Comparison

رحَّال | Rahhal vs Desert Maps

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

Head to head
About

رحَّال | Rahhal

This app is a professional navigation and tracking tool designed for off-road adventures. It offers advanced trail recording, hands-free Siri control, and offline reliability for desert exploration. Discover new trails, revisit hidden spots, and stay oriented with essential utilities.

Highlights
  • Advanced Trail Tracking
  • Crash-Proof Recovery
  • Live Activities on Lock Screen
  • Hands-Free Siri Control
  • Digital Compass & Altimeter
  • GPX/KML Import & Export
  • Public Locations Database
Features
Read full description

Rahhal is a map for trips beyond the signal: desert drives, camping, off-roading, wadis and mountains in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf. Download the map before you leave, save every place, record the trip and replay it in 3D. In Arabic and English. Offline Maps: - Pick the Rahhal Map Engine, download any region, then browse, search and navigate it with no signal at all. - Or use the Apple Map Engine online, with satellite and 3D views; switch at any time. Map And Navigation: - Standard, satellite, hybrid and terrain styles. - Tap any place to navigate, open it in another map app, save or share it. - Navigation is a straight line with live direction and distance; off-road there are no turns. Paste Any Location: - Paste a link from Google Maps, Apple Maps, HudHud, Waze and other map apps and Rahhal finds the place. - Or paste coordinates, a Plus Code or a geohash, drop a pin, or use the location in a photo. Coordinates work offline; links need a connection. Your Library: - Places, tracks, collections and favorites in one library with search across it all, notes and photos per place, and Google Maps lists. - Open a place to see its weather and prayer times. - Point the camera and your saved places appear over the real view with distance and direction, and so does the Qibla. Trip Recording: - One tap starts recording; it runs in the background, pauses and resumes, and picks up where it stopped if the app closes or the device restarts. - Stopping saves distance, elevation, speed, charts and every point. - Follow it on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island with Live Activities. - Import GPX, JSON and .rahhal files; export GPX, KML, CSV, JSON or .rahhal. 3D Track Flyover: - Replay any saved track as a cinematic flight over the real terrain, with speed, distance and elevation playing back live. CarPlay: - Navigate to a saved place, start and stop recording, browse the library and search from the car screen. Siri And Shortcuts: - Start or stop a recording, save where you are, navigate to a saved place or find the Qibla with Siri, Spotlight or the Shortcuts app. Mini-Apps: - A tap from the Yard: the Quran with a choice of reciters, prayer times and Qibla, weather and rain radar, compass, speedometer, 16 themes and 22,000 public places in Saudi Arabia. - Prayer times are computed on your device and work offline. Yard And Daily Briefing: - The Yard is your home screen: location, weather, library and mini-apps. - The Daily Briefing sums up the weather, the next prayer and what to wear, written on your device by Apple Intelligence where supported. iPad And iPhone Duo: - On iPad and the unfolded iPhone Duo, search, recording and place cards sit beside the map. - On iPad, keep the map in one Rahhal window and the Yard in another, side by side. Account And Sync: - Sign in with your phone number to sync your library across devices; what you saved before comes along. - Add a username, photo and bio to your profile. It all works offline and syncs when you are back in range. Rahhal+: One membership includes the Rahhal Map Engine, CarPlay, trip statistics, Live Activities, Siri and Shortcuts, augmented reality, import and export, weather, the Daily Briefing, custom themes and links from most map apps. Support: https://rahhal.app Privacy: https://rahhal.app/privacy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Desert Maps

Explore deserts and remote areas with reliable offline navigation. This app provides detailed maps, trip tracking, and distance measurement, ensuring safety and confidence on your outdoor adventures. It's designed for users who need dependable navigation without an internet connection.

