Wheresit vs Topo Maps US
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Wheresit
Navigate the world offline using GPS and your device's compass. Features augmented reality guidance, a vast database of landmarks, and the ability to save custom destinations for outdoor adventures, urban exploration, or geocaching.
- Offline GPS and compass navigation
- Augmented Reality (AR) mode
- 2.5 million+ landmarks and historical markers
- Save custom destinations with icons
- Real-time distance and direction monitoring
- Smart filtering of locations
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Dead-reckoning navigation — no Internet required. Wheresit is the ultimate offline navigation tool for explorers, hikers, and treasure hunters. Whether you're marking a secluded campsite in the deep woods, finding your car in a massive parking lot, or hunting for geocaches in the wild, Wheresit guides you exactly where you need to go using only your device's GPS and compass. AUGMENTED REALITY (AR) MODE: Turn your phone into a high-tech scanner. View your target location as a digital overlay in the real world through your camera feed. RADAR VIEW: See which locations are around you and pick one for compass and AR navigation. UPDATED LOCATIONS: Updated and refined database of over 2.5 million landmarks and historical markers in the United States and territories. WHY CHOOSE WHERESIT? NO INTERNET? NO PROBLEM: Wheresit is built to work in remote locations. All landmarks and search features are stored locally on your device. All you need is a GPS signal. PRECISION NAVIGATION: Monitor distance, direction, and altitude in real-time on a 3D compass rose. Follow the needle to reach your destination. CUSTOM DESTINATIONS: Save your favorite fishing spots, hidden hiking trails, or buried treasures. Tag them with custom icons and categories for easy retrieval. SMART FILTERING: Instantly sort through millions of locations. Find exactly what you're looking for—from summits and ruins to reservoirs and hisorical markers—with just a few taps. MULTIPLE USES Outdoor Adventure: Navigate to summits, campsites, and water sources without a cellular signal. Urban Navigation: Mark your parked car and never lose it again. Geocaching: Enter precise coordinates and hunt for treasures with the AR radar. Historical Exploration: Discover over 2.5 million historical markers and hidden landmarks across the US. Wheresit remains committed to your privacy: No ads, zero tracking, and no in-app purchases required. Ever.
Topo Maps US
Access and download detailed topographic maps of the United States for offline use. Track your location, mark waypoints, and record your routes for outdoor activities. Navigate with direction arrows and measure distances on the map.
- Download US topographic maps
- Offline map viewing
- GPS location tracking
- Add and import waypoints (flags)
- Import and share GPX/LOC files
- Record and share trails
- Elevation profile charts
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Download USGS topographic maps of the United States and use them offline, with no account and no subscription. Topo Maps US is built for people who go where cell service doesn't: hikers, backpackers, hunters, anglers, paddlers, mountain bikers, geocachers, and anyone who wants a real topographic map in their pocket. MAPS Choose from three USGS map layers: standard topographic, aerial imagery with a topographic overlay, or plain aerial imagery. OFFLINE Tap the map squares you want and download them before you leave. Downloaded maps work with no Internet connection and use no cell data in the field. TRAILS AND POINTS OF INTEREST BUILT IN Every map download includes the trails, summits, lakes, campsites, and other named places in that area from OpenStreetMap, so you can search them by name while you're offline. TRAIL RECORDING Record where you go. Recorded trails show your path on the map with distance, elapsed time, and average speed. Recording stops automatically when you start driving, and any drive at the start or end of a trail is trimmed off. ELEVATION PROFILES Every recorded or imported trail gets an elevation profile with distance labels and color-coded grade shading. Drag along the chart to see the matching point on the map, its elevation, and the time you passed it. FLAGS Mark your current location or any spot on the map. Flags record coordinates and elevation, and you can add notes and organize them by color: geocaches, trailheads, summits, camps, and so on. NAVIGATION Pick a flag and follow the direction arrow, driven by your compass heading, with the distance remaining. Handy for geocaching and for finding your way back to camp or the car. LOCATION See where you are on the map, your elevation, speed, and the accuracy of the GPS fix. MEASURE Trace a route on the map to measure its distance, then save it as a trail to follow later. IMPORT AND SHARE Import trails and waypoints from GPX files and geocache LOC files. Share your flags and trails by email, Messages, or AirDrop as standard GPX files that work with any GPS unit or mapping software. Back up your maps and data to a computer over Wi-Fi. Designed for iPhone and iPad. Note: Continued use of GPS in the background can noticeably reduce battery life.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Topo Maps US at Free against Wheresit's $0.99. Topo Maps US also leads on review sentiment (88% vs 50%) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months). 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
Topo Maps US is free to download; Wheresit costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Wheresit ships an update every 6 months, Topo Maps US every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Wheresit | Topo Maps US |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | — | 4.4 (215 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | 87.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 215 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 585 MB | 5 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Michael Geilich | DC Cloud Apps, LLC |
Customer experience
Wheresit
Topo Maps US
Bugs and requests
Wheresit
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Topo Maps US
Reported bugs
8 issues- White and gray blocks appearing on downloaded offline maps
- Route recording stops unexpectedly mid-hike
- High battery drain during route tracking
- GPX file import issues in iOS 13+
- Map display issues near borders
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- Flags cluttering the view
- Inconsistent zoom functionality
- Route tracking drops without saving
Requested features
18 requests- Pause/resume tracking during hikes
- Search feature for trails and landmarks
- Apple Watch app support
- CarPlay integration
- Slope shading visualization
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- Ability to select and download multiple tiles at once
- Background map downloading
- Map transfer between devices
- iCloud backup for GPS tracks
- Older USGS topographic map versions
- Time stamps in GPX export for fitness tracking
- Quadrangle identification display
- Built-in compass with map orientation
- Laptop map manager for easier updates
- Community Q&A section
- Multiple color options for waypoints
- Auto-save feature for long recordings
- Larger downloadable map areas
In-app purchases
Wheresit
No in-app purchases
Topo Maps US
No in-app purchases









