Comparison

Topo Maps Canada vs Earthmate

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

Head to head
About

Topo Maps Canada

Access and download detailed topographic maps of Canada for offline use. Track your location, mark waypoints, and record your own routes for outdoor adventures. Navigate with direction arrows and measure distances on the map.

Highlights
  • Downloadable topographic maps
  • Offline map access
  • Location tracking and elevation
  • Waypoint creation and import (GPX, LOC)
  • Trail import and recording (GPX)
  • Navigation to waypoints
  • Distance measurement
Features
Read full description

Download Natural Resources Canada topographic maps and use them offline, with no account and no subscription. Topo Maps Canada is built for people who go where cell service doesn't: hikers, backpackers, hunters, anglers, canoeists, snowmobilers, mountain bikers, geocachers, and anyone who wants a real topographic map in their pocket. MAPS Choose from three Natural Resources Canada map styles: Canada Base Map with hillshading, Canada Base Map unshaded, or classic Toporama topographic sheets. 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, flags and trails to a computer over Wi-Fi, and restore them on a new phone. Designed for iPhone and iPad. Note: Continued use of GPS in the background can noticeably reduce battery life.

About

Earthmate

Connect your satellite communicator to your mobile device for text messaging, navigation, and trip planning. Access offline maps, track your location, and share your adventures globally. Stay connected and safe on any outdoor expedition.

Highlights
  • Send/receive text messages
  • Offline topographic maps
  • Waypoint and route navigation
  • Tracking and location sharing
  • Trip logging and planning
  • Cloud storage for trips
  • Control inReach device features
Read full description

Pair your inReach® satellite communication device with the Earthmate® app to get all the features you need to send and receive text messages, navigate and stay connected during your outdoor adventures. It’s perfect for planning, tracking and sharing your trip anywhere around the globe. This Garmin application lets you access¹: • Unlimited topographic maps that you can cache on your device and store for offline use, including topographic maps and quad sheets • Aerial imagery • Hybrid maps • Waypoints and route navigation • Tracking and location sharing • High-detail GPS trip logging • Unlimited cloud storage of routes, waypoints and tracks • Online trip planning • Control and access all the features of your inReach device from the app: send 2-way custom or preset text and email messages, trigger an SOS from anywhere in the world, track your location and more By pairing your mobile device (via Bluetooth® technology) with inReach, the Earthmate app turns your mobile device into a true satellite communication, GPS navigation and safety tool. To access the 100% global Iridium® satellite network for live tracking and messaging – including SOS capabilities – from the Earthmate app, an inReach device with active satellite subscription is required. You can plan your adventures from your account on the Garmin Explore™ website, wirelessly sync them to your smartphone or tablet, and then save all your trip data and maps with unlimited cloud storage. With the use of the LiveTrack™ feature, loved ones can follow your location in real time² and see data such as distance, time and elevation. Learn more about inReach devices and technology at www.garmin.com/inreach. Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. Don't forget to stop tracking. ¹Access varies by model. ²When used with your compatible smartphone and the Earthmate® app or when used with your compatible inReach-enabled Garmin device.

Screenshots

Topo Maps Canada4 screens
Earthmate4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Topo Maps Canada at 74% against Earthmate's 22%. Topo Maps Canada also leads on rating (4.3 vs 2.7) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Earthmate's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (272 vs 16). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Topo Maps Canada holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 2.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Earthmate has 272 ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 74% of Topo Maps Canada's written reviews are positive against 22% of Earthmate's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Topo Maps Canada ships an update every 4 months, Earthmate monthly. Both last shipped on October 21, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Topo Maps Canada versus Earthmate: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTopo Maps CanadaEarthmate
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (16 ratings) — better2.7 (272 ratings)
Positive reviews74.1% of reviews — better21.6% of reviews
Number of ratings16272 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB92 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperDC Cloud Apps, LLCGarmin

Customer experience

Topo Maps Canada

All ratings16 ratings
Positive81.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative18.8%
Written reviews85 reviews
Positive74.1%
Neutral8.2%
Negative17.6%

Earthmate

All ratings272 ratings
Positive33.1%
Neutral15.1%
Negative51.8%
Written reviews153 reviews
Positive21.6%
Neutral19.0%
Negative59.5%

User reviews

Topo Maps Canada

From 16 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🆓 Great free app
  • 🗺️ Accurate topographic maps
  • ✈️ Works offline
  • 👍 Simple and easy to use
  • 📍 Reliable GPS tracking

Room to improve

  • 🚩 Flags too big when zoomed
  • 🐌 Slow map downloads
  • 📉 Some map data is old
  • 🪲 Inconsistent sharing
  • 🪲 Flags not placing properly

Earthmate

From 272 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Offline maps
  • 📡 Satellite communication
  • 💬 Messaging functionality
  • 🗺️ Tracking and navigation

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Unreliable Bluetooth connectivity
  • 🔍 Lacking detailed maps
  • 🔑 Login/sync issues
  • 🔧 Buggy and unstable
  • 🗓️ Frequent app crashes

Bugs and requests

Topo Maps Canada

Reported bugs

17 issues
  • App does not load maps (checkerboard)
  • Maps not loading on screen
  • Downloaded maps not loading in interface
  • Cannot download new areas (internet connection issues)
  • Download bar stalls and stops
Show 12 more
  • App freezes when zooming/looking around
  • Map downloads failing
  • App not compatible with iPhone 13
  • Sharing via Airdrop inconsistent
  • Flags not working properly
  • Flags invisible and don't place properly
  • Map orientation cannot be adjusted
  • Cannot download maps on iPhone 13 Pro
  • Page full of squares where map should be
  • WebDAV server does not exist
  • Downloaded maps can't be shown
  • App glitches and freezes

Requested features

16 requests
  • Make flags shrink when zoomed in
  • Option for dots instead of flags
  • Apple Watch version
  • Apple CarPlay integration
  • Faster map downloading
Show 11 more
  • Cursor centering arrow with look-ahead line
  • Adjustable map orientation (track up)
  • Ability to edit recorded tracks
  • Pause function while recording tracks
  • MGRS coordinate format
  • French language version
  • UTM grid overlay
  • Better backup/sync for flags and trails
  • Option for unlocking map orientation
  • Zoom in and see larger lake names
  • Download 1:10,000 maps for Northern Ontario

Earthmate

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Invisible text fields
  • Disappearing waypoints and tracks
  • Inability to send preset messages from app
  • Incorrect wind speed display
  • Broken map downloads

Requested features

5 requests
  • Apple Watch integration
  • Customizable preset messages
  • Improved map detail and customization
  • Seamless sync between app and device
  • Frequent message check intervals

In-app purchases

None

Topo Maps Canada

No in-app purchases

None

Earthmate

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Topo Maps Canada free?
Topo Maps Canada is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Earthmate free?
Earthmate is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Topo Maps Canada or Earthmate?
Topo Maps Canada is rated higher. Topo Maps Canada averages 4.3 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Earthmate averages 2.7 from 272 ratings.
Do Topo Maps Canada or Earthmate have ads?
Neither Topo Maps Canada nor Earthmate shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Topo Maps Canada or Earthmate?
Topo Maps Canada ships an update every 4 months, and Earthmate monthly. Most recently, Topo Maps Canada was updated on October 21, 2026 and Earthmate on October 21, 2026.

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