Comparison

Mapply for Open Street Map vs Map Data Explorer

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

Head to head
About

Mapply for Open Street Map

Explore detailed maps of the world, including transport networks, hiking trails, and topography. This app leverages OpenStreetMap and other specialized map layers for comprehensive navigation and outdoor adventure planning. Enjoy offline caching for uninterrupted exploration.

Highlights
  • OpenStreetMap integration
  • Specialized map layers (cycling, transport, sea, trails)
  • Topographical data
  • Railway information
  • Offline caching
  • Satellite views
Features
Read full description

Introducing Mapply, the ultimate map viewer for Open Street Map (OSM) and tile-based map layers. With Mapply, you're one tap away from exploring the world in detail, navigating transport networks, embarking on outdoor adventures, and discovering intricate topography - all tailored to your needs. Experience satellite views, hiking trails, topography, railway routes, seas, terrain analysis, and much more! Uncover the World of Open Street Map (OSM): With OpenStreetMap, a , of the world, rich in details about locations both near and distant. Navigate through an extensive network of roads, trails, and points of interest - all meticulously crowd-sourced by a global community of map enthusiasts. Find the right cycling path with CyclOSM: Beautifuly designed, yet highly functional map to guide you on the best cycling paths around the globe. Transport Network with Open Transport Map: Dive into the intricate infrastructure of transportation, encompassing airports, railway lines, stations, bus routes, and stops. Mapply's integration with OpenTransportMap is your indispensable resource for navigating the intricacies of modern transportation. Embark on Marine Journeys with Open Sea Map: OpenSeaMap opens the door to your nautical adventures, offering intricate details about harbors, buoys, and more. It's the perfect tool for sailors, explorers, and maritime enthusiasts to navigate with confidence. Unleash Outdoor Adventures with Waymarked Trails: Mapply brings the outdoor world to your fingertips, providing specialized maps for a myriad of activities such as hiking, cycling, mountain biking, and skiing. From easy-going cycling routes to challenging mountain biking trails, and from serene hiking paths to exhilarating ski slopes - all your outdoor adventures begin with Mapply. Discover Topography with Open Topo Map: Mapply leverages OpenTopoMap to provide users with precise topographical information. Understand the height profiles of specific areas, and plan your journeys with in-depth knowledge of the terrain. Unravel Railways with Open Railway Map: Mapply is a treasure trove for railway enthusiasts. OpenRailwayMap offers comprehensive data on global train tracks, and further layers reveal specifics about maximum speeds, signals, electrification, and track gauge. It's a comprehensive guide to the world's railways, all on your device. Enhanced User Experience with Offline Caching: Mapply ensures your adventures are uninterrupted with its offline caching feature. Once you've explored an area, Mapply caches it on your device. Mapply is built on open-source data for map data and overlay styles, displaying attributions in-app. We're always eager to enhance your Mapply experience and welcome suggestions for additional maps to be included in future updates. Start your journey with Mapply, and open up a world of exploration. Maps included: - OpenStreetMap: The collaborative project that offers a free, editable map of the world - CyclOSM: The go to open map for cycling paths and trails - OpenTransportMap: Your go-to resource for transportation details - OpenSeaMap: The ultimate marine cartography platform - Waymarked Trails - Hiking: Comprehensive hiking trail maps - Waymarked Trails - Cycling: Detailed cycling route maps - Waymarked Trails - Mountain Biking: Expert mountain biking trail maps - Waymarked Trails - Slopes: Extensive skiing slope maps - OpenTopoMap: Your source for detailed topographic maps - OpenRailwayMap - Standard: Comprehensive train track maps - OpenRailwayMap - Max Speed: Speed limit details for train tracks - OpenRailwayMap - Signals: Signal locations on train tracks - OpenRailwayMap - Electrification: Electrification data for train tracks - OpenRailwayMap - Track Gauge: Track gauge information for train tracks - NASA GIBS - CityLights - The earth by night with beautiful dark satellite imagery

About

Map Data Explorer

This advanced mapping application supports various data formats including GeoJSON, MBTILES, and GPKG. It offers tools for drawing, editing vector data, and collecting dynamic information. Visualize terrain in 3D and utilize a suite of navigation and measurement features.

Highlights
  • Vector tile basemaps
  • User-loaded GeoJSON, MBTILES, GPKG data
  • Map catalog support
  • Vector data drawing and editing
  • 3D terrain and building visualization
  • Advanced data collection forms
  • Coordinate conversion and measurement tools
Features
Read full description

