# Create Own Map vs CartoLake

The clearest difference is rating: CartoLake at 5.0 against Create Own Map's 1.3. CartoLake also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 17 months). Create Own Map's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (4 vs 1). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Create Own Map sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and CartoLake sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

CartoLake holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 1 respectively.

Create Own Map ships an update every 17 months, CartoLake weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 7, 2026 and June 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Create Own Map | CartoLake |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.3 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/create-own-map/id1542825741/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cartolake-map-studio/id1604655745/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 17 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 1 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Bita Sobhani](https://appshunter.io/developer/1372721132) | [CartoLake, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1604655747) |

## What reviewers say

### Create Own Map

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/create-own-map/id1542825741)

Create custom offline maps of your surroundings to navigate easily. Mark important locations like home, parking, or favorite spots with custom icons. Ideal for those with poor direction or who dislike reading complex maps.

**Highlights:** Create custom offline maps, Navigate without internet, Drop and name location pins, Assign custom icons to pins, Track and draw routes, Save and open created maps, View street address with internet

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $1.99 | one-time |


### CartoLake

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cartolake-map-studio/id1604655745)

Create and georeference maps with various file formats. Supports imagery, scanned maps, and export options. Ideal for generating custom mapping content.

**Highlights:** Georeference imagery and scanned maps, Import Shapefile, KML, mbtiles, GeoJSON, PNG, Create simple maps, Export maps to various formats, Create ForeFlight Content Packs, Publish georeferenced imagery

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| FAA Sectionals | $0.99 | per month |
| Basic Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Topographic Base Map | $9.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Create Own Map free?

Create Own Map is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is CartoLake free?

CartoLake is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Create Own Map or CartoLake?

CartoLake is rated higher. Create Own Map averages 1.3 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while CartoLake averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Create Own Map or CartoLake have ads?

CartoLake shows ads; Create Own Map does not.

### Which is updated more often, Create Own Map or CartoLake?

Create Own Map ships an update every 17 months, and CartoLake weekly. Most recently, Create Own Map was updated on September 7, 2026 and CartoLake on June 4, 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.*