Mapster vs Organic Maps・Offline Maps, GPS
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Mapster
Explore the Earth with detailed offline maps featuring topographical hillshading and contour lines. Discover hiking trails, ski runs, and geographical features, even without an internet connection. Access up-to-date information from OpenStreetMap for navigation and exploration.
- Detailed topographical maps
- Offline map access
- Hillshading and contour lines
- OpenStreetMap data integration
- Real-time location tracking
- Monthly map updates
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With Mapster, you can view, download, and store incredibly detailed maps (which include stunning topographical hillshading and contour lines) for any part of the Earth. Whether you're interested in finding new hiking trails, ski runs, back streets, freeways, or just want to explore the physical geography of our planet, you will never run out of things to discover. Now, you can have maps available even in places where you have no Internet service - when you need them the most! There is more involved to providing accurate, practical, and visually appealing maps than just drawing lines where roads are. Our Earth isn't flat, so the way it appears on your screen shouldn't be either. To this end, we have spent a lot of time collecting topographical information for the entire planet, and presenting it in an intuitive and practical way. If there is a small hill or valley in the area you are interested in looking at, it will likely be obvious in Mapster. This provides all kinds of practical benefits for the outdoor enthusiast - if you're the type of person who enjoys hiking or cycling, you'll know ahead of time what to expect. Of course, there is a lot more to Mapster than just a visualization of the terrain in an area. We use data from the OpenStreetMap project to be able to show you where roads, trails, stores, coffee shops, and hundreds of different types of features can be located. Approximately a billion points make up the current OpenStreetMap data set, and the collection is continuing to grow at an astounding rate. Mapster doesn't rely on mapping data that quickly becomes outdated. Approximately once per month, our servers update the map information with the latest changes submitted by hundreds of thousands of users around the world, and keep your iPhone, iPod, or iPad current automatically. As a Mapster user, you obtain privileged access to incredible maps of our entire planet, at a level of detail never before seen. By using your device's built-in ability to determine its location (through a combination of GPS, cell phone triangulation, and WiFi site analysis technologies), you'll always know what's "around the next corner". And if you're the sort of person who likes to explore areas where there is no cell phone or Internet service, that's no problem. Unlike some other map software that requires a live Internet connection to provide you with information, the map details you download to your device are cached, so they stick around and are available even when you're in the middle of nowhere (perhaps not so surprisingly, some of the most interesting places on the planet are "in the middle of nowhere"). If you are planning on exploring an area, all you need to do is tell Mapster to download the details of that location before you leave. There's quite literally an entire planet out there waiting to be explored, whether you're looking for new restauraunts in your community, or kayaking down a river surrounded by a tropical rainforest (though for the latter, we'd suggest also bringing along a waterproof bag to keep your iPhone/iPod/iPad in). With Mapster along for the ride, you'll see the Earth as you never have before. NOTE: To prevent excessive bandwidth on our servers providing the map data, the free version of this app is restricted to downloading a fixed amount of map data per day, roughly equivalent to around 5 or 10 minutes of panning around and zooming in interactively (and obviously much less if you decide to batch download maps). To remove this restriction, inexpensive monthly and yearly subscriptions are available as in-app purchases which give you access to obtaining as much map data as you'd like.
Organic Maps・Offline Maps, GPS
Navigate and explore with detailed offline maps and GPS guidance. Plan, record, and import routes for travel, hikes, and rides without needing an internet connection. Enjoy privacy-first, battery-efficient navigation with extensive points of interest.
- 100% offline maps and navigation
- Fast zooming and search
- Detailed points of interest
- Turn-by-turn voice guidance
- Hiking and cycling trail layers
- Route recording and import/export
- Multiple map styles
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Organic Maps is a fast, detailed offline map and GPS navigation app for travel, hikes, and rides. Plan, import, and record routes, and enjoy smooth guidance without draining your battery or using an internet connection. Explore places and navigate safely during your outdoor adventures and travels around the world. The app offers unlimited map downloads and biweekly updates. OpenStreetMap-based, volunteer-made, privacy-first, 100% offline, and 100% free. OFFLINE: The app works 100% offline — including search and navigation. You can explore the map and navigate without an internet connection, saving on mobile data and roaming fees. And with no background data transfers, your battery lasts much longer. FAST: Zooming, search, and route calculations work noticeably fast. DETAILED & UPDATED: The maps are rich in detail and refreshed twice a month to reflect real-world conditions. Unlike many well-known competitors, they include building labels, benches, hiking paths, and other helpful information. OPENSTREETMAP-BASED: OpenStreetMap is a wiki-style world map built and maintained by millions of volunteers — locals who know their areas best. This community effort results in highly detailed maps, often more accurate than commercial ones in less-mapped regions. Organic Maps updates its data from OpenStreetMap every two weeks, keeping your maps fresh and reliable. And if you notice something missing, you can add it to OpenStreetMap and help improve the map for everyone. PRIVACY-FIRST: We don’t collect any data or identifiers. This means there’s no risk of data leaks and no distractions