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
CalTopo
Plan and navigate off-grid adventures with detailed offline maps and real-time weather forecasts. Trusted by professionals, this app offers seamless syncing and collaborative planning for backcountry pursuits.
- Offline map downloads
- Satellite imagery
- Route planning
- GPS tracking
- Weather forecasting
- Collaborative map sharing
- Slope angle shading
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New on CalTopo: the CalTopo app is now satellite ready, allowing you to use many features of the app offline with satellite data! Take the best mapping app with you wherever you go with the CalTopo app for iOS. Trusted by professional mountain guides, avalanche educators, and search and rescue teams, CalTopo has all the features you need to plan your next off-grid pursuit. Seamless integration between CalTopo online and your mobile device allows you to access and update your maps no matter where you are. Any changes you make will automatically sync across all devices, making exporting and importing your latest map a thing of the past. The CalTopo app allows you to easily take your planning and navigation to the next level. Real time decision making in backcountry terrain is made easy with the ability to download maps and layers like slope angle shading to your device for offline use. Plan for conditions on your route with sun exposure, wind, precipitation and avalanche forecasts. View and track your location on the map using GPS, even if you are offline. Share maps with your teams or travel partners to plan collaboratively, and to ensure everyone has the necessary data. Monitor real time updates from the field, like your friends progress on a long outing with live tracking on shared maps. Plan and navigate your next adventure with the CalTopo App today! Map layers include: • MapBuilder Topo, Hybrid and Overlay • Forest Service Maps • Scanned Topos • Global Imagery • Shaded Relief • Slope Angle Shading (including high resolution elevation data where available) • Parcel data • Public Lands • Weekly Satellite Imagery • NAIP Satellite Imagery • Sun Exposure • Marine Charts • Weather Forecasting (including wind, precipitation, and temperatures) • Snow and Water Gauge Data • Fire History/Activity • And many more Support and Feature Requests: Email us at help@caltopo.com.
Yonderlust
Discover and embark on self-guided adventures with local content, maps, and safety tips. Explore new places with curated trip information and checklists.
- Self-guided adventure trips
- Free local content
- Interactive maps
- Checklists
- Safety tips
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Download the Yonderlust app for the best self-guided adventure trips. Free local content, maps, checklists, safety tips and more! Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CalTopo at none against Yonderlust's 11. CalTopo also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 7 months). Yonderlust's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). On price, rating 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
Both are free to download. Yonderlust sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $59.99 per year. CalTopo asks for nothing beyond the download.
Yonderlust holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CalTopo has 7.6K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.
CalTopo ships an update every 2 weeks, Yonderlust every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | CalTopo | Yonderlust |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (7.6K ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 56.5% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 7.6K — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Every 7 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #135 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 165 MB | 73 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | CalTopo LLC | MOXY Outdoors, LLC |
Customer experience
CalTopo
Yonderlust
Bugs and requests
CalTopo
Reported bugs
4 issues- Trails and tracks disappearing
- Coordinate display issues
- Frequent app crashes and freezes
- Incompatibility with older devices
Requested features
5 requests- Add 3D map view
- Implement route snapping to trails
- Improve offline map download capabilities
- Add photo geotagging functionality
- Implement course-up map orientation
Yonderlust
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
CalTopo
No in-app purchases
Yonderlust
- All Access (1 Year)$59.991 Year
- Paddle the Black River$12.99
- Paddle Camp Masonboro Island$12.99
- Doughton Park Adventure Run$12.99
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- Fastpack the VA Triple Crown$14.99
- Backpack the Art Loeb Trail$14.99
- Backpack Linville Gorge$14.99
- Trail Run the Roan Highlands$14.99
- Moab Winter Wonderland$24.99
- Hut-to-Hut Presidential Range$24.99
- Kiteboard the Outer Banks$24.99
