Comparison

Theodolite vs GPS Tracks

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Read full description

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!

About

GPS Tracks

This app allows users to track outdoor activities like hiking, biking, and running. It enables navigation to waypoints, storage of favorite destinations, and offers advanced features for route planning and data export with a subscription.

Highlights
  • Track hiking, biking, running, and walking routes
  • Navigate to saved waypoints
  • Store and manage favorite destinations
  • Offline map downloads
  • Export tracks and waypoints (GPX, KML, CSV)
  • Real-time track sharing
  • Apple Watch app for direct activity tracking
Features
Read full description

"One of the better GPS apps for sporting enthusiasts for the iPhone..." - Bryan Wolfe, AppAdvice.com Do you want to track your hiking, biking, walking, running? Do you want to track your outdoor activities? Do you need to navigate to waypoints? Do you want to store your favorite destinations? Explore anywhere, without limits with GPS Tracks. It is an ideal app for offline hiking, running, walking, cycling, and any other route tracking activity. It is a perfect companion for traveling, hunting, fishing, and other navigational activities where you need to store specific waypoints. Use Applications - • Great for hiking offline, running, walking, and biking to track your route! • Great for photographers who need to track location data for their pictures! • Great for hunters and fishermen who need to store specific locations! • Great for golfing to find the distance to the pin! • Great for military navigational applications! Features Upgrade to GPS Tracks Pro & Premium (requires subscription) • Download maps for offline use • Use Street, Terrain, Topo, Satellite, USGS, NOAA nautical charts, FAA charts, and many other alternate map sources • Add map overlays of local trails or area boundaries from images, files, or directly from your camera • Use custom Map Tile Server URLs • Export tracks and waypoints to GPX, KML, KMZ, or CSV • Print Maps in PDF • GPS Tracks Live - real-time track sharing with friends which allows you to see your friends tracks live on the map • Use the Range Finder • Create a track pacesetter or goal to improve your time on a given track • Weather at waypoints • Elevation profiles for tracks • Create routes manually by tracing the map or dropping pins • GPS Tracks uses WGS84 datum, over 220 datums available with the subscription • Subscription syncs via iCloud to other devices Track • Record your track for any activity • Save your favorite waypoints • Take GPS static observations to average current location for more accurate waypoints • Easily navigate to waypoints with the waypoint guide on the compass • Add a vector as a waypoint with angle and distance • Convert between four sets of coordinates (Decimal, DMS, MGRS, UTM) anytime Measure (requires subscription) • The Range Finder allows you to measure distance, elevation and angle between any two points on the map • Map measuring tools allow you to measure area and distance on the map • Draw or drop pins to measure Apple Watch App • Track your activity directly with your Apple Watch without your iPhone • Will save your workouts to the Health app from the watch (only the watch app uses HealthKit) Connect • iCloud syncing (will sync between Mac, iPad, and iPhone version) • Import from Dropbox, iCloud Drive, or the local device storage • Send a waypoint to the Apple, Google, or Waze app for driving directions • Import tracks and coordinates in a GPX, KML, BIN, CSV, or NMEA format Live Activities & Widgets • Live Activity for tracking and navigating waypoints • Lock Screen & Home Screen widget for distance today and current location • Home Screen widget for last track and add new waypoint There are many other great features. Privacy Policy and Terms of Use - http://www.dmsoftwaresolutions.com/privacyPolicyTermsOfUse.html Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.

Screenshots

Theodolite4 screens
GPS Tracks4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: GPS Tracks at Free against Theodolite's $8.99. GPS Tracks also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (18K vs 902). Theodolite's advantage is chart position (#7 vs #63) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On rating, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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

GPS Tracks is free to download; Theodolite costs $8.99 up front. Theodolite sells 8 one-off in-app purchases and GPS Tracks sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $29.99 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 — 4.7 for Theodolite against 4.7 for GPS Tracks. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: GPS Tracks has 18K ratings behind it against 902, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 88% and 88% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Theodolite ships an update every 4 months, GPS Tracks fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Theodolite versus GPS Tracks: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTheodoliteGPS Tracks
Price$8.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (902 ratings)4.7 (18K ratings)
Positive reviews87.8% of reviews88.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings90218K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#7 — better#63
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS15.6 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB107 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCraig HunterDavid Morneault

Customer experience

Theodolite

All ratings902 ratings
Positive92.8%
Neutral2.9%
Negative4.3%
Written reviews475 reviews
Positive87.8%
Neutral4.8%
Negative7.4%

GPS Tracks

All ratings17,616 ratings
Positive93.8%
Neutral3.4%
Negative2.8%
Written reviews1,119 reviews
Positive88.1%
Neutral3.3%
Negative8.6%

Bugs and requests

Theodolite

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

GPS Tracks

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Tracks disappearing after updates
  • GPS coordinates not always accurate
  • Difficulty deleting unwanted waypoints

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to edit waypoint names
  • Improved map synchronization across devices
  • Integration with popular fitness apps
  • Landscape map view option
  • Automatic activity tracking without user interaction

In-app purchases

8 purchases

Theodolite

One-time8
  • 1,000 Outdoors Map Tiles$0.99
  • Team Tracking$1.99
  • World Datum Pack$2.99
Show 5 more
  • 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
3 purchases

GPS Tracks

Subscriptions2
  • GPS Tracks Pro7 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • GPS Tracks Premium$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • Datum Add-On Pack$2.99

Questions

Is Theodolite free?
Theodolite costs $8.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is GPS Tracks free?
GPS Tracks is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Theodolite or GPS Tracks?
Theodolite and GPS Tracks are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 902 and 18K ratings respectively.
Do Theodolite or GPS Tracks have ads?
Neither Theodolite nor GPS Tracks shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Theodolite or GPS Tracks?
Theodolite ships an update every 4 months, and GPS Tracks fortnightly. Most recently, Theodolite was updated on September 24, 2026 and GPS Tracks on September 25, 2026.
Which is more popular, Theodolite or GPS Tracks?
Theodolite currently peaks at #7 in the App Store charts, and GPS Tracks at #63. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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