You Need A Map vs Google Maps
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
You Need A Map
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.
- 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
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If you get lost or in an emergency, YOU NEED A MAP! A map that covers the entire USA, all 50 states. A map that works everywhere even without a cell phone signal. A map that shows not just roads but also terrain, streams, lakes and other landmarks. Note: If you would prefer a small app that caches online maps covering the entire world, please see the More by GrangerFX section below and try the free Scenic Map app. Get You Need A Map if you want an offline map the entire USA as a single large download. The paid apps have built in maps with full resolution terrain. Your iPhone has a great online map but all it takes is one wrong turn and you could find yourself lost with no cell phone signal. What is the fastest way back to the highway? Should you go forwards or back? Is there a better road just a short distance away? Is there a raging stream or an steep cliff between you and the road? YOU NEED A MAP! You Need A Map is a huge application. It has to be. It contains every mountain, hill, stream, lake, pond, freeway, highway, local road and track. In addition it contains many buildings, trails, railways, points of interest and polygon features. It has everything you need to find out where you are and what is around you anywhere in the USA. Most navigation apps on the iPhone and iPad must transfer all their maps from servers on the internet. This can be slow in areas with only 2G coverage or completely unavailable in wilderness areas where a map would be most useful. You Need A Map solves this problem by storing maps directly on your iPhone or iPad. This extremely fast high quality software renderer is the first of its kind for mobile devices. If you do have a cellular or WiFi internet connect, Satellite image overlays add breathtaking detail and realism to the maps (tap preset 2 or 4 when Online Map is enabled). You can use them as you travel to see what is hidden from view at ground level. This takes moving maps to a whole new level. Tap the arrow in the toolbar to enable GPS tracking. As you move, you will generate a track file which you can replay. You can also import GPX tracks generated in other programs and play them. While recording or playing a track, the map will be centered on the current location and rotated towards the direction of travel and rendered in 2D or 3D with silky smooth animation. When playing a track, you can speed up, slow down, pause, restart or skip to the end. Send your GPX tracks to other apps or email them. Want to learn more about a map feature? Click the target icon and center it under the compass rose to display its name, feature type, urban area, state, elevation and coordinates. You will also see a bearing line back to your current GPS location or from your location to a selected waypoint. The status will display the direction and distance along with the map and GPS elevation, the track length, and your current speed and direction of travel You Need A Map uses the same code as Scenic Map and has most of the same features. These include many map customization options, customizable waypoints, direction and bearing information, a smooth scrolling moving map display while driving or flying, city search and much more. You can also get the full feature set of Scenic Map with an in-app purchase including the new online maps of the entire world. Documentation, detailed coverage maps, installation guide and blog are available on ScenicMap.com You Need A Map covers the entire USA including all 50 states Map data © OpenStreetMap and contributors under the Open Database License You Need A Map supports GPS tracking while the app is in the background. Caution: Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.
Google Maps
Navigate your world with real-time traffic, turn-by-turn directions for driving, walking, cycling, and public transport. Discover millions of businesses and places with photos and reviews. Plan trips with Street View, Immersive View, and offline maps.
