Comparison

You Need A Map vs NomadTracks

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

Head to head
About

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.

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
Read full description

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.

About

NomadTracks

Record, plan, and organize your outdoor adventures with precise GPS tracking. Mark points of interest, follow planned routes, and manage your data with robust import/export and sync options. Works offline and prioritizes your privacy.

Highlights
  • High-precision GPS recording
  • Points of Interest (POIs) with photos
  • Route planning and following
  • Track editing and organization
  • GPX/GeoJSON import/export
  • iCloud sync and backups
  • Apple Watch integration
Features
Read full description

Bring your own maps. Open a GeoPDF, a scanned topo sheet or a photo of a paper map, and watch your live GPS position move across it — offline, with no signal at all. YOUR OWN MAPS — WHAT WE DO BEST • GeoPDFs and georeferenced PDFs line themselves up the moment you import them • Photograph a paper map, drop a few control points, done — the fit accuracy is shown in metres (RMS) • Park handouts, alpine club sheets, lease boundaries, century-old survey sheets: all become maps you can walk on • As many maps as you want, free RECORDING • Precise GPS recording with real elevation — barometer-assisted where the device has one • Waypoints with category, colour, photo, address and notes • Enter a waypoint straight from lon/lat or UTM coordinates • Scale bar, compass and coordinates always on screen • Live stats keep running in the notification while you record FOLLOWING A TRACK • Follow any saved or imported track: distance to the line, distance left, turn cues • Stray off it and the app tells you with sound and vibration — the radius is yours to set per track • Ghostrider: race your own earlier run and watch live whether you are ahead • Drop a point by bearing and distance, then walk it in PLANNING ROUTES • Plan routes along real roads and trails — anyone can try it • Saving one, as a route or a track, is part of Pro IMPORT & EXPORT — YOUR DATA STAYS YOURS • GPX, GeoJSON and KML in — GPX, GeoJSON and bundles back out • Photos and metadata travel with them • Heart rate rides along inside the GPX (Garmin format; Strava and Komoot read it) YOUR LIBRARY • Folders for tracks, waypoints and your own maps • Elevation, speed, pace and heart-rate charts for every track • A 30-day recycle bin SYNC & BACKUP • iCloud sync across all your devices — free • Nextcloud over WebDAV — free • Synology NAS — free • Dropbox — with Pro • Backups are portable: carry your library between Android and iPhone WITH PRO • Google Maps: roadmap, terrain and high-resolution satellite imagery • OpenStreetMap in the OSM Bright and Stamen Terrain styles • Offline Maps: download map areas so your maps stay available offline • Road-Snapped Measuring: real driving, cycling and walking distances instead of straight lines • Dropbox sync, and saving the routes you plan NO ACCOUNT, NO ADS • Recording, your own maps, GPX import and export, waypoints, Nextcloud and Synology sync: all free, no sign-up • No ads, no third-party tracking • Your data stays on your device and in your own sync target — never on our servers FIELD WORK & SURVEYING • Take the official sheet with you: agency GeoPDF, parcel, block or concession map • Walk a parcel and keep the outline • Mark samples, boundary stones and corners as waypoints with photos and coordinates • The whole crew works from the same map — hand maps and waypoints over as a file FOR 25+ ACTIVITIES Hiking, trekking, mountain biking, trail running, overlanding, sailing, paddling, geocaching, ski touring and more — in metric, imperial or nautical units. APPLE WATCH • Record GPS, heart rate and elevation without your iPhone • Track navigation and Ghostrider on the wrist • Save recordings to Apple Health LANGUAGES English, Deutsch, Español, Italiano, Français, Português, Magyar, Bahasa Indonesia NOMADTRACKS PRO Unlocks Offline Maps, Road-Snapped Measuring, Google Maps, OpenStreetMap, Dropbox sync and saving planned routes — plus every Pro feature we add later. Nextcloud and Synology stay free. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the period ends. Manage or cancel any time in App Store → Account → Subscriptions. ——— Privacy Policy: https://www.iubenda.com/privacy-policy/52648882/full-legal

Screenshots

You Need A Map4 screens
NomadTracks4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: NomadTracks at every 6 days against You Need A Map's every 4 months. NomadTracks also leads on monetization model (freemium vs paid). You Need A Map's advantage is ratings volume (53 vs 7) and iOS requirement (16.1 vs 18.6). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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. You Need A Map sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and NomadTracks sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for You Need A Map against 4.4 for NomadTracks. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: You Need A Map has 53 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 72% of You Need A Map's written reviews are positive against 67% of NomadTracks's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

You Need A Map ships an update every 4 months, NomadTracks every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
You Need A Map versus NomadTracks: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterYou Need A MapNomadTracks
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (53 ratings)4.4 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews71.9% of reviews — better66.7% of reviews
Number of ratings53 — better7
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 6 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationPaidFreemium — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS16.1 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size66 MB64 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGrangerFXDonkeyCat GmbH

Customer experience

You Need A Map

All ratings53 ratings
Positive86.8%
Neutral1.9%
Negative11.3%
Written reviews89 reviews
Positive71.9%
Neutral11.2%
Negative16.9%

NomadTracks

All ratings7 ratings
Positive85.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.3%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

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 more
  • 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

NomadTracks

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

You Need A Map

One-time2
  • 3D MappingFree
  • Scenic Map Features$4.99
1 purchases

NomadTracks

Subscriptions1
  • One Month Pro Features$2.991 Month

Questions

Is You Need A Map free?
You Need A Map is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is NomadTracks free?
NomadTracks is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, You Need A Map or NomadTracks?
You Need A Map and NomadTracks are both rated 4.4 out of 5 on the App Store, from 53 and 7 ratings respectively.
Do You Need A Map or NomadTracks have ads?
Neither You Need A Map nor NomadTracks shows ads.
Which is updated more often, You Need A Map or NomadTracks?
You Need A Map ships an update every 4 months, and NomadTracks every 6 days. Most recently, You Need A Map was updated on October 8, 2026 and NomadTracks on October 9, 2026.

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