Theodolite vs HeliPlates
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Theodolite
This app combines a compass, inclinometer, rangefinder, GPS, and map with augmented reality features. Capture photos and videos with overlaid geographical data, and navigate using detailed offline maps. Share locations and collaborate with others for various outdoor and professional uses.
- Augmented reality viewfinder
- Compass and inclinometer
- GPS and map navigation
- Data-overlay photo/video camera
- Offline map support
- Rangefinder and nav calculator
- Coordinate system support
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Theodolite is a multi-function viewfinder that combines a compass, two-axis inclinometer, rangefinder, GPS, map, nav calculator, and geo-overlay photo/movie camera into one indispensable app. Theodolite was one of the very first augmented reality (AR) apps when it was released in 2009, and it’s been downloaded and used by millions of customers since then. Uses are endless, and the app is great for land measurements, outdoor sports, sightseeing, navigation, and finding your way around. Theodolite is a pro grade app and is used extensively by surveyors, geologists, architects, engineers, competitive sportsmen, first responders, military personnel, and search and rescue workers around the world. Theodolite lets you take data-overlay photos and movies with 2X-8X zoom. Overlay geographical data, angle markings, date/time, author/company info, and project notes directly on photos and movies for later reference. The same data is written into the metadata record of images, making image files self-contained data records. Third-party apps can tap into Theodolite's advanced camera functions with a camera sharing feature. View current position on the built-in map with optional offline Outdoors maps that include topo contours, roads, trails, landmarks, campgrounds, ski lifts, and more. Live map markers continually update distance/heading relative to the current location and also show wayfinding info in the main viewfinder. Draw polygons on the map to mark things like property boundaries and trails, and import/export polygon data via KML. Share map markers and nav calculator points with other users of Theodolite via text messages or e-mail. This powerful capability opens up a wide range of collaborative uses including team land surveying, accident investigations, spotting wild fires, triangulation of landmarks, and advanced tactical observation and targeting. With an optional in-app purchase to enable team tracking, you can share location with up to 20 people on Theodolite's map. Theodolite includes features for serious users like a reference angle mode, nav calculator, map marker import/export, manual and automatic data logging with CSV and KML export, clipboard integration, %grade display, mil compass readout, optical rangefinders (including a mil-based reticle, sniper-style stadiametric graphs, and a variable 4X-24X scope), and night filters to improve use in dark conditions. Theodolite can provide location in military grid reference system (MGRS) coordinates, Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates, British/Irish National Grids, US National Grid, Maidenhead locator system, Map Grid of Australia, and six latitude/longitude formats. Optional US State Plane coordinates include SPCS27 and SPCS83 zones covering all US States. The optional Datum Pack adds over 230 geodetic datums to the app to improve position computation from GPS data, covering regions and countries on all continents around the world. AR Layers include navigational aids like the sun, moon, planets, and Polaris (North star), and the optional US Mountain Summits layer that shows over 70,000 US mountain summits in the viewfinder. Theodolite has been shown in Apple Keynotes, featured on the App Store, and has been a #1 selling Navigation app in App Stores around the world. Since its introduction in 2009, Theodolite has defined augmented reality navigation. The app continually introduces new technologies, pushing the limits of iOS app development and taking advantage of new hardware capabilities. Find out why Apple named Theodolite one of the most amazing apps available and showed it being used to explore the Great Wall of China. Where will you take it on your next adventure? Note: Theodolite is an iPhone app -- see “Theodolite HD” for use on an iPad. And be sure to check out the all-new "Theodolite for Watch" and put Theodolite on your wrist!
HeliPlates
This app provides detailed information on hospital heliports across California, including navigation coordinates, dimensions, and facility details. Users can view heliports on an interactive map or by hospital name, with aerial photos and approach paths included. Data can be saved for offline access.
- Interactive map of California hospital heliports
- Detailed heliport information
- Navigational coordinates
- Aerial photos with approach paths
- Offline data saving
- Search by region, county, or hospital name
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Caltrans has developed informational dataplates, or "HeliPlates," that provide permitted approach paths and other information for all the permitted Hospital Heliports in California. We hope this information will be helpful to emergency planners, helicopter operators, and other users. The Caltrans HeliPlates app displays a map of Hospital Heliports in California that you can view by Geographic Region or County. You can select a HeliPlate for a specific Hospital Heliport using either the interactive map or by directly choosing the Hospital Name. The HeliPlates include: - Hospital Name - Hospital Heliport Geographic “Nav” Coordinates - Heliport Info and Dimensions - Hospital Facility and FAA Information - Regional Map showing the location of the heliport - Aerial Photo showing the heliport and Permitted Approach Paths Additionally, HeliPlates can be saved for offline use.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: HeliPlates at Free against Theodolite's $8.99. HeliPlates also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 8) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Theodolite's advantage is ratings volume (906 vs 3) and update cadence (every 4 months vs every 17 months). 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
HeliPlates is free to download; Theodolite costs $8.99 up front. Theodolite sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. HeliPlates asks for nothing beyond the download.
HeliPlates holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Theodolite has 906 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Theodolite ships an update every 4 months, HeliPlates every 17 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Theodolite | HeliPlates |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $8.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.7 (906 ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 87.8% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 906 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months — better | Every 17 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #8 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 18.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 30 MB | 0 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Craig Hunter | California Department of Transportation |
Customer experience
Theodolite
HeliPlates
In-app purchases
Theodolite
- 1,000 Outdoors Map Tiles$0.99
- Team Tracking$1.99
- World Datum Pack$2.99
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- US Mountain Summits AR Layer$2.99
- 5,000 Outdoors Map Tiles$4.99
- 10,000 Outdoors Map Tiles$8.99
- 20,000 Outdoors Map Tiles$17.99
- US State Plane Coordinates$24.99
HeliPlates
No in-app purchases









