Comparison

Map Tools vs Nav Camera

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

Head to head
About

Map Tools

This app supports numerous coordinate systems and map projections for a wide range of datums. Users can input locations manually or via GPS and view them on an embedded map. All datums are accessible without extra purchases.

Highlights
  • Supports 232 datums
  • Multiple coordinate systems (Geodetic, MGRS, UTM, etc.)
  • Manual location input
  • GPS location acquisition
  • Embedded map view
  • All datums included
Features
Read full description

Map Tools supports coordinate systems and map projections for 232 datums, including WGS84, NAD27, NAD83, ED50, OSGB36, EGSA87, AGD66, AGD84, GDA94, NZGD2000, NZGD1949, and many more. All datums are now accessible in the app without any additional purchases. Users can input locations manually or obtain them using their device's GPS, and these locations can be viewed on the embedded map. The following coordinate systems are available for selection as either the source or target coordinate system: * Geodetic (latitude and longitude) * MGRS * UTM/UPS * USNG * Georef * Map Grid Australia (MGA) with GDA94 Datum * British National Grid with OSGB36 Datum * New Zealand Transverse Mercator 2000 (NZTM2000) * New Zealand Map Grid (NZMG) with NZGD49 Datum * Swiss Grid with CH1903 Datum * Greek Grid with EGSA87 Datum * Singapore TM with SVY21 Datum

About

Nav Camera

Capture photos and videos with integrated geo-location data overlays. Add custom notes and choose from various display options and formats. Ideal for professional documentation and field use.

Highlights
  • Geo-location data overlays (date, time, position, altitude, datum, bearing)
  • Customizable notes up to four lines
  • Movie recording with real-time overlay updates
  • Multiple reticle options
  • Colored lens filters
  • Support for various position formats (MGRS, UTM, etc.)
Currently charting
Read full description

Nav Camera uses the proven navigation, augmented reality, and image processing engines from the well known Theodolite app to create a new app that focuses on photogaphy and video recording with data overlays. The app has been crafted with attention to detail by a top iOS developer, and benefits from over 20 years of development and testing heritage, along with real world usage by surveyors, geologists, architects, engineers, competitive sportsmen, first responders, military personnel, and search and rescue workers around the world. Nav Camera supports portrait and landscape photo capture, and gives you the option to overlay date/time, geo data, street address, and four lines of custom notes on photos and videos. Nav Camera lets you take photographs and record movies in landscape and portrait orientations with geo-location overlays and custom notes. Geo-location overlays include date, time, position, altitude, GPS datum, and compass bearing. Overlay data is updated in every frame when recording movies, which is great for documenting dynamic scenes or scanning an area. You can enter up to four lines of custom notes to be rendered into the overlay, which is perfect for job descriptions, project names, company/staff information, invoice numbers, or additional comments/documentation. Various parts of the overlay can be turned on or off, and multiple overlay colors are available. Nav Camera includes features for serious users including multiple reticles (three types of crosshairs and an SLR-style focus/exposure indicator), colored lens filters to improve use in dark conditions and preserve night vision, and multiple position formats including military grid reference system (MGRS), universal transverse Mercator (UTM), British/Irish National Grids, and six latitude/longitude variations. The optional "Datum Pack" adds over 220 geodetic datums to the app for more accurate position and altitude computation from GPS data. Optional datums include NAD-27, NAD-83, OSGB-36, ED-50, and hundreds of others, covering regions and countries on all continents around the world. Find out why apps like Nav Camera and Theodolite, and their field-proven results, are featured in Apple Keynotes, written up in magazine articles and professional journals, and used by everyday explorers and pro users around the world. Where will you take Nav Camera on your next adventure? Nav Camera works on any iPhone or iPod Touch with camera, running iOS 11.4 or later. If you like Nav Camera, please leave a review/rating on the iTunes App Store. It only takes a moment, and helps us a lot. Thanks!

Screenshots

Map Tools4 screens
Nav Camera4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Map Tools at 5.0 against Nav Camera's 4.0. Map Tools also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (monthly vs every 12 months). Nav Camera's advantage is review sentiment (62% vs 21%) and ratings volume (34 vs 1). On ads and device support 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

Map Tools costs $1.99 and Nav Camera $3.99 up front. Nav Camera sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Map Tools asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Map Tools holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Nav Camera has 34 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 21% of Map Tools's written reviews are positive against 62% of Nav Camera's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Map Tools ships an update monthly, Nav Camera every 12 months. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
Map Tools versus Nav Camera: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMap ToolsNav Camera
Price$1.99 — better$3.99
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.0 (34 ratings)
Positive reviews21.1% of reviews61.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings134 — better
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 12 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank—#72 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS18.215.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperModular Machines LLCCraig Hunter

Customer experience

Map Tools

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews19 reviews
Positive21.1%
Neutral10.5%
Negative68.4%

Nav Camera

All ratings34 ratings
Positive79.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.6%
Written reviews34 reviews
Positive61.8%
Neutral2.9%
Negative35.3%

In-app purchases

None

Map Tools

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Nav Camera

One-time1
  • Datum Pack$2.99

Questions

Is Map Tools free?
Map Tools costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Nav Camera free?
Nav Camera costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Map Tools or Nav Camera?
Map Tools is rated higher. Map Tools averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Nav Camera averages 4.0 from 34 ratings.
Do Map Tools or Nav Camera have ads?
Neither Map Tools nor Nav Camera shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Map Tools or Nav Camera?
Map Tools ships an update monthly, and Nav Camera every 12 months. Most recently, Map Tools was updated on September 30, 2026 and Nav Camera on October 2, 2026.

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