Comparison

Geo Data Collector vs GNSS Planning Map

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

Head to head
About

Geo Data Collector

Features
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Geo Data Collector turns your iPhone or iPad into an offline-first field GIS for mapping, asset inspection, structured data collection, surveying calculations, and construction layout job preparation. FIELD DATA COLLECTION β€’ Capture points, lines, and polygons with attributes and photos. β€’ Build forms in the app or import shareable JSON form designs. β€’ Mark fields as required or optional and use text, number, date, checkbox, radio-button, and selection controls. β€’ Review, search, edit, delete, and return to collected features on the map. EXTERNAL GNSS, RTK & NTRIP β€’ Connect a compatible Bluetooth GNSS receiver that outputs NMEA 0183. β€’ Stream validated RTCM 3 corrections from NTRIP v1/v2 RTN or CORS casters to the external rover. β€’ Monitor fix type, receiver-reported accuracy, DOP, satellite count, signal quality, correction age, and data freshness. β€’ Apply configurable quality gates, stable-fix checks, and ECEF/ENU point averaging before capture. β€’ Preserve observations, occupations, antenna information, quality decisions, and available coordinate-operation provenance in versioned archives. The external receiver computes the RTK position solution. Achievable accuracy depends on the receiver, antenna, environment, correction service, configuration, and field procedures. SURVEYING & GEODESY TOOLS β€’ Planar COGO inverse and forward calculations. β€’ WGS84 geodesic inverse and direct calculations. β€’ Polygon area, perimeter, orientation, and centroid. β€’ Slope distance, grade, inclination, and elevation difference. β€’ Stakeout deltas, Bowditch traverse adjustment, and angular-closure diagnostics. β€’ WGS84 ECEF/UTM operations, explicit control localization, and auditable geodesy reports. CONSTRUCTION LAYOUT PREPARATION β€’ Create and manage layout jobs and design targets. β€’ Import targets from supported GeoJSON and CSV/ASCII point files. β€’ Configure metric, international-foot, or US-survey-foot units and horizontal/vertical tolerances. β€’ Build a 2D site localization from control pairs and review residual diagnostics. β€’ Export as-built CSV, stake-report JSON, and Markdown field reports. OFFLINE MAPS & OPEN DATA β€’ Work with GeoPackage, GeoJSON, raster MBTiles, and vector MBTiles. β€’ Use online and offline basemaps, including vector, terrain/topographic, hillshade, satellite, and boundary layers where available. β€’ Browse searchable attribute tables and control layer styling, visibility, opacity, and display order. β€’ Convert supported vector formats, including zipped Shapefile, KML, GPX, CSV, and WKT, into app-ready data. FIELD OPERATIONS β€’ Measure distance and area, record GPS tracks, search OpenStreetMap, save spatial bookmarks, and view coordinates in multiple formats. β€’ Use offline field projects, field editing workflows, and geodesy/control reports. β€’ Share files through supported cloud, FTP, WebDAV, and local Wi-Fi workflows. β€’ Connect TAK Server and Meshtastic workflows for team position and messaging. Core collection and offline mapping do not require a proprietary server-side database. Some capabilities require compatible external hardware, network or correction services, imported data, or an in-app purchase. Geo Data Collector is a field mapping and construction aid. It does not replace a licensed surveyor, legal boundary determination, instrument calibration, or required professional quality-control procedures.

About

GNSS Planning Map

Features
Read full description

GNSS Planning Map shows you, before you leave the office, when and where satellite geometry (DOP) will be good or poor. Drag a time-travel slider and watch a DOP heatmap turn green or red across the map β€” so you never arrive on site only to find the constellation is too weak to get a fix. Try every feature free for the first 30 days, right on your phone. [ Main features ] - DOP forecast heatmap: see how PDOP and the visible-satellite count change through the day across an area, from green (good) to red (poor). - Time-travel slider: jump to "next Thursday 14:30" and read the sky instantly. Orbits come from CelesTrak TLE with SGP4/SDP4 propagation. - Tap any point for an instant GO / NO-GO: PDOP, satellite count, and a per-constellation breakdown for that exact site and time. - Configurable rules: turn each constellation on/off (GPS, QZSS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, NavIC), set the elevation mask, minimum satellites and a PDOP limit. Nine built-in presets: GPS only, GPS + GLONASS, All GNSS, Public survey (JP), Survey / Cadastral, GIS / Mapping, Maritime / Navigation, UAV / Drone, Photogrammetry / 3D. - PDF work-order / evidence export: save a site and its recommended work windows as a one-page report. - Field-ready: once data is cached the forecast works offline. [ Who it is for ] Land surveyors, UAV / drone mapping and inspection teams, and GIS / infrastructure crews who plan RTK/PPK sessions and want to avoid wasted trips and reschedules. [ Honest notes ] The core forecast (orbits to DOP to heatmap) is global and works anywhere. This app is a planning aid based on orbital prediction; it does not guarantee field results β€” always verify on site. Terms of use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Geo Data Collector4 screens
GNSS Planning Map4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: GNSS Planning Map at weekly against Geo Data Collector's fortnightly. GNSS Planning Map also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Geo Data Collector sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $14.99 per year and GNSS Planning Map sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $15.00 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Geo Data Collector ships an update fortnightly, GNSS Planning Map weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Geo Data Collector versus GNSS Planning Map: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGeo Data CollectorGNSS Planning Map
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyFortnightlyWeekly β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod β€” better
Requires iOS17.015.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size116 MB72 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTech Maven GeoSpatial LLCQAEE CONPUUTENG

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Geo Data Collector

Subscriptions1
  • AppUpdate7 Days trial$14.991 Year
2 purchases

GNSS Planning Map

Subscriptions2
  • GNSS Monthly$15.001 Month
  • GNSS Yearly$150.001 Year

Questions

Is Geo Data Collector free?
Geo Data Collector is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is GNSS Planning Map free?
GNSS Planning Map is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Geo Data Collector or GNSS Planning Map have ads?
Neither Geo Data Collector nor GNSS Planning Map shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Geo Data Collector or GNSS Planning Map?
Geo Data Collector ships an update fortnightly, and GNSS Planning Map weekly. Most recently, Geo Data Collector was updated on September 29, 2026 and GNSS Planning Map on November 7, 2026.

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