4WD Maps vs Detector Maps
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
4WD Maps
Navigate off-road with detailed topographic maps and real-time GPS tracking. Plan routes, record trips, and share your adventures. Access a comprehensive library of Australian 4WD maps without recurring subscriptions.
- Offline topographic maps
- Real-time GPS tracking
- Route planning
- Trip recording
- Waypoint dropping
- Australia-wide map coverage
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Best value Hema App. The one-time cost includes all Hema 4WD maps, without any recurring subscriptions. Use offline mapping and your device’s in-built GPS receiver to see where you are on detailed Hema maps, which feature roads, 4WD tracks, topographic information and POIs to guide your travels off the beaten track. NAVIGATE OFFLINE Find your location Real-time GPS tracking* Australia-wide map coverage Simple zooming PLOT YOUR TRIP Drop waypoints Plan routes Placename search SAVE & RECORD YOUR TRACKS Record your trips Create tracklogs Save tracks with information Share tracklogs & waypoints ACCESS HEMA'S PREMIUM MAP COLLECTION The app comes preloaded with a massive library of Hema touring and 4WD maps that covers all of Australia: Base Maps: Australia 1:250K TOPO Hema Explorer Map at 1:150,000 - 1:10M Goldfields-Esperance - Cape Arid NP Goldfields-Esperance - Cape Le Grand NP Cape York - The CREB Track Cape York - Lakefield NP Cape York - The Tip Goldfields-Esperance - Fitzgerald River NP Flinders - Flinders Ranges Mainmap Flinders - Mount Remarkable NP Flinders - Flinders Ranges NP Flinders - Vulkathunha Gammon Ranges NP Fraser Island - Central Station Fraser Island - Mid Fraser Fraser Island - Rainbow Beach Great Desert Tracks - North Central Great Desert Tracks - North East Great Desert Tracks - North West Great Desert Tracks - South Central Great Desert Tracks - South East Great Desert Tracks - South West Goldfields-Esperance and Southern Coast of WA Goldfields-Esperance Region High Country Victoria East High Country Victoria West Top End - Kakadu National Park Outback NSW - Kinchega NP Sth West Corner - Margaret River Wine Region Mid West Western Australia Mid West WA - Francois Peron NP Mid West WA - Kalbarri NP Mid West WA - Kennedy Range NP Mid West WA - Mount Augustus NP Outback NSW - Mungo NP Outback NSW - Mutawintji NP Outback New South Wales Outback Queensland Outback QLD - Bladensburg NP Outback QLD - Carnarvon Gorge Outback QLD - Currawinya NP Outback QLD - Diamantina NP Outback QLD - Idalia NP Outback QLD - Mt Moffat Outback QLD - Salvator Rosa and Ka Ka Mundi Pilbara Pilbara - Cape Range NP Pilbara - Karijini NP Pilbara - Millstream Chichester NP Pilbara - Rudall River Karlamilyi NP Simpson Desert 1:1,100,000 Simpson Desert 1:500,00 South West Corner - 200k South West Western Australia Goldfields-Esperance - Stirling Ranges NP Goldfields-Esperance - Stokes NP Outback NSW - Sturt NP The Kimberley The Kimberley - Dampier Peninsula The Kimberley - Purnululu NP The Kimberley - Wyndham-Kununurra The Red Centre Top End and Gulf - Boodjamulla NP Top End and Gulf - Darwin Region Top End and Gulf - Gregory NP Top End and Gulf - Keep River NP Top End and Gulf - Nhulunbuy DOWNLOAD ADDITIONAL MAP SOURCES Access a wide range of additional map sources which are available for purchase via the Memory-Map Digital Map Shop. USE ON WINDOWS PC or MAC Use the same maps and overlays on your desktop/laptop to plan your route and review tracklogs. (Maps sold separately). *You do not need a SIM Card installed or cellular coverage to utilise the GPS tracking functions on iPad for the app, though a WiFi+Cellular iPad is necessary to discover and track your location. A WiFi-only iPad does not contain the in-built GPS that a WiFi+Cellular iPad does, however external Bluetooth GPS receivers can be purchased for use with a WiFi-only iPad.