Map Data Explorer is a advanced mapping app powered by vector tile basemaps (TMG OSM vector tiles, MapBox and others) with configurable stylesheets Supports user loaded device GeoJSON,Raster tiles from MBTILES and GPKG and vector tiles from MBTILES. Supports user loaded Map Catalog (JSON) of internet mapping content (with catalog building screen) XYZ PNG/JPG Raster Tiles PBF Vector Tiles GeoJSON Local map tiles in mbtiles and gpkg Includes additional layers users can enable: vector overlays (Reference Grids, TimeZones and US State Boundaries) Draw/digitize vector data and support editing and assigning attributes. Map Supports Tilting to display 3D terrain and 3D Buildings (only some basemaps support 3D buildings ) Currently, terrain is not available offline. Map Tools: - Search - places, addresses - Advanced dynamic data collection forms with form builder - Draw/Digitize Data Creation and Editing and export as GeoJSON - Information Box for geojson data - Measure linear and Area - Geolocation & Coordinate Widget (Lat Long and MGRS and zoom level) and share location - Go to Lat Long - Placemarks (spatial bookmarks) (with import and export of Waypoints GeoJSON, KML and GPX) - Basic Route Planning with import of Waypoints (KML and GPX) - Connection to other Navigation Apps - GPS Recorder with background recording and export or track - View Spot Elevation - Display Military Symbology (App6/MilSpec2525C) GeoJSON Schema easily shared with other apps - Radius Ruler/Range Rings - Coordinate Converter (to/from projected coordinates or geographic and GRIDS - MGRS, GARS, WHAT3WORD) Includes an in-app vector converter to convert GIS data (Shapefiles, GPKG, GPX, KML, CSV, WKT to GeoJSON) must be 4326 Includes in-app coordinate converter to convert to /from different coordinate systems and GRIDS (MGRS,GARS, etc) Wifi Sharing - access device files from web browser File Manager To manage files Create Forms with in-app or web form designer with JSON Schema Load a form design and swap between forms Collect any form data Other features: Vector Conversion and Publishing API to convert local vector GIS Data and also publish to PostGIS database tables. Added Button links to TMG Map Data Explorer website for all in-app purchase screen Serve OGC GPKG -GeoPackage with Vector Tiles new OGC extensions Support for any SRS for raster tiles in GPKG (tested with 3857 and 3395) Support for any SRS for Vector Tiles in GPKG (tested with 3857 and 3395) Real-Time Data Module (Network Link KML and Internet KML, ESRI GeoServices REST API and GeoRSS) display on the map and update at set frequency Button to view attributes from GPKG Vector Features 2nd Non Map View – Office documents (Word, Excel, Powerpoint), PDF Viewer, EPUB Viewer, User links web pages and File Manager User loaded GeoJSON support for simple style spec and Marker Symbols ESRI GeoServices REST API (FeatureServer) in ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise Sync – download GeoJSON and Synchronize edited GeoJSON. Elevate API - submit geojson point and return back with Elevation, MGRS, GARS, What3Words, PlaceKey, Pluscode properties GeoRequest Area of Interest API for submitting jobs for offline data Pre-staged data downloading of ready to download data Area of interest downloading of online map data: Tile Downloader that supports building mbtiles from tile layers (XYZ/TMS, WMTS and Dynamic and cached mapping services (ESRI MapServer, ImageServer, OGC WMS) and downloading GeoJSON from WFS and MapServer and FeatureServer. Terms of Use: https://mapexplorer.techmaven.net/eula/

Screenshots

Mapply for Open Street Map4 screens
Map Data Explorer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Mapply for Open Street Map at 4.1 against Map Data Explorer's 2.0. Mapply for Open Street Map also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 7) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). Map Data Explorer's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. Map Data Explorer sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. Mapply for Open Street Map asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Mapply for Open Street Map holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mapply for Open Street Map has 51 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 14% of Mapply for Open Street Map's written reviews are positive against 0% of Map Data Explorer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Mapply for Open Street Map ships an update weekly, Map Data Explorer every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Mapply for Open Street Map versus Map Data Explorer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMapply for Open Street MapMap Data Explorer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (51 ratings) — better2.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews14.3% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings51 — better1
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB138 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperFlorian ChrometzTech Maven GeoSpatial LLC

Customer experience

Mapply for Open Street Map

All ratings51 ratings
Positive70.6%
Neutral9.8%
Negative19.6%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive14.3%
Neutral7.1%
Negative78.6%

Map Data Explorer

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

None

Mapply for Open Street Map

No in-app purchases

7 purchases

Map Data Explorer

Subscriptions6
  • TMG Elevate API7 Days trial$4.991 Year
  • Map Data Explorer Subscription7 Days trial$4.991 Year
  • TMG Vector Conversion API7 Days trial$14.991 Year
Show 3 more
  • MapBox RGB PNG Elevation Tiles7 Days trial$24.991 Year
  • GeoRequest Area of Interest7 Days trial$99.991 Year
  • Pre-Staged Data Downloading7 Days trial$199.991 Year
One-time1
  • Tile Downloader Module$4.99

Questions

Is Mapply for Open Street Map free?
Mapply for Open Street Map is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Map Data Explorer free?
Map Data Explorer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Mapply for Open Street Map or Map Data Explorer?
Mapply for Open Street Map is rated higher. Mapply for Open Street Map averages 4.1 out of 5 from 51 ratings, while Map Data Explorer averages 2.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Mapply for Open Street Map or Map Data Explorer have ads?
Mapply for Open Street Map shows ads; Map Data Explorer does not.
Which is updated more often, Mapply for Open Street Map or Map Data Explorer?
Mapply for Open Street Map ships an update weekly, and Map Data Explorer every 2 months. Most recently, Mapply for Open Street Map was updated on October 13, 2026 and Map Data Explorer on September 15, 2026.

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