Comparison

Bad Elf Flex vs StraboField

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

Head to head
About

Bad Elf Flex

This utility app enhances the functionality of Bad Elf Flex and Flex Mini GNSS receivers. It allows users to monitor hardware health, adjust settings, and update firmware. For the Flex model, it also enables the purchase and application of tokens for advanced features and correction sources like SBAS and RTK.

Highlights
  • Monitor GNSS receiver health
  • Change hardware settings
  • Perform firmware updates
  • Purchase and load Flex Tokens
  • Enable hardware-based features
  • Access correction sources
Features
Read full description

This is the free companion utility app for the flexible, intuitive, and affordable Bad Elf Flex and Flex Mini GNSS receivers. Designed for GIS and survey professionals, the Bad Elf Flex and Flex Mini connect to your iPhone or iPad via Bluetooth and provide high-accuracy location data to ANY and ALL field data collection apps in your workflow. This app allows you to view the health of the Flex and Flex Mini hardware, change settings, and perform firmware updates. For the Bad Elf Flex, the app also supports purchasing and loading Flex Tokens into the hardware for enabling hardware-based features and correction sources. Several correction sources are supported including SBAS, RTK via NTRIP, and Atlas (L-band) satellite corrections. Visit https://bad-elf.com/ to learn more about the Bad Elf Flex and Flex Mini GNSS receivers. NOTES: * This app requires a Bad Elf Flex or Flex Mini to operate. * Our "Bad Elf GPS" companion app supports our legacy mapping-grade receivers: Bad Elf GPS Pro, GPS Pro+, Surveyor, and GPS for Lightning dongle. * Continued use of the GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.

About

StraboField

This mobile application helps geologists record field observations, capture data like photos and sketches, and create geologic maps. It supports various geological subdisciplines and allows for offline use with data syncing capabilities.

Highlights
  • Record field data with photos, sketches, and notes
  • Collect georeferenced orientation and spatial data
  • Use custom or built-in basemaps offline
  • Create multi-scale observations with nested Spots
  • Organize and back up data locally or to StraboSpot.org
  • Fully functional offline for remote fieldwork
Features
Read full description

StraboField is a powerful, all-in-one mobile app designed to streamline your geological fieldwork. Record observations, capture photos and sketches, collect orientation data, create geologic maps and stratigraphic sections — all from a single, map-centered platform. Easily collect spatially referenced data using point, line, or polygon-based Spots. Work across multiple scales using nested Spots and high-resolution image basemaps. Designed by geologists, for geologists, StraboField supports workflows across subdisciplines including structural geology, sedimentology, petrology, volcanology, and geomorphology. ** Key Features: ** * Capture field data with photos, sketches, and notes * Collect georeferenced orientation and spatial data * Use custom or built-in basemaps offline * Create multi-scale observations with nested Spots * Organize and back up data locally or to StraboSpot.org * StraboField is fully functional offline, making it ideal for remote fieldwork. Once online, your data can be synced to the StraboSpot digital data system at StraboSpot.org — an open- source platform supported by the National Science Foundation.

Screenshots

Bad Elf Flex4 screens
StraboField4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: StraboField at 4.5 against Bad Elf Flex's 3.6. StraboField also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (50% vs 40%). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

StraboField holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 14 and 19 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of Bad Elf Flex's written reviews are positive against 50% of StraboField's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bad Elf Flex ships an update every 2 months, StraboField every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Bad Elf Flex versus StraboField: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBad Elf FlexStraboField
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.6 (14 ratings)4.5 (19 ratings) — better
Positive reviews40.0% of reviews50.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1419 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.5 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size33 MB87 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBad Elf, LLC.The University of Kansas

Customer experience

Bad Elf Flex

All ratings14 ratings
Positive57.1%
Neutral14.3%
Negative28.6%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive40.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative60.0%

StraboField

All ratings19 ratings
Positive89.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative10.5%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

None

Bad Elf Flex

No in-app purchases

None

StraboField

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Bad Elf Flex free?
Bad Elf Flex is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is StraboField free?
StraboField is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Bad Elf Flex or StraboField?
StraboField is rated higher. Bad Elf Flex averages 3.6 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while StraboField averages 4.5 from 19 ratings.
Do Bad Elf Flex or StraboField have ads?
Neither Bad Elf Flex nor StraboField shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bad Elf Flex or StraboField?
Bad Elf Flex ships an update every 2 months, and StraboField every 2 weeks. Most recently, Bad Elf Flex was updated on September 26, 2026 and StraboField on September 18, 2026.

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