Highlights
  • Offline and tower-free operation
  • Detailed offline maps
  • Save and retrieve locations
  • Trip tracking
  • Distance measurement
  • Contour lines and elevation profiles
  • Import and export data
Features
Read full description

Desert Maps – Your Ideal Companion for Desert and Remote Area Exploration The new and improved version of the Desert Maps app is the perfect guide for all lovers of outdoor adventures, exploration, and desert trips. It provides you with a reliable navigation experience without the need for an internet connection, specifically designed to offer safety and confidence while exploring the vast desert. Whether you're in the heart of the desert or on the city outskirts, you'll find the tools and information you need to stay on track. Features of the Desert Maps App: ■ Offline and Tower-Free Operation: Efficiently works in both deserts and cities without the need for an internet connection or mobile network coverage. ■ Alternative to Traditional Navigation Devices: Replaces traditional navigation devices, offering a smooth and integrated navigation experience. ■ Detailed Offline Maps: Available for all countries with locations not found on other maps, thanks to the OpenStreetMap community, which allows you to easily contribute and add new locations. ■ Save and Retrieve Locations: Save important locations and access them easily at any time. ■ Trip Tracking: Record your trip’s path so you can safely and comfortably return via the same route. ■ Support for All Coordinate Types: Supports the input and sharing of all types of coordinates for easy navigation and planning. ■ Distance Measurement: An integrated tool to measure distances between locations with high accuracy. ■ Contour Lines and Elevation Profiles: Get clear details of peaks, slopes, and contour lines. ■ Import and Export Data: Import and export landmarks and maps in various formats like KML, KMZ, GPX. ■ Comprehensive Routing: Complete navigation via roadways, direct line, or compass-based navigation according to your preference. ■ Weather and Terrain (Coming Soon): Features like weather updates, rain radar, spring detection radar, and satellite imagery will soon be added, making the app even more comprehensive. We are open to suggestions for adding more features. ■ Comprehensive Coverage: The maps cover all countries worldwide. ■ Paid Features: Enjoy a 3-day free trial to explore the app, and then subscribe to the paid package to access professional features. The Desert Maps app makes your outdoor trips safe and enjoyable, thanks to its multiple features that provide confidence and comfort while exploring the desert. If you have any inquiries or need assistance, feel free to contact us through the app or by visiting our website.

Screenshots

رحَّال | Rahhal4 screens
Desert Maps4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: رحَّال | Rahhal at every 2 weeks against Desert Maps's every 5 weeks. Desert Maps's advantage is iOS requirement (15.4 vs 18.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. رحَّال | Rahhal sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and Desert Maps sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for رحَّال | Rahhal against 4.5 for Desert Maps. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 173 and 479 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 81% of رحَّال | Rahhal's written reviews are positive against 74% of Desert Maps's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

رحَّال | Rahhal ships an update every 2 weeks, Desert Maps every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
رحَّال | Rahhal versus Desert Maps: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameterرحَّال | RahhalDesert Maps
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (173 ratings)4.5 (479 ratings) — better
Positive reviews81.3% of reviews — better73.9% of reviews
Number of ratings173479 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.015.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size294 MB173 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAbdullah AlhaiderRachid Smet

Customer experience

رحَّال | Rahhal

All ratings170 ratings
Positive87.1%
Neutral3.5%
Negative9.4%
Written reviews16 reviews
Positive81.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative18.8%

Desert Maps

All ratings468 ratings
Positive88.2%
Neutral3.4%
Negative8.3%
Written reviews92 reviews
Positive73.9%
Neutral2.2%
Negative23.9%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

رحَّال | Rahhal

Subscriptions2
  • Weekly Plus Access$2.997 Days
  • Annual Plus Access3 Days trial$29.991 Year
1 purchases

Desert Maps

Subscriptions1
  • Desert Maps Yearly Plan3 Days trial$9.991 Year

Questions

Is رحَّال | Rahhal free?
رحَّال | Rahhal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Desert Maps free?
Desert Maps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, رحَّال | Rahhal or Desert Maps?
Desert Maps is rated higher. رحَّال | Rahhal averages 4.5 out of 5 from 173 ratings, while Desert Maps averages 4.5 from 479 ratings.
Do رحَّال | Rahhal or Desert Maps have ads?
Neither رحَّال | Rahhal nor Desert Maps shows ads.
Which is updated more often, رحَّال | Rahhal or Desert Maps?
رحَّال | Rahhal ships an update every 2 weeks, and Desert Maps every 5 weeks. Most recently, رحَّال | Rahhal was updated on November 7, 2026 and Desert Maps on November 8, 2026.

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