Theodolite vs WB PAL
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!
WB PAL
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WB PAL is a simple weight and balance pilot preflight tool that provides easy input screens for the pilot’s entry of unique aircraft data and specific flight weights. Pilots can create an aircraft from existing generic aircraft templates to match his/her own aircraft. The aircraft registration is added and saved to provide easy selection of all created aircraft. Note: This is a support tool to assist the pilot to visualize the aircraft loading. It is not to be used for actual weight and balance validation. Validation is the pilot's responsibility prior to takeoff using approved methods. Each aircraft can be customized to meet the unique configuration requirements for individual aircraft. Features can be added or deleted to suit these needs. Simple weight changes can be made to deal with floatplane, amphibian or ski plane configurations. Cargo areas are available to permit the use of belly pods or float compartments if you have these extra requirements. A generic display method has been used to accommodate aircraft up to 6 passengers and pilot customizing can remove seats or create tandem seating to suit your needs. When all the arm details have been configured, the pilot simply needs to ensure that all the weights are correct for the flight of interest. These can also be saved to permit simple adjustments for the next flight. When all weight data has been added the pilot may show the results graphically to see where the C of G (centre of gravity) for takeoff and landing would be for that flight configuration and duration. Both points should be within the C of G envelope for the specific aircraft. This envelope is fully editable by the pilot based on Pilot Operating Handbook data for the specific aircraft of interest. These values are preset in the aircraft templates for each generic aircraft type but may require some pilot adjusting for the specific aircraft. New templates will be added as user feedback is received on the www.digilog.ca website. The APP is full featured so no costly upgrades are required. There is also no annoying advertizing so have fun with it. There is also a built-in Guide available to provide instructions on how to use the various features.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: WB PAL at none against Theodolite's 8. WB PAL also leads on price ($3.99 vs $8.99). Theodolite's advantage is update cadence (every 4 months vs every 11 months) and chart position (#6 vs unranked). On ads, device support and iOS requirement 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
Theodolite costs $8.99 and WB PAL $3.99 up front. Theodolite sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. WB PAL asks for nothing beyond the download.
Theodolite ships an update every 4 months, WB PAL every 11 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Theodolite | WB PAL |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $8.99 | $3.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.7 (906 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 87.8% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 906 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months — better | Every 11 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | #6 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 30 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Craig Hunter | Digilog Corporation |
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
WB PAL
No in-app purchases









