Comparison

Wherigo® vs Hecate

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

Head to head
About

Wherigo®

Embark on GPS-enabled real-world adventures. Navigate to physical locations to interact with virtual objects and characters. Download and play free cartridges at your own pace.

Highlights
  • GPS-enabled adventures
  • Interact with virtual objects
  • Navigate to physical locations
  • Download free cartridges
  • Cartridges do not expire
Features
Read full description

Play Wherigo™ cartridges on your iPhone! Wherigo™ cartridges are GPS-enabled adventures in the real world. Use GPS technology to guide you to physical locations and interact with virtual objects and characters. Download cartridges for free from the official Wherigo™ web site right from the app and play at your leisure. Note that cartridges are retained for as long as you need them and do not expire. Time estimates given on the web site and in the cartridge description are for expected playing time. 1) With newer devices, you can download cartridges with your computer and drag and drop to the Wherigo app folder in iTunes. 2) You can also drag and drop .gws files to upload with your browser if you have trouble uploading from the app. 3) Be sure to select "PocketPC" as the device when downloading cartridges for best results, although any device should work.

About

Hecate

Features
Read full description

Hecate is a map of the real world you have personally discovered. 
Start a walk and watch streets, neighbourhoods, and cities emerge as you move. Explore your current city, see how much of it you’ve uncovered, and keep your discoveries private and synced across your devices. 
Hecate uses background location only during an active walk, so your route can continue to be recorded while your screen is locked. Finish the walk at any time to stop tracking. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Wherigo®4 screens
Hecate4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Hecate at every 9 days against Wherigo®'s every 4 months. Wherigo®'s advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price, 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Wherigo® ships an update every 4 months, Hecate every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Wherigo® versus Hecate: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWherigo®Hecate
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (1K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews42.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings1K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size44 MB29 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGroundspeak Inc.Sara Cerina

Bugs and requests

Wherigo®

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Inability to download cartridges
  • Cartridges not showing up
  • App freezing and crashing
  • Login/authentication problems

Requested features

4 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Improved Wherigo support
  • Better integration with Geocaching
  • Save state functionality

Hecate

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Wherigo®

No in-app purchases

None

Hecate

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Wherigo® free?
Wherigo® is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Hecate free?
Hecate is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Wherigo® or Hecate have ads?
Neither Wherigo® nor Hecate shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Wherigo® or Hecate?
Wherigo® ships an update every 4 months, and Hecate every 9 days. Most recently, Wherigo® was updated on November 3, 2026 and Hecate on October 31, 2026.

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