like ads or noisy notifications — just a clean, private map experience. IMPORTANT FEATURES EXPLORE PLACES: Search by address, name, or category, discover millions of POIs, and view detailed information such as opening hours, Wikipedia articles, wheelchair accessibility, and other helpful details. All available offline. GPS NAVIGATION: Enjoy voice-guided, turn-by-turn directions. Create walking, hiking, cycling, or driving routes — including routes between cities, countries, and multiple waypoints. Find the best routes for your metro journeys and commutes. CarPlay is supported. HIKING & CYCLING TRAILS FROM AROUND THE WORLD: Enable special map layers to discover popular hiking and cycling routes worldwide, all sourced from OpenStreetMap. Switch between layers to see colored bike and MTB routes, as well as official hiking paths. PUBLIC TRANSPORT: See public transport route numbers at stops. Live transport schedules and routing are currently in development. MAP STYLES: Choose map layers that fit your activity — Outdoors, Contour Lines, Hiking, Cycling, or Metro/Subway. TRACK RECORDER: Record, import, export, and share your routes and favorite places. Supports KML, KMZ, GPX, and GeoJSON formats. WIKIPEDIA ARTICLES: Explore Wikipedia articles for places you discover on the map. Type “?wiki” in the search to find all places with Wikipedia articles. MAP EDITOR: Contribute to OpenStreetMap by adding missing places or editing the map directly from Organic Maps. DARK MODE: Switch to a dark theme for comfortable viewing at night. iCLOUD SYNC: Easily back up and sync all your bookmarks and tracks via iCloud. Try the app — it’s 100% free, ad-free, fast, and fully offline. Enjoy a fast, reliable, and private map experience, and share it with others! Organic Maps is an indie, community-driven, open-source project with hundreds of contributors who help develop new features, fix issues, translate, and move the project forward. Join the community on Telegram: @OrganicMapsApp Or learn other ways to support the project: https://organicmaps.app/contribute/ Your honest feedback and reviews in the store motivate us! We love hearing from you there. Have questions? Please visit the organicmaps.app website for additional details and FAQ.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Organic Maps・Offline Maps, GPS at none against Mapster's 2. Organic Maps・Offline Maps, GPS also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 14 months) and review sentiment (88% vs 62%). Mapster's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads 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
Both are free to download. Mapster sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Organic Maps・Offline Maps, GPS asks for nothing beyond the download.
Mapster holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Organic Maps・Offline Maps, GPS has 3.4K ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 62% of Mapster's written reviews are positive against 88% of Organic Maps・Offline Maps, GPS's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Mapster ships an update every 14 months, Organic Maps・Offline Maps, GPS fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Mapster | Organic Maps・Offline Maps, GPS |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (15 ratings) — better | 4.7 (3.4K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 62.1% of reviews | 88.4% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 15 | 3.4K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 14 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | — | #40 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 11 MB | 135 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Syzygy Research & Technology Ltd. | Organic Maps |
Customer experience
Mapster
Organic Maps・Offline Maps, GPS
User reviews
Mapster
From 15 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🌍 Works offline without cell service
- 🗺️ Highly detailed maps for remote areas
- 📍 Accurate location tracking
- 🌲 Excellent for off-road and bush navigation
- 👍 Easy to use and simple interface
Room to improve
- 📉 Data can be old
- 😵 Text hard to read at highest detail
- ❓ No key for map symbols
- 🔵 Cannot turn off location circle
- 😩 Too many nag screens
Organic Maps・Offline Maps, GPS
From 3.4K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Excellent offline maps
- 🔒 Privacy-focused
- 👍 Detailed and accurate maps
- 👍 Easy to use interface
- 👍 Lightweight and efficient
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional freezing or crashing issues
- 🔋 Can be battery-intensive during navigation
- 🔍 Search function could be improved
- 👎 Routing and navigation not as robust as some paid alternatives
Bugs and requests
Mapster
Reported bugs
9 issues- Crashes continuously
- Cannot search for locations
- Crashes a lot more with latest iOS 6
- Doesn't allow a dropped pin to read an elevation
- Map shifts to wrong layout when zooming
Show 4 moreShow fewer
- Daily download limit not honored
- Slow refresh rate
- App crashes frequently
- Map data is inaccurate
Requested features
16 requests- Street view
- 3D aspect on buildings
- Team up with Google maps for details
- More contour readings
- Searchable placemarks
Show 11 moreShow fewer
- Add new roads
- Follow location and save path
- More visible location mark
- Dark mode
- Better readability of text at high detail
- Legend for map symbols
- Ability to turn off location circle
- More flexible tile download system
- Route planning
- Improved marine and lake data
- Show old roads as reference
Organic Maps・Offline Maps, GPS
Reported bugs
2 issues- Inconsistent handling of address search
- Elevation data not always accurate
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to customize map styles and colors
- Integration with fitness tracking apps
- Improved public transportation routing
- Satellite/aerial imagery support
- Apple Watch app
In-app purchases
Mapster
- Unlimited downloads for 30 days$1.99
- Unlimited downloads for 1 Year$9.99
Organic Maps・Offline Maps, GPS
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Mapster free?
Is Organic Maps・Offline Maps, GPS free?
Which has better reviews, Mapster or Organic Maps・Offline Maps, GPS?
Do Mapster or Organic Maps・Offline Maps, GPS have ads?
Which is updated more often, Mapster or Organic Maps・Offline Maps, GPS?
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