Comparison

Mapspot vs NOVA

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

Head to head
About

Mapspot

Claim virtual space tied to real-world locations, linking them to your social media. Build your presence, connect with others nearby, and discover digital gateways to user profiles.

Highlights
  • Claim exclusive 100-foot virtual spots
  • Link spots to social media profiles
  • Discover and connect with nearby users
  • Swap or gift virtual spots
  • Build digital presence and visibility
Features
Read full description

Mapspot® lets you place virtual Spots on the world map that connect directly to your social profile, creating new ways for people to discover you both online and in the real world. Place Spots in busy, high-traffic locations to increase your visibility, attract new visitors, and drive more engagement to your profile and content. Everyone starts with one free Spot. You can expand your presence by subscribing for additional Spots or earn up to 10 Spots by referring friends. With Spot Swap™, you can also trade Spots with other users, send and receive offers, or gift Spots directly to someone else. Platform rules: - Each person may have only one Mapspot account. - Your free Spot must be placed outside a major city. - Spots on the same account must be at least two miles apart. - An active subscription is required to place additional Spots. - Subscribers may place one Spot per major city. Subscriptions renew automatically each month unless canceled. Payment is charged to your App Store account at confirmation of purchase, and renewal may be charged within 24 hours before the next billing period begins. You can manage or cancel your subscription at any time in your App Store subscription settings. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current paid billing period. Legal Privacy Policy: https://mapspot.com/privacypolicy Terms of Service: https://mapspot.com/termsofservice End User License Agreement (EULA): https://mapspot.com/enduserlicenseagreement Disclaimer: https://mapspot.com/disclaimer

About

NOVA

This platform connects creative professionals with clients seeking talent. Artists can build networks, showcase work, and find job opportunities. Clients gain direct access to vetted freelance creative talent.

Highlights
  • Network building for artists
  • Portfolio display for creatives
  • Access to job opportunities
  • Direct client access to talent
  • Application-based community
  • Community guidelines enforcement
Features
Read full description

NOVA is the curated freelancer platform for the next generation of creatives. Our mission is to provide Network, Opportunity, and Visibility to Artists. For creatives, NOVA is a first-of-its-kind multi application platform for artists to build their network, display their work, and easily access job opportunities. For clients, NOVA is the next evolution of creative hiring, providing a direct link to top freelance creative talent. _ At NOVA, our priority is community, which is why we are an application-based platform. Prospective members should download the mobile app here and submit an application. As a creative, we'll ask you to include information like skills and past project work. As a client, we'll ask you to include your company name and job title. Once you've submitted an application, it will be placed into the queue to be reviewed by our board of creatives and internal team. You could receive your acceptance at any time, so keep your push notifications on! Once admitted, creatives and clients will have full-access to the platform. Users must continuously abide by our community guidelines of integrity, professionalism, and privacy. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Mapspot4 screens
NOVA4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Mapspot at 100% against NOVA's 37%. Mapspot also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.3) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 weeks). NOVA's advantage is ratings volume (1.2K vs 51) and chart position (#168 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Mapspot sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and NOVA sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Mapspot holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NOVA has 1.2K ratings behind it against 51, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Mapspot's written reviews are positive against 37% of NOVA's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Mapspot ships an update every 4 days, NOVA every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Mapspot versus NOVA: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMapspotNOVA
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (51 ratings) — better4.3 (1.2K ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better36.8% of reviews
Number of ratings511.2K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#168 — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.415.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size105 MB143 MB
Age rating9+12+
DeveloperMapspot Inc.Nova Network Inc.

Customer experience

Mapspot

All ratings51 ratings
Positive98.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative2.0%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

NOVA

All ratings1,158 ratings
Positive82.8%
Neutral2.0%
Negative15.2%
Written reviews201 reviews
Positive36.8%
Neutral3.5%
Negative59.7%

Bugs and requests

Mapspot

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

NOVA

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes
  • Freezing
  • Buggy application process

Requested features

4 requests
  • Web Access
  • Saved filter settings
  • Notifications
  • Profile customization

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Mapspot

Subscriptions9
  • 1/2 virtual acre$1.991 Month
  • 1.5 virtual acres$5.991 Month
  • 2.5 virtual acres$9.991 Month
Show 6 more
  • 5 virtual acres$19.991 Month
  • 7.5 virtual acres$29.991 Month
  • 12.5 virtual acres$49.991 Month
  • 25 virtual acres$99.991 Month
  • 37.5 virtual acres$149.991 Month
  • 50 virtual acres$199.991 Month
One-time1
  • Lifetime Referral SpotsFree
3 purchases

NOVA

Subscriptions2
  • Nova Pro (Monthly)7 Days trial$12.991 Month
  • Nova Pro (Yearly)7 Days trial$99.991 Year
One-time1
  • Nova Pro (Day Pass)$3.99

Questions

Is Mapspot free?
Mapspot is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is NOVA free?
NOVA is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Mapspot or NOVA?
Mapspot is rated higher. Mapspot averages 4.9 out of 5 from 51 ratings, while NOVA averages 4.3 from 1.2K ratings.
Do Mapspot or NOVA have ads?
Neither Mapspot nor NOVA shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Mapspot or NOVA?
Mapspot ships an update every 4 days, and NOVA every 3 weeks. Most recently, Mapspot was updated on October 8, 2026 and NOVA on October 12, 2026.

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