Comparison

Map Dots vs ParkPulse

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

Head to head
About

Map Dots

Record your path by leaving a trail of dots as you travel. Revisit your routes for hiking, exploring, or simply finding your way back. This app works offline and keeps your location data private on your device.

Highlights
  • Record your path with dots
  • Review past routes
  • Works offline without data connection
  • Keeps data private on your phone
  • Useful for hiking, biking, and exploring
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Find your way back by following the dots marking how you came. Bushwhack through the woods. Canvas a neighborhood marking which streets you’ve gone down. Review the route you took to your destination For hiking, camping, hunting, biking or just exploring the neighborhood Works even when you don’t have a data connection or visible map Data is kept private on your phone and not sent to the cloud.

About

ParkPulse

Features
Read full description

ParkPulse remembers where you parked, so you can get on with your day. SAVE YOUR SPOT Save your location, a photo, level, row, garage column, space, and notes in seconds. Your essential parking details stay on your device and remain available offline. STAY AHEAD OF THE CLOCK Choose a 15, 30, 60, or 120 minute timer, or create your own. Get reminders 15, 10, and 5 minutes before expiry, plus one when time runs out. Prefer no limit? ParkPulse tracks elapsed parking time until you return. FIND YOUR WAY BACK See the distance to your car, get walking directions, and optionally receive a reminder when you return close to your saved spot. BUILT FOR TRAVEL AND GARAGES Use your preferred currency, reference price estimates, local restriction notes, and on-device OCR to record a garage floor, column, or space. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account. No ads. No trackers. You control permissions and can delete your parking history in Settings. Parking rates and rules are reference information only. Always follow posted signs, tickets, and official operator instructions.

Screenshots

Map Dots4 screens
ParkPulse4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ParkPulse at Free against Map Dots's $1.99. ParkPulse also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 8 months). Map Dots's advantage is chart position (#173 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (13.6 vs 26.0). On 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

ParkPulse is free to download; Map Dots costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Map Dots ships an update every 8 months, ParkPulse every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Map Dots versus ParkPulse: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMap DotsParkPulse
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating4.1 (9 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews80.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings9 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
Best chart rank#173 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.6 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size0 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWilliam Hausejosuar ochoa

In-app purchases

None

Map Dots

No in-app purchases

None

ParkPulse

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Map Dots free?
Map Dots costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is ParkPulse free?
ParkPulse is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Map Dots or ParkPulse have ads?
Neither Map Dots nor ParkPulse shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Map Dots or ParkPulse?
Map Dots ships an update every 8 months, and ParkPulse every 2 months. Most recently, Map Dots was updated on October 6, 2026 and ParkPulse on October 14, 2026.

Other comparisons