Comparison

Mapster vs 3D Offline Maps

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Detailed topographical maps
  • Offline map access
  • Hillshading and contour lines
  • OpenStreetMap data integration
  • Real-time location tracking
  • Monthly map updates
Features
Read full description

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 Mapster doesn't rely on mapping data that quickly becomes outdated.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.

About

3D Offline Maps

Navigate and explore the world with detailed 2D and 3D offline maps. Record GPS tracks, save routes, and import/export GPX files. Plan adventures, mark points of interest, and share data, even without an internet signal.

Highlights
  • Offline 2D and 3D maps
  • GPS track recording
  • Route planning
  • GPX import/export
  • Unlimited offline map storage
  • Multiple map types
Features
Read full description

Detailed 2D and 3D maps for navigation, travel, hiking, and outdoor adventures all over the world. Download maps in advance, use them offline without internet access, record GPS tracks, save routes and waypoints, import and export GPX files, and keep everything important close at hand on every trip. Plan routes, build your own collection of tracks, mark interesting places on the map, share data with friends, and travel more comfortably even where there is no signal. The app supports offline maps with no time limits on storage and contains no ads. Main features: - 9 map types: satellite, vector, and 3D maps. - compatible with Apple Silicon Macs. - background track recording. - compare tracks by speed, elevation, and time at any distance, including gains and delays relative to a selected reference track. - fast and convenient map downloads. - route planner. - step counter with data for the last three months (steps, distance). - elevation for any waypoint. - address search. - coordinate search. - compass. - barometer. - track processing and optimization. - offline map downloads with unlimited storage time. - supports all available ways on your device to import and export tracks and waypoints in GPX, KML, KMZ format. - color gradient by speed and elevation for imported tracks when this data is available. - color gradient by speed and elevation for recorded tracks. - records speed and elevation in tracks. - contour lines in outdoor mode. - extended track information: average and maximum speed, duration, distance, and number of waypoints. - different units of measurement: miles, kilometers, feet, meters. - view one or multiple tracks in any app mode, including while recording another track. - create, edit, and delete waypoints in any mode and anywhere on the map. - selectable icons for waypoints. - track recording quality settings, distance filters, and power saving mode. - points to the selected waypoint and shows the distance to it. - shows the current distance covered and time on route. - quick start and stop of track recording. - several map orientation modes: by device compass, by direction of movement, centered mode, and north-up mode. - map tilt with a two-finger gesture. - quick selection and convenient viewing of saved tracks, waypoints, and downloaded maps. - speed and elevation charts with zooming and scrolling. - link to the user guide in settings. - waypoint photos: take photos, store them, open the waypoint on the map from the photo, and share your shots. - photo geotagging: coordinates and shooting data are saved in the text caption and in EXIF/GPS metadata. - Terms of Service: https://appsupport.store/terms/ - Privacy Policy: https://appsupport.store/privacy

Screenshots

Mapster4 screens
3D Offline Maps4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: 3D Offline Maps at weekly against Mapster's every 14 months. 3D Offline Maps also leads on ratings volume (647 vs 15) and review sentiment (80% vs 62%). Mapster's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.6) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.4). 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. Mapster sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and 3D Offline Maps sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Mapster holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 3D Offline Maps has 647 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 80% of 3D Offline Maps's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Mapster ships an update every 14 months, 3D Offline Maps weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Mapster versus 3D Offline Maps: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMapster3D Offline Maps
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (15 ratings) — better4.6 (647 ratings)
Positive reviews62.1% of reviews80.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings15647 — better
Update frequencyEvery 14 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better15.4
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB72 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSyzygy Research & Technology Ltd.SERGEI BEZDENEZHNYKH

Customer experience

Mapster

All ratings15 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral6.7%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews95 reviews
Positive62.1%
Neutral7.4%
Negative30.5%

3D Offline Maps

All ratings647 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral5.7%
Negative5.4%
Written reviews85 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral3.5%
Negative16.5%

User reviews

Mapster

From 15 App Store ratings

What 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

3D Offline Maps

From 647 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🗺️ Excellent 3D mapping technology
  • 👍 Clear and colorful visualization
  • 🧭 Effective offline navigation
  • 🔄 Map rotation capability for trail viewing
  • ⛰️ Great for hiking and outdoor activities

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive pricing
  • 🐛 3D offline maps turn black and become grainy
  • 🗺️ Trails not clearly marked or visible
  • 🏷️ Roads not identified or labeled
  • ⏱️ Slow rendering and zoom performance

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 more
  • 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 more
  • 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

3D Offline Maps

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • 3D offline maps display black and grainy visuals
  • Maps require zooming out and back in to clear display
  • GPX file download compatibility issues
  • Background tracking does not work

Requested features

5 requests
  • CarPlay support integration
  • Map selection icon on main page
  • Current/real-time satellite imagery
  • Map gradients relative to pitch
  • Background tracking functionality

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Mapster

One-time2
  • Unlimited downloads for 30 days$1.99
  • Unlimited downloads for 1 Year$9.99
7 purchases

3D Offline Maps

Subscriptions5
  • Premium Month3 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Premium Week2 variants$1.997 Days
  • Premium Month3 Days trial$3.991 Month
Show 2 more
  • Premium Annual3 Days trial$12.991 Year
  • Annual Sale$12.991 Year
One-time2
  • Matching to road$0.99
  • Lifetime$19.99

Questions

Is Mapster free?
Mapster is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is 3D Offline Maps free?
3D Offline Maps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Mapster or 3D Offline Maps?
Mapster is rated higher. Mapster averages 4.9 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while 3D Offline Maps averages 4.6 from 647 ratings.
Do Mapster or 3D Offline Maps have ads?
Neither Mapster nor 3D Offline Maps shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Mapster or 3D Offline Maps?
Mapster ships an update every 14 months, and 3D Offline Maps weekly. Most recently, Mapster was updated on October 5, 2026 and 3D Offline Maps on October 13, 2026.

Other comparisons