BRMB Maps by Backroad Maps vs Topo Lock Maps
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
BRMB Maps by Backroad Maps
Navigate Canada's backcountry with detailed topographic maps and over 900,000 points of interest. Plan, track, and explore offline for hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, and more.
- Topographic GPS maps
- Current location tracking
- Offline map downloads
- Custom adventure layers
- Trip recording and waypoints
- Satellite imagery overlay
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Canada’s #1 App for Hunting, Fishing, Camping & Outdoor Adventure Explore Canada’s outdoors with confidence using BRMB Maps, the most detailed and trusted GPS navigation app for the backcountry. Built from the award-winning Backroad Mapbooks series, BRMB Maps combines detailed topographic maps with over 900,000 searchable Points of Interest across every province and territory. Whether fishing, camping, hiking, hunting, paddling, ATVing, snowmobiling or wildlife viewing, BRMB Maps has everything you need to plan, navigate and explore – online or offline. Key Features -Topographic GPS Maps – View relief shading, contour lines, backroads, parks and geographic features -Current Location Tracking – Use your phone’s GPS to navigate in real time -Cross-Device Access – Use on smartphone, tablet and desktop with a single account -Canada-Wide Basemap – Includes a seamless Backroad Maps basemap across Canada -Custom Adventure Layers (PRO) – Enable fishing, hunting, trails, paddling, Crown land & more -Offline Maps (PRO) – Download maps and all POI details for off-grid navigation -Satellite Imagery (PRO) – Overlay roads, trails and features on high-res satellite maps -Trip Recording & Custom Waypoints – Track routes, mark campsites and save locations -Printable Custom Maps (PRO) – Create and print stunning maps from brmbmaps.com Explore Over 150,000 Adventures Fishing -22,000+ lakes, rivers, creeks & ocean fishing areas -Bathymetry (lake & ocean depths), fish species, stocked lakes, boat launches & marinas -Boundaries & regulations Hunting -3,500+ hunting areas (WMU, WMZ, species-specific zones) -Species details, boundaries & regulations -Crown land & private land layers Camping & Parks -20,000 national, provincial, regional, urban and natural parks -Campsites, picnic areas, backcountry campsites, huts & cabins -Private campgrounds, resorts & lodges, amenities & services Hiking, Biking & Horseback Trails -130,000+ km of multi-use trails with trailheads, difficulty, distance & elevation gain -Includes hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, backpacking and multi-use -Separate Trans-Canada Trail layer with trailheads, pavilions and alternate routes Paddling (Canoeing & Kayaking) -107,000+ km of routes with access points, difficulty, distance & grading -Features lake circuits, river and ocean paddling routes, whitewater & more -Paddling routes include portages with distances, campsites, put-ins & take-outs ATV, OHV, Off-Road and Overland Routes -160,000+ km of trails and routes with staging areas, difficulty & distance -Features ATV/OHV, dirt biking and overlanding routes -Plus 3,000,000+ km of Roads and 160,000+ km of Logging Roads to explore Snowmobiling -150,000+ km of trails and routes with staging areas, difficulty & distance -Features federation & club-maintained trails, plus backcountry routes -Clubhouses, warming huts & shelters, side trails and more Winter Recreation -9,500+ km of ski & snowshoe trails for cross-country, Nordic, backcountry & downhill skiing -2,100+ trailheads, Nordic areas & ski centres -Trails feature difficulty, distance, elevation gain & ski area amenities Wildlife Viewing & Nature -1,800+ sites for birdwatching & wildlife viewing -Features birding sites, fish hatcheries, marine life, small & large animals -Bird viewing & scenic lookouts, trailheads & wildlife centres Attractions & Unique Sites -20,000+ points, including roadside and backroad attractions -Features big trees, caves, waterfalls, hot springs, lighthouses, beaches, museums and scenic areas -Hours, location and contact information Why BRMB Maps? Unlike other GPS apps, BRMB Maps is built specifically for Canadian terrain and adventures, with unmatched detail, local insights and recreation-focused layers. Start exploring Canada’s wild spaces with BRMB Maps – your GPS trail map, hunting app, fishing tool and trip planner all in one. Download BRMB Maps today and experience Canada's most complete outdoor mapping app.
Topo Lock Maps
This app provides private and secure outdoor navigation with end-to-end encryption. It focuses on user privacy, offering offline maps without tracking or data mining. Enjoy a distraction-free experience designed for various outdoor activities.
- End-to-end encryption
- No ads or tracking
- Offline maps with no expiration
- Fast offline downloads
- Local and offline first performance
- Battery friendly optimization
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Your location is personal... Your maps should be too! Topo Lock Maps is your trusted companion for private, secure outdoor navigation. Whether it’s a hidden waterfall, your favorite hunting spot, a backcountry trail run, or a private gate code... your information stays yours. In a world driven by tracking and data collection, Topo Lock Maps takes a different approach. We believe your outdoor adventures should remain private, secure, and fully under your control. -- Features -- - End-to-End Encryption — Your map data stays private and secure. - No Ads. Ever. — Enjoy a clean, distraction-free experience. - No Tracking or Data Mining — We don’t monitor where you go. - No Social Media Integrations — Your outdoor life isn’t content for someone else’s feed. - You Own Your Data — No selling, no sharing, no surprises. - Offline Maps That Work — Download once and keep them. No expiration. - Fast Offline Downloads — Save maps quickly and head out with confidence. - Local & Offline First — Built to perform off the grid. - Lightning-Fast Performance — Quick, responsive maps, even in remote areas. - Battery Friendly — Optimized to conserve power on long adventures. -- Made Especially For -- Hikers, hunters, mountain bikers, game wardens, fishermen, trail runners, privacy enthusiasts, backpackers, scouts and troops, bird watchers, wilderness first responders, search and rescue teams, off-roaders, police officers, trail maintainers, private investigators, world travelers, arrowhead hunters, preppers, park rangers, thru-hikers. -- Thanks -- Thanks to everyone who uses Topo Lock Maps in the backcountry and please continue to provide feedback! More features coming down the trail!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Topo Lock Maps at 100% against BRMB Maps by Backroad Maps's 35%. Topo Lock Maps also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.2). BRMB Maps by Backroad Maps's advantage is ratings volume (26 vs 6) and iOS requirement (15.4 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, 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
Both are free to download. BRMB Maps by Backroad Maps sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Topo Lock Maps sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Topo Lock Maps holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 26 and 6 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 35% of BRMB Maps by Backroad Maps's written reviews are positive against 100% of Topo Lock Maps's.
