# GPS vs maps.earth

The clearest difference is price: maps.earth at Free against GPS's $0.99. maps.earth also leads on rating (3.5 vs 2.4) and update cadence (monthly vs every 11 months). GPS's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.4). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

maps.earth is free to download; GPS costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

maps.earth holds the better App Store score, 3.5 against 2.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 4 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 26% of GPS's written reviews are positive against 50% of maps.earth's.

GPS ships an update every 11 months, maps.earth monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and June 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | GPS | maps.earth |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [2.4 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gps/id298395058/reviews) | **[3.5 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mapsearth/id6479329515/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **7** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 25.6% of reviews | **50.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 29 MB | 20 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Void Stop Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/298395061) | [Michael Kirk](https://appshunter.io/developer/1023813384) |

## What reviewers say

### GPS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gps/id298395058)

This app provides detailed location data including speed, altitude, and coordinates. It offers various map views and tracks your journey statistics. Customize settings for units, display, and background operation.

**Highlights:** Current heading, course, speed, coordinates, altitude, Street, topographic, and satellite maps, Cached maps for offline viewing, Trace statistics (time, distance, altitude, speed), Customizable coordinate and unit formats, Background tracing and automatic pausing

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### maps.earth

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mapsearth/id6479329515)

Discover the world with low-stress directions powered by OpenStreetMap. This open-source application prioritizes user privacy by not displaying ads or selling data, focusing solely on providing a pleasant mapping experience.

**Highlights:** World exploration, Low-stress directions, OpenStreetMap powered, Ad-free experience, Data privacy focused, Open source

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is GPS free?

GPS costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is maps.earth free?

maps.earth is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, GPS or maps.earth?

maps.earth is rated higher. GPS averages 2.4 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while maps.earth averages 3.5 from 4 ratings.

### Do GPS or maps.earth have ads?

Neither GPS nor maps.earth shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, GPS or maps.earth?

GPS ships an update every 11 months, and maps.earth monthly. Most recently, GPS was updated on September 26, 2026 and maps.earth on June 23, 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.*