Detector Maps
This app provides advanced geological data and GPS tools for gold prospecting in Australia, the US, and New Zealand. It offers offline map access, breadcrumb tracking, and waypoint marking to help users explore efficiently and locate potential gold-bearing areas.
- Advanced geological and gold-focused data
- Offline map and data layer downloads
- Breadcrumb trail tracking (background GPS)
- Waypoint marking with field notes
- Real-time GPS navigation
- Historic gold mines and workings layers
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Detector Maps is the field tool that keeps you on the gold - and on the relics. Built by geologists for prospectors, relic hunters and metal detectorists across the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, it pairs geological data and historical maps with rock-solid GPS so you spend your time on high-potential ground, not guessing. Whether you are swinging a detector for gold nuggets, coin shooting an old homestead, hunting Civil War relics or panning a creek, it puts serious research intelligence in your pocket - and it works offline, where the finds actually are. COIN & RELIC HUNTING - NATIONWIDE Research old towns, ghost towns, homesteads, schoolhouses and long-forgotten gathering places - the ground where old coins, buttons, buckles and relics are still waiting. - Historical map overlays: hunt the buildings, roads and fields the modern map forgot - Historic USGS Topo maps, coast to coast - LiDAR that reveals cellar holes, old roads and house sites hiding under the trees - Plan permissions with confidence before you knock GOLD PROSPECTING - 15 STATES Serious geology for nugget hunting, from California to the Carolinas. Detect where gold has already been found, then find what the old-timers missed. - Historic gold mines, diggings and workings - proven gold ground - Surface geochemistry with pathfinder-element filtering - Current and expired mining claims, updated every weekday - 1-metre LiDAR hillshade that reveals old workings worth a closer swing DETECTOR ACADEMY A built-in crash course: 34 short video lessons, most under a minute - layers, LiDAR, waypoints, trails, offline maps and Pro tools. DETECTOR GRIDS Plan complete, methodical coverage of a site with adjustable search lanes you follow while recording your trail - never grid the same ground twice. BREADCRUMB TRAIL TRACKING (BACKGROUND GPS) Record your exact trail even with the app in the background or the screen off. See where you have walked and save paths for the next trip. WHY WE REQUEST "ALLOW ALL THE TIME" LOCATION ACCESS Detector Maps only uses background location when you switch breadcrumb tracking ON, keeping an unbroken log while your phone is idle. Disable it anytime in the app or device settings. WAYPOINT MARKING AND FIND LOGGING Drop waypoints on coins, relics, gold finds and old workings. Add names, notes and photos, then sync securely between your phone and the web app so your finds are never lost. REAL-TIME GPS NAVIGATION Watch boundaries, geology, historical maps and terrain update around you as you move - a GPS built for prospecting, coin shooting and relic hunting. COVERAGE USA COIN & RELIC: Nationwide USA GOLD: CA, AL, NC, AZ, NV, ID, OR, UT, CO, MT, WA, SC, VA, GA, NM AUSTRALIA: QLD, NSW, VIC, WA, SA, TAS, NT NEW ZEALAND: historic goldfields, geology and offline maps CANADA: British Columbia SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION All plans include every map, standard data layers, offline downloads, and access to Australia, USA, New Zealand, Canada (BC) and the UK. USA Pricing - Explorer Monthly: $7.99 USD; Explorer Yearly: $59.99; Pro Monthly: $11.99 USD; Pro Yearly: $99.99 USD. Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Pricing may vary by region. PRIVACY AND DATA Your location, trails and waypoints are used only for core app functionality. Delete your account anytime: Profile > Delete Account > type "confirm" > tap Delete. Privacy Policy: https://app.detectormaps.com/privacy-policy Terms of Use (EULA): https://app.detectormaps.com/license-agreement Whether you swing a GPX 6000, an Equinox, a Manticore, a Deus or a Gold Monster - or a sluice or a pan - Detector Maps helps you cover more ground, log your best finds, and read productive terrain like a professional.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Detector Maps at Free against 4WD Maps's $64.99. Detector Maps also leads on rating (4.6 vs 2.3) and review sentiment (73% vs 40%). 4WD Maps's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (11.4 vs 15.1). On in-app purchases and device support 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
Detector Maps is free to download; 4WD Maps costs $64.99