# Guru Maps vs Ascend Maps

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Ascend Maps at none against Guru Maps's 6. Ascend Maps also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). Guru Maps's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 6 months) and ratings volume (2.9K vs 1). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Guru Maps sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Ascend Maps asks for nothing beyond the download.

Ascend Maps holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Guru Maps has 2.9K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Guru Maps ships an update every 10 days, Ascend Maps every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and August 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Guru Maps | Ascend Maps |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (2.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guru-maps-offline-navigation/id321745474/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ascend-maps/id6504321706/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.9K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 75.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#157** | — |
| Size | 123 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Evgen Bodunov](https://appshunter.io/developer/321745477) | [Matthew White](https://appshunter.io/developer/1498369427) |

## What reviewers say

### Guru Maps

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guru-maps-offline-navigation/id321745474)

**Currently charting:** #157 Top Grossing · Navigation (US App Store)

Navigate the world without an internet connection using detailed offline maps and turn-by-turn GPS directions. Plan multi-stop routes, record your adventures, and discover millions of points of interest with rich 3D terrain views. Sync your data across devices for seamless exploration.

**Highlights:** Offline maps and navigation, Turn-by-turn voice directions, Multi-stop route planning, GPS track recording, 3D relief and terrain views, Offline search for places, Sync across devices

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Guru Maps Pro Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Guru Maps Pro Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| One-Time Purchase | $27.00 | one-time |
| One-Time Purchase | $40.49 | one-time |
| One-Time Purchase | $54.00 | one-time |
| One-Time Purchase | $89.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Offline maps work well
- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 🚀 Detailed maps
- 🚀 Excellent for travel and outdoor activities
- 🚀 Useful offline navigation

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🐛 Map search function not reliable
- 🐛 Difficulty downloading/importing custom maps
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 💰 Paid features required for full functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes after recent updates
- GPS not working reliably offline
- Incorrect map data in some areas
- Syncing issues between devices

**Requested features**

- Route planning and turn-by-turn navigation
- Elevation/terrain data display
- Ability to add custom waypoints and annotations
- Improved search functionality
- Easier map download and import process


### Ascend Maps

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ascend-maps/id6504321706)

This app provides customizable outdoor maps with offline capabilities. It features 3D terrain, track recording, saved places management, and the ability to save map tiles for offline use. Explore the outdoors with detailed, personalized navigation tools.

**Highlights:** Offline search, 3D terrain, Track recording and editing, Saved places management, Customizable map styles, Offline map tile saving

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Guru Maps free?

Guru Maps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Ascend Maps free?

Ascend Maps is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Guru Maps or Ascend Maps?

Ascend Maps is rated higher. Guru Maps averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.9K ratings, while Ascend Maps averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Guru Maps or Ascend Maps have ads?

Neither Guru Maps nor Ascend Maps shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Guru Maps or Ascend Maps?

Guru Maps ships an update every 10 days, and Ascend Maps every 6 months. Most recently, Guru Maps was updated on September 23, 2026 and Ascend Maps on August 26, 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.*