GCTools vs TBScan
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
GCTools
This app provides a comprehensive suite of tools for geocaching enthusiasts. It offers coordinate manipulation, a wide range of cipher decoding and encoding options, interactive data tables, and various unit converters to assist with multi and mystery caches.
- Coordinate projection and distance calculation
- Extensive cipher decoding and encoding
- Interactive data tables
- Multiple unit converters
- Mapview integration with popular services
- Coordinate saving and loading
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GCTools - the geocaching tool collection! Here you find the tools to get your next multi and mystery caches done easily. Coordinates: - Target guidance - Projection of coordinates - Distance between coordinates - Intersection of lines - Intersection of circles - Intersection of line/circle - Center of circle - Coordinate conversion (DMS, DM, D, Lat/Lon, UTM, MGRS, Swiss Grid, Quadtree) - Saving/loading coordinates (inApp) - Mapview - Interface to GoogleMaps, GoogleEarth, OpenMaps, OffMaps, Navigon, TomTom, Pocket Earth and Waze Ciphers De-/Encoding: - Affine Cipher - Alpha Cipher - Bacon Code - Baudot Code (CCITT-2) - Braille Alphabet - Caesar Cipher (ROT-N), ROT-5, -13, -18, -47 - Finger Alphabet - Flag Alphabet - Pigpen/Freemason's Cipher - Hexahue Code - Mobile Cipher - Morse Code - Puzzle-Code - Semaphore Alphabet - Shutter Telegraph - Tomtom Code - Vigenere Cipher/One Time Pad - Custom alphabets - Saving/loading alphabets (inApp) Interactive data tables: - Cross Sum - Latin/Arabic Numbers - Maya Numbers - Resistors - Periodic system - Color Alphabet - Prime Numbers - PI Digits - ASCII Code - Binary Code - German Police Codes Converters: - Coordinates - ASCII/Number Systems - Lengths - Areas - Volumes - Masses - Angles - Speeds - Times - Pressures - Temperatures - Angles - Number systems - Data sizes - Flashlight - Menu favorites and search If you find something missing let us know! If you encounter problems with the app please mail to gctools@onedollarapp.com instead of writing a review here. We cannot contact you that way to find a solution.
TBScan
Easily discover and log geocaching trackables using your device's camera. Scan codes instantly to identify trackables, view their missions, and log them without manual typing. Perfect for events and finding trackables in caches.
- Quick trackable code recognition
- Discover multiple trackables simultaneously
- Offline functionality
- View trackable missions
- Attach photos to logs
- Multiple log modes
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It has never been easier to discover Trackables. TBScan is a new and revolutionary iPhone app for every Geocacher. What many Geocachers have been dreaming about is now reality: With TBScan you can discover and log TBs and Coins without having to type the tracking code. As soon as you point your camera at the code it will instantly get recognised: It’s that easy! TBScan is perfect for events: Where you previously had to first write down every single tracking code on a piece of paper only to later manually key in every single one, you can now scan the trackables lightning-fast and discover them all at the same time. With the help of TBScan you can discover up to 10 trackables per minute. What is more, TBScan is a great helper when you encounter a Trackable in a cache. Quickly scan the code and you will see the mission of the TB or coin. Finally, if you want to take that Trackable on your journey you can also directly log it. Features: • Quick recognition of Trackable codes • Discover multiple Trackables at once • Works without an Internet connection • Check Trackable mission • Attach pictures to trackable logs • Different Log-Modes (Retrieve, Discover, Write Note, Grab) • Log templates • Trackable inventory • Select codes for individual logs • Scan Trackables from your photo library • Export Trackables codes • Geocaching API access
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: TBScan at 84% against GCTools's 40%. TBScan also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.1) and ratings volume (222 vs 13). GCTools's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (9.2 vs 12.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. GCTools sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and TBScan sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
TBScan holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TBScan has 222 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of GCTools's written reviews are positive against 84% of TBScan's.
GCTools ships an update monthly, TBScan every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | GCTools | TBScan |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.1 (13 ratings) | 4.8 (222 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews | 84.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 13 | 222 — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.2 — better | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 41 MB | 18 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Achim Heynen | Nicolas Camenisch |
Customer experience
GCTools
TBScan
In-app purchases
GCTools
- Coordinate Storage$0.99
- Circle Tools$0.99
- Advanced Alphabets$0.99
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- Vigenere/One Time Pad Cipher$0.99
- Coordinate Types$0.99
- 1 Year Full Version$1.99
- Full Version$2.99
TBScan
- TBScan Pro$2.99









