Comparison

CalTopo vs MapTiler

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Offline map downloads
  • Satellite imagery
  • Route planning
  • GPS tracking
  • Weather forecasting
  • Collaborative map sharing
  • Slope angle shading
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

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.

About

MapTiler

Features
Read full description

Application for displaying custom vector and raster maps powered by MapTiler. Explore beautiful map styles, enable 3D terrain and play with geolocation and navigation features.

Screenshots

CalTopo4 screens
MapTiler4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: MapTiler at daily against CalTopo's every 2 weeks. CalTopo's advantage is chart position (#115 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CalTopo ships an update every 2 weeks, MapTiler daily. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 9 level
CalTopo versus MapTiler: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCalTopoMapTiler
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (7.6K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews56.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings7.6K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
Best chart rank#115 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size165 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCalTopo LLCMapTiler

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

MapTiler

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

CalTopo

No in-app purchases

None

MapTiler

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is CalTopo free?
CalTopo is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is MapTiler free?
MapTiler is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do CalTopo or MapTiler have ads?
Neither CalTopo nor MapTiler shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CalTopo or MapTiler?
CalTopo ships an update every 2 weeks, and MapTiler daily. Most recently, CalTopo was updated on November 3, 2026 and MapTiler on October 27, 2026.

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