Comparison

Outside Maps vs MapLayers

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

Head to head
About

Outside Maps

View and navigate diverse mapping data on your iPhone or iPad. Access Ordnance Survey maps for Great Britain, worldwide OpenStreetMap, historic maps, and aerial imagery. Features include GPS tracking, compass, and waypoint management.

Highlights
  • View Ordnance Survey maps (Great Britain)
  • Worldwide OpenStreetMap support
  • Historic Ordnance Survey maps
  • Aerial photography
  • Real-time GPS tracking
  • Compass and bearing
  • Waypoint import/export (GPX)
Read full description

*** Please do not use reviews to report bugs or ask for features. I almost never read the reviews and I cannot contact you for additional information! Contact support@outsidemaps.com instead *** Outside Maps is an iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch application that enables you to view and navigate a wide variety of mapping data using an easy-to-use touch interface. Outside Maps supports Ordnance Survey mapping for Great Britain at various scales including 1:50000. Outside Maps supports WORLDWIDE coverage for OpenStreetMap, OpenCycleMap and the Stamen and Thunderforest map sources. Outside Maps supports historic 1" Ordnance Survey mapping from 1880-1990 and 1921-1947 courtesy of the National Library of Scotland. Outside Maps supports shaded terrain data for the UK only derived from Ordnance Survey OS Terrain 50. Outside Maps supports shaded terrain data for Scotland only derived from Scottish Government 1m LIDAR. Outside Maps includes ESRI aerial photography courtesy of ESRI. Outside Maps includes the following features: - Intuitive "slippy maps" interface - Native iPad support in both portrait and landscape modes - Current Ordnance Survey mapping is available - OpenStreetMap and derived data is supported at all available resolutions - Historic 1" Ordnance Survey data from 1880-1990 and 1921-1947 - OpenCycleMap support - Thunderforest "Landscape" and "Transport" mapping support - Stamen mapping support - ESRI aerial imagery - Hill-shading mapping for the UK at 50m and selected 1m resolution - Full Ordnance Survey OSTN02 adjustments for highest accuracy (+/- 1m accuracy) - Real-time position tracking via GPS (or WiFi-based positioning) - Compass and bearing (either using GPS and movement tracking or hardware compass if available) - "Lookahead" feature when moving at > 5mph - Waypoints functionality including import and export via GPX format - OS OpenSpace-driven postcode and placename lookup (online only) - Grid reference and latitude/longitude lookup (offline) - what3words support (online only)

About

MapLayers

Features
Read full description

MapLayers is a collection of maps for outdoor activities and more! New in Version 1.4: Compass for navigating to any point on the map New in Version 1.2: App URLs to open individual charts either in app or on the web. New in Version 1.1: GPS Track Logging. You can now record and review your travels!. Discovering and downloading maps for your adventures is easy and fast. Multiple types of maps are available and multiple maps can be viewed at the same time. Custom maps can be imported as GeoPDF and we are adding more maps constantly. Featuring maps from the USGS, Bureau of Land Management and more! Each map is viewable on our custom, spherical based map engine and can be overlaid with various base maps. Your current location can also be shown on the map. SUPPORT We can help! Email team@cartolake.com LEGAL End User License Agreement: https://www.cartolake.com/about/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.cartolake.com/about/privacy

Screenshots

Outside Maps3 screens
MapLayers4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Outside Maps at none against MapLayers's 1. Outside Maps also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 14.0). MapLayers's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. MapLayers sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $24.99 per year. Outside Maps asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Outside Maps ships an update every 2 months, MapLayers every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Outside Maps versus MapLayers: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOutside MapsMapLayers
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews76.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB24 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperReplicade Ltd.CartoLake, LLC

Bugs and requests

Outside Maps

Reported bugs

13 issues
  • Text to select map source invisible (white on white)
  • Tile cache unreliable when offline
  • Waypoints move around map accidentally
  • Map selection window not loading (iOS 8)
  • App crashes consistently (iOS 8)
Show 8 more
  • No iPhone 5 support
  • Not fitting larger iPhone screens
  • Help pages not mobile device friendly
  • Tendency for tiles not to match up
  • Tablecloth design instead of map
  • Opening map shows wrong location
  • Blue gridlines instead of map
  • App will not open (iOS 8)

Requested features

9 requests
  • Add zoom function for desktop version
  • Include a 1960's map
  • Ability to import custom map sources
  • Option for selected map source to remain default
  • Reinstate 'Save Waypoint' feature
Show 4 more
  • Add landscape view
  • Improve help section for mobile devices
  • Update for iPhone 5 screens
  • Sort out threading to prevent locking up

MapLayers

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Outside Maps

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

MapLayers

Subscriptions1
  • Basic Yearly7 Days trial$24.991 Year

Questions

Is Outside Maps free?
Outside Maps is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is MapLayers free?
MapLayers is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Outside Maps or MapLayers have ads?
MapLayers shows ads; Outside Maps does not.
Which is updated more often, Outside Maps or MapLayers?
Outside Maps ships an update every 2 months, and MapLayers every 3 weeks. Most recently, Outside Maps was updated on October 2, 2026 and MapLayers on October 6, 2026.

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