- Real-time GPS navigation
- Live traffic data
- Public transport updates
- Business and place discovery
- Street View and Immersive View
- Offline maps
- User reviews and photos
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Explore and navigate the world with confidence using Google Maps. Find the best routes with live traffic data and real-time GPS navigation for driving, walking, cycling, and public transport. Discover over 250 million businesses and places - from restaurants and shops to everyday essentials – with photos, reviews, and helpful information. Navigate the world, the way you want: • Get to where you need to go with fuel-efficient route options • Find the best route with real-time, turn-by-turn voice, and on screen navigation • Save time with automatic rerouting based on live traffic, incidents, and road closures • Catch the bus, train, and ride-share effortlessly, with real-time updates • Find bike or scooter rentals to get around more easily Plan trips and experiences effortlessly: • Preview an area before you go (e.g. parking, entrances) with Street View • Use Immersive View to experience what landmarks, parks and routes look like, and even check the weather so you can be ready in advance • Create custom lists of your favorite saved places and share with others • Order delivery and takeout, make reservations, and book hotels • Don't get lost with offline maps in an area with bad signal • Search for local places and things to do, and decide based on user reviews and photos Discover and explore like a local: • Explore with confidence knowing 500 million users contribute and keep the map up to date each year • Avoid the crowds by seeing how busy a place is before you get there • Use Lens in Maps to see walking directions overlaid on the real world • Filter restaurants by cuisine, hours, price, rating and more • Ask questions about a place, from dishes to parking, and get quick answers Some features not available in all countries or cities Navigation isn't intended to be used by oversized or emergency vehicles
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: You Need A Map at none against Google Maps's shown. You Need A Map also leads on review sentiment (73% vs 44%). Google Maps's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (7.4M vs 53). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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. You Need A Map sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Google Maps sells 22 in-app purchases, starting at $0.89 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Google Maps holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Google Maps has 7.4M ratings behind it against 53, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 73% of You Need A Map's written reviews are positive against 44% of Google Maps's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
You Need A Map ships an update every 4 months, Google Maps every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on August 28, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | You Need A Map | Google Maps |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (53 ratings) | 4.7 (7.4M ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 72.7% of reviews — better | 43.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 53 | 7.4M — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 6 days — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Best chart rank | — | #1 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.1 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 66 MB | 469 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | GrangerFX | |
Customer experience
You Need A Map
Google Maps
User reviews
You Need A Map
From 53 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🗺️ Excellent offline maps
- ⛰️ Detailed terrain and 3D view
- 📸 Useful for photography planning
- ✈️ Great for pilots and aviation
- 🌲 Ideal for backcountry/remote areas
Room to improve
- 💾 Large file size
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🗺️ Missing specific locations (e.g., Isle Royale)
- 📉 Outdated map data in some areas
- ❓ Unintuitive at times
Google Maps
From 7.4M App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Accurate navigation
- 👍 Helpful for travel and exploration
- 💡 Useful for delivery drivers
- 👍 Reliable traffic information
Room to improve
- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable directions
- 🔄 Constant rerouting without user consent
- 🗺️ Inaccurate or outdated maps
- 🚧 Dangerous routing suggestions
- 🤔 Confusing interface changes
Bugs and requests
You Need A Map
Reported bugs
5 issues- 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
9 requests- 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
Show 4 moreShow fewer
- Provide a user guide within the app
- Add status icon for GPS signal acquisition
- Make maps selectable by region to reduce download size
- Improve street name alignment/readability
Google Maps
Reported bugs
4 issues- Inability to save/access favorite locations
- Frequent crashes or freezes
- Incorrect address/location detection
- Voice navigation issues
Requested features
5 requests- Option to avoid tolls or specify vehicle type
- Ability to manually edit/update maps
- Better integration with public transit
- Improved offline functionality
- More customization options for routes
In-app purchases
You Need A Map
- 3D MappingFree
- Scenic Map Features$4.99
Google Maps
- 30 GB$0.891 Month
- 30 GB1 Month trial3 variants$0.891 Month
- 100 GB2 variants$1.991 Month
Show 19 moreShow fewer
- 100 GB1 Month trial2 variants$1.991 Month
- 200 GB1 Month trial2 variants$2.991 Month
- 200 GB2 variants$2.991 Month
- Google AI Plus (400 GB)2 variants$4.991 Month
- Google AI Plus (2 TB)2 variants$9.991 Month
- Google AI Plus (2 TB)1 Month trial2 variants$9.991 Month
- Google AI Pro (5 TB)$19.991 Month
- 100 GB1 Year trial$19.991 Year
- 100 GB1 Month trial$19.991 Year
- 100 GB$19.991 Year
- Google AI Pro (2 TB)$19.991 Month
- 200 GB1 Year trial$29.991 Year
- 200 GB1 Month trial$29.991 Year
- 200 GB$29.991 Year
- 10 TB$49.991 Month
- 2 TB1 Month trial$99.991 Year
- 20 TB$99.991 Month
- 2 TB1 Year trial$99.991 Year
- Google AI Ultra (30 TB)2 variants$249.991 Month
Questions
Is You Need A Map free?
Is Google Maps free?
Which has better reviews, You Need A Map or Google Maps?
Do You Need A Map or Google Maps have ads?
Which is updated more often, You Need A Map or Google Maps?
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