# Explorin NorCal vs CSSWest

The clearest difference is price: CSSWest at Free against Explorin NorCal's $0.99. CSSWest also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 4 months). Explorin NorCal's advantage is chart position (#105 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

CSSWest is free to download; Explorin NorCal costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Explorin NorCal ships an update every 4 months, CSSWest every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Explorin NorCal | CSSWest |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.3 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/explorin-norcal/id1526631462/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **8** | — |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Best chart rank | **#105** | — |
| Size | 17 MB | 68 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [James Harrison](https://appshunter.io/developer/1523444179) | [Armstrong Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/1356328400) |

## What reviewers say

### Explorin NorCal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/explorin-norcal/id1526631462)

**Currently charting:** #105 Top Paid · Travel (US App Store)

Discover unique exploring spots in Northern and parts of Central California. This app features locations ranging from abandoned buildings to scenic viewpoints, with new places added regularly.

**Highlights:** Northern California exploration, Central California coverage, Abandoned building locations, Scenic viewpoints, Regular new location updates

**In-app purchases:** none


### CSSWest

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/csswest/id6743555508)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Explorin NorCal free?

Explorin NorCal costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is CSSWest free?

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

### Do Explorin NorCal or CSSWest have ads?

Neither Explorin NorCal nor CSSWest shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Explorin NorCal or CSSWest?

Explorin NorCal ships an update every 4 months, and CSSWest every 6 weeks. Most recently, Explorin NorCal was updated on October 6, 2026 and CSSWest on October 8, 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.*