# PurpleMap vs Map Diary

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PurpleMap at none against Map Diary's 7. Map Diary's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 42 months) and iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Map Diary sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. PurpleMap asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for PurpleMap against 5.0 for Map Diary. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

PurpleMap ships an update every 42 months, Map Diary weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PurpleMap | Map Diary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/purplemap/id1481428822/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/map-diary-location-journal/id6760814483/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 42 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 3 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **18.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Paul Kim](https://appshunter.io/developer/1481428821) | [Can Bi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1631723329) |

## What reviewers say

### PurpleMap

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/purplemap/id1481428822)

This app provides offline maps for Europe, allowing users to easily tag and search for locations. It supports dark mode and offers integration with popular map services.

**Highlights:** Offline European maps, GPS location centering, Tagging favorite locations, Search integration (Naver, Kakao, Google), Dark mode support, English and Korean language support

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Map Diary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/map-diary-location-journal/id6760814483)

This app allows you to privately save and organize locations on an interactive map with photos and notes. It works completely offline, requiring no account or internet connection, making it ideal for travel and documenting personal memories.

**Highlights:** Save locations on interactive map, Add photos and timestamped notes, Organize locations into custom lists, Fully offline and private functionality, Personalize pins with icons and colors, Automatic address lookup, Multiple map styles

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Map Diary Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Map Diary Annual | $9.99 | per year |
| Support Tip - Map Pin | $1.99 | one-time |
| Support Tip - Trail Marker | $4.99 | one-time |
| Support Tip - Compass Rose | $12.99 | one-time |
| Map Diary Lifetime | $19.99 | one-time |
| Support Tip - World Explorer | $24.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PurpleMap free?

PurpleMap is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Map Diary free?

Map Diary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, PurpleMap or Map Diary?

PurpleMap and Map Diary are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do PurpleMap or Map Diary have ads?

Neither PurpleMap nor Map Diary shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PurpleMap or Map Diary?

PurpleMap ships an update every 42 months, and Map Diary weekly. Most recently, PurpleMap was updated on September 30, 2026 and Map Diary 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.*