# GPS Tracks vs Ascend Maps

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Ascend Maps at none against GPS Tracks's 3. Ascend Maps also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). GPS Tracks's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 months) and ratings volume (18K vs 1). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. GPS Tracks sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $29.99 per year. Ascend Maps asks for nothing beyond the download.

Ascend Maps holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: GPS Tracks has 18K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

GPS Tracks ships an update fortnightly, Ascend Maps every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and August 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | GPS Tracks | Ascend Maps |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (18K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gps-tracks/id425589565/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ascend-maps/id6504321706/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **18K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 88.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#58** | — |
| Size | 107 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [David Morneault](https://appshunter.io/developer/385491802) | [Matthew White](https://appshunter.io/developer/1498369427) |

## What reviewers say

### GPS Tracks

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gps-tracks/id425589565)

**Currently charting:** #58 Top Grossing · Navigation, #187 Top Free · Navigation (US App Store)

This app allows users to track outdoor activities like hiking, biking, and running. It enables navigation to waypoints, storage of favorite destinations, and offers advanced features for route planning and data export with a subscription.

**Highlights:** Track hiking, biking, running, and walking routes, Navigate to saved waypoints, Store and manage favorite destinations, Offline map downloads, Export tracks and waypoints (GPX, KML, CSV), Real-time track sharing, Apple Watch app for direct activity tracking

**Features:** Siri integration, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| GPS Tracks Pro | $29.99 | per year |
| GPS Tracks Premium | $49.99 | per year |
| Datum Add-On Pack | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate GPS tracking
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 💡 Versatile features for various activities
- 🚀 Responsive customer support
- 👍 Reliable and consistent performance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or glitches
- 🔋 Battery drain issues
- 🔒 Concerns about privacy and data security
- 👎 Offline maps not fully functional

**Reported bugs**

- Tracks disappearing after updates
- GPS coordinates not always accurate
- Difficulty deleting unwanted waypoints

**Requested features**

- Ability to edit waypoint names
- Improved map synchronization across devices
- Integration with popular fitness apps
- Landscape map view option
- Automatic activity tracking without user interaction


### Ascend Maps

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ascend-maps/id6504321706)

This app provides customizable outdoor maps with offline capabilities. It features 3D terrain, track recording, saved places management, and the ability to save map tiles for offline use. Explore the outdoors with detailed, personalized navigation tools.

**Highlights:** Offline search, 3D terrain, Track recording and editing, Saved places management, Customizable map styles, Offline map tile saving

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is GPS Tracks free?

GPS Tracks is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Ascend Maps free?

Ascend Maps is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, GPS Tracks or Ascend Maps?

Ascend Maps is rated higher. GPS Tracks averages 4.7 out of 5 from 18K ratings, while Ascend Maps averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do GPS Tracks or Ascend Maps have ads?

Neither GPS Tracks nor Ascend Maps shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, GPS Tracks or Ascend Maps?

GPS Tracks ships an update fortnightly, and Ascend Maps every 6 months. Most recently, GPS Tracks was updated on September 25, 2026 and Ascend Maps on August 26, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*