# Elevation Survey vs SW Maps

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SW Maps at none against Elevation Survey's 2. On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Elevation Survey sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. SW Maps asks for nothing beyond the download.

Elevation Survey ships an update every 3 months, SW Maps every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Elevation Survey | SW Maps |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[3.8 (25 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sw-maps/id6444248083/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **25** |
| Positive reviews | **31.3% of reviews** | 30.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 75 MB | 17 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Booth](https://appshunter.io/developer/415450674) | [Aviyaan Tech](https://appshunter.io/developer/1653343736) |

## What reviewers say

### Elevation Survey

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elevation-survey/id433368313)

This app simplifies leveling surveys by automatically calculating instrument and ground heights. It allows for instant computation of staff readings for layout work and offers flexible data entry modes. Survey data can be easily exported and shared.

**Highlights:** Automatic HI and GH calculation, Instant staff reading computation for layout, Color-coded input and results, Add notes for projects, Export data as CSV, Standard and Staff data entry modes, In-app tutorial

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| Premium Yearly | $59.99 | per year |


### SW Maps

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sw-maps/id6444248083)

This app allows users to collect, present, and share geographic information. It supports recording points, lines, polygons, and associated data like photos and audio. High-accuracy GPS surveys are possible with external receivers, and data can be shared in various standard formats.

**Highlights:** Collect points, lines, and polygons, Attach custom attributes (text, photo, audio, video), High-accuracy GPS surveys with external receivers, Offline map support, Export data in multiple formats (Shapefile, GeoPackage, CSV), Create and share project templates

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Elevation Survey free?

Elevation Survey is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is SW Maps free?

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

### Do Elevation Survey or SW Maps have ads?

Neither Elevation Survey nor SW Maps shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Elevation Survey or SW Maps?

Elevation Survey ships an update every 3 months, and SW Maps every 2 months. Most recently, Elevation Survey was updated on November 6, 2026 and SW Maps on November 3, 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.*