# Scenic Map Alaska vs You Need A Map

The clearest difference is price: You Need A Map at Free against Scenic Map Alaska's $1.99. You Need A Map also leads on ratings volume (53 vs 4) and review sentiment (72% vs 63%). Scenic Map Alaska's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and chart position (#191 vs unranked). On rating, update cadence, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

You Need A Map is free to download; Scenic Map Alaska costs $1.99 up front. You Need A Map sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Scenic Map Alaska asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Scenic Map Alaska against 4.4 for You Need A Map. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: You Need A Map has 53 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 63% of Scenic Map Alaska's written reviews are positive against 72% of You Need A Map's.

Scenic Map Alaska ships an update every 6 months, You Need A Map every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Scenic Map Alaska | You Need A Map |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.5 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scenic-map-alaska/id403580662/reviews)** | [4.4 (53 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/you-need-a-map/id415545903/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **53** |
| Positive reviews | 62.5% of reviews | **71.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 4 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#191** | — |
| Size | 65 MB | 66 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.1 | 16.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [GrangerFX](https://appshunter.io/developer/363698835) | [GrangerFX](https://appshunter.io/developer/363698835) |

## What reviewers say

### Scenic Map Alaska

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scenic-map-alaska/id403580662)

**Currently charting:** #191 Top Paid · Navigation (US App Store)

Explore detailed 3D topographic maps of Alaska and the entire world, with offline access and satellite imagery. Navigate, track your location, and customize map views for hiking, driving, or boating.

**Highlights:** Offline 3D topographic maps, Global online map coverage, Satellite image overlays, GPS location tracking, Customizable map views, GPX track import/export, 3D tilt and flight simulator modes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### You Need A Map

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/you-need-a-map/id415545903)

This app provides detailed offline 3D topographic maps of the entire USA. It includes terrain, roads, water bodies, and landmarks, functioning even without a cell signal. It's ideal for navigation and emergency situations where connectivity is unreliable.

**Highlights:** Offline 3D topographic maps, Covers all 50 US states, Works without cell signal, Shows terrain, roads, and landmarks, GPS tracking and track replay, Detailed feature information display, Satellite image overlays

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 3D Mapping | Free | one-time |
| Scenic Map Features | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🗺️ Excellent offline maps
- ⛰️ Detailed terrain and 3D view
- 📸 Useful for photography planning
- ✈️ Great for pilots and aviation
- 🌲 Ideal for backcountry/remote areas

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💾 Large file size
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🗺️ Missing specific locations (e.g., Isle Royale)
- 📉 Outdated map data in some areas
- ❓ Unintuitive at times

**Reported bugs**

- Dark mode alphanumeric display issue
- App crashes when touching GPS icon
- App won't open after update
- Download issues
- 3D feature purchase unavailable

**Requested features**

- Prioritize favorite waypoints
- Update satellite imagery
- Improve search functionality for towns/streets
- Add BLM and state trust land overlays
- Add Retina display graphics for new iPads


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Scenic Map Alaska free?

Scenic Map Alaska costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is You Need A Map free?

You Need A Map is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Scenic Map Alaska or You Need A Map?

Scenic Map Alaska is rated higher. Scenic Map Alaska averages 4.5 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while You Need A Map averages 4.4 from 53 ratings.

### Do Scenic Map Alaska or You Need A Map have ads?

Neither Scenic Map Alaska nor You Need A Map shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Scenic Map Alaska or You Need A Map?

Scenic Map Alaska ships an update every 6 months, and You Need A Map every 4 months. Most recently, Scenic Map Alaska was updated on October 19, 2026 and You Need A Map on October 23, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*