Comparison

Theodolite vs GIS Kit

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

GIS Kit

This app provides powerful mobile mapping and field data collection for iPhone and iPad. It allows users to view and collect geographic data offline, import various file formats, and organize information by projects and layers. It's designed for professional use without requiring desktop software or prior GIS training.

Highlights
  • Offline mapping and data collection
  • Import Shapefiles, KML/KMZ
  • Collect point, line, and polygon features
  • Customizable attribute fields
  • Project and layer organization
  • Wireless data import/export
Features
Read full description

Premier field collection and data viewer for iPhone and iPad. - No desktop GIS software required. - No prior GIS training required. - Completely offline capable. - Cache (download) open source topographic maps, street maps and satellite imagery straight from device. - Import ESRI Shapefiles and KML/KMZ files including attributes. - Attribute fields include: Alphanumeric (Description), Photos, numerical values, user defined list of values, addresses, websites, date & time, telephone number, check box. - Easily collect new point, line, and polygon features in the field by GPS or drawing manually. - Enter attribute values for each feature and/or add new attribute types at time of collection. - Create templates of user defined feature classes with custom attributes. - Comes loaded with numerous example feature templates for professional use in Forestry, Wetland Delineation, Stream Surveys, and Real Estate. - Import and export data wirelessly by email. Larger data sets can be imported/exported by connecting to any computer with itunes. - Organize by projects and layers - Best-in-class performance. Check our website to see videos, documentation and more information about the "Pro" version. Please note that all the features of the GIS Pro version (such as Shapefile export) are available through in-app purchase in this app as well. For Businesses: Please note that a separate license is required for each user or each device that is used by multiple users. See http://www.apple.com/legal/itunes/us/terms.html for details. Also see http://www.apple.com/business/vpp for information on purchasing in volume. Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.

Screenshots

Theodolite4 screens
GIS Kit4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Theodolite at $8.99 against GIS Kit's $99.99. Theodolite also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.1) and review sentiment (88% vs 50%). GIS Kit's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 4 months) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.6). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model 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

Theodolite costs $8.99 and GIS Kit $99.99 up front. Theodolite sells 8 one-off in-app purchases and GIS Kit sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Theodolite holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Theodolite has 902 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of Theodolite's written reviews are positive against 50% of GIS Kit's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Theodolite ships an update every 4 months, GIS Kit every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Theodolite versus GIS Kit: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTheodoliteGIS Kit
Price$8.99 — better$99.99
Rating4.7 (902 ratings) — better4.1 (12 ratings)
Positive reviews87.8% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings902 — better12
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#7 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.69.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB44 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCraig HunterGarafa, LLC

Customer experience

Theodolite

All ratings902 ratings
Positive92.8%
Neutral2.9%
Negative4.3%
Written reviews476 reviews
Positive87.8%
Neutral4.8%
Negative7.4%

GIS Kit

All ratings12 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral8.3%
Negative8.3%
Written reviews46 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral13.0%
Negative37.0%

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
1 purchases

GIS Kit

One-time1
  • GIS Pro Upgrade$199.99

Questions

Is Theodolite free?
Theodolite costs $8.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is GIS Kit free?
GIS Kit costs $99.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Theodolite or GIS Kit?
Theodolite is rated higher. Theodolite averages 4.7 out of 5 from 902 ratings, while GIS Kit averages 4.1 from 12 ratings.
Do Theodolite or GIS Kit have ads?
Neither Theodolite nor GIS Kit shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Theodolite or GIS Kit?
Theodolite ships an update every 4 months, and GIS Kit every 6 weeks. Most recently, Theodolite was updated on October 19, 2026 and GIS Kit on October 17, 2026.

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