BRMB Maps by Backroad Maps ships an update every 3 weeks, Topo Lock Maps fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | BRMB Maps by Backroad Maps | Topo Lock Maps |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (26 ratings) | 5.0 (6 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 35.1% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 26 — better | 6 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.4 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 230 MB | 19 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Mussio Ventures Ltd. | VonCannon Technology, Incorporated |
Customer experience
BRMB Maps by Backroad Maps
Topo Lock Maps
Bugs and requests
BRMB Maps by Backroad Maps
Reported bugs
53 issues- Unwanted push notifications for challenges
- Issues resetting password
- CarPlay useless (no tracking/waypoint access)
- Sync of data is hit or miss
- Waypoints are a jumble of names, no numbers, folders, filters
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- Waypoint list different on web
- No 7 day free trial as advertised
- Zoom doesn't work on MacOS app
- Scroll doesn't work in MacOS settings
- MacOS window size fixed, fullscreen not working
- Ads are relentless, can't exit
- Advertisement glitch: closing ad returns to location
- Sync in both directions is hit or miss
- CarPlay map only moves at one preset zoom level
- App runs like a BETA 1 version
- Free version doesn't make you want to use pay version
- Ads pop up full screen, annoying
- Closing ad puts user back to current location
- Paid for Pro subscription, no 7-day free trial
- Adding waypoint on cell service takes up to 10 min
- Touching screen by accident adds waypoint and menu
- Search function doesn't work
- Cannot change from meters to feet
- Recording a trail jumps massive lines when restarting
- Cannot edit or erase certain sections of trail
- Cannot re-edit waypoint location or move it
- Editing waypoint requires going through two menus
- Interface is poorly designed with too many levels
- Continually asks to drop a pin/waypoint when moving map
- Satellite images are out of date
- Updated roads are missing
- Cannot download maps for offline use without paying
- Ads appear every couple of minutes
- Advertising even when paying for subscription
- Requires restoring of purchase too often
- Caught out without offline maps due to purchase timeout
- Ads interrupt and are hard to close
- Advertising even when paying for the app
- PRO subscription not accessible after payment
- Excessive disruptive ads, each ad resets map
- Charged for subscription on 2nd day of free trial
- Unable to use pro upgrade after payment
- App asks to pay for subscription again on different device
- Version 3 broke 'Your trip' feature
- Cannot remove trails I've been on
- Maps on app do not match book maps
- Not easy to use, not as easy as Google Maps
- Cannot control manual off
- App crashes every time it's opened
- Nothing showed for the entire United States
- Downloads time out after 10 minutes
- No search function for specific locations
- Instructions on web are for previous version
Requested features
29 requests- Icon for mines/pins
- Crown land for BC
- Direction feature with distance and turn directions
- Waypoint management (numbers, folders, filters)
- CarPlay integration with tracking/waypoint access
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- Ability to plan routes
- Direction arrow showing icon facing
- Trace function to outline or create trails with finger
- Export KML or GPX files
- More waypoint icons and customization (color, outlines)
- Ability to edit/erase trail sections
- Ability to move waypoint location
- Description or notes section for waypoints
- Sort waypoints (closest, alphabetical, recent)
- Folders for waypoints
- CarPlay map with adjustable zoom
- Dark mode
- Advanced analytics dashboard
- Ability to add different colors to tracks
- Organize tracks into folders
- Full featured OSX version with offline map downloads
- Export file from OSX to iOS version offline
- URL for websites of points of interest
- More detailed options on iOS app (drill down for parks)
- Sync settings between iOS and browser
- Ability to plan excursions on PC and access on iOS app
- Edit track colors
- Organize tracks into folders
- CarPlay support
Topo Lock Maps
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
BRMB Maps by Backroad Maps
- BRMB Maps PRO7 Days trial$3.991 Month
- BRMB Monthly PRO Access7 Days trial$6.991 Month
- BRMB Yearly PRO Access7 Days trial$44.991 Year
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- Yearly PRO Promo1 Year trial$44.991 Year
Topo Lock Maps
- Pro Monthly7 Days trial$9.991 Month
- Pro Yearly7 Days trial$99.991 Year
Questions
Is BRMB Maps by Backroad Maps free?
Is Topo Lock Maps free?
Which has better reviews, BRMB Maps by Backroad Maps or Topo Lock Maps?
Do BRMB Maps by Backroad Maps or Topo Lock Maps have ads?
Which is updated more often, BRMB Maps by Backroad Maps or Topo Lock Maps?
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