History Pointer vs Mars Info
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
History Pointer
Discover over 100,000 historic sites across the US with this app. Explore locations near you or plan road trips, with integrated maps and Wikipedia excerpts. An augmented reality view helps you find and navigate to these significant places.
- National Register of Historic Places database
- Location-based site discovery
- Road trip planning
- Multiple map views (Apple, USGS, NOAA)
- Wikipedia excerpts and links
- Augmented Reality (AR) identification and navigation
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History Pointer is your portable copy of the US National Register of Historic Places, over 100,000 sites, buildings, battlefields, vessels, and historic districts of significance in the United States and territories. Find the sites near you or along your next road trip. Don't miss a detour. Map gives you your choice of Apple maps, USGS topographic maps, or NOAA nautical charts. Wikipedia text excerpts and links are included. Augmented Reality view identifies what's nearby, and shows the way to spots far afield. Every history buff needs this app. History Pointer's data comes from the US National Register of Historic Places, which is "the official list of the nation's historic places worthy of preservation." The register is maintained by the National Park Service. For more information about the criteria for inclusion on the National Register. see https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/index.htm.
Mars Info
Explore the Red Planet with an interactive 3D globe. Discover and learn about key Martian locations like volcanoes, craters, and mountains. View detailed information including size and coordinates for each point of interest.
- Interactive 3D globe with gesture controls
- Pinpoint 80+ interesting Martian locations
- Detailed information on locations
- Zoom, rotate, and tilt controls
- List of selectable locations
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Explore Mars using simple gestures to rotate a globe, tilt, zoom and select locations. Credits - Viking Orbiter MDIM 2.1 map of Mars - NASA NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio: GMM-3 MOLA (Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter) Topography map GMM-3 Free-Air Mars Gravity map GMM-3 Bouguer Mars Gravity map GMM-3 Crustal Mars Thickness map Features: - Ability to pinpoint about 80 the most interesting areas on the map of Mars, including volcanos, craters, plains, mountains, spacecrafts. - Displaying some information about the location, such as its name, type, short description, size and coordinates. - Ability to select locations on the 3D globe and on the plain list. - Zoom, rotation, tilt of the globe.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Mars Info at 4.3 against History Pointer's 3.6. Mars Info also leads on review sentiment (42% vs 24%) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). History Pointer's advantage is price ($4.99 vs $6.99). On ads, in-app purchases 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
History Pointer costs $4.99 and Mars Info $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Mars Info holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mars Info has 159 ratings behind it against 31, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 24% of History Pointer's written reviews are positive against 42% of Mars Info's.
History Pointer ships an update every 5 months, Mars Info every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | History Pointer | Mars Info |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 — better | $6.99 |
| Rating | 3.6 (31 ratings) | 4.3 (159 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 23.5% of reviews | 41.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 31 | 159 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 168 MB | 212 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Mobile Geographics | Viktor Goltvyanytsya |
Customer experience
History Pointer
Mars Info
In-app purchases
History Pointer
No in-app purchases
Mars Info
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is History Pointer free?
Is Mars Info free?
Which has better reviews, History Pointer or Mars Info?
Do History Pointer or Mars Info have ads?
Which is updated more often, History Pointer or Mars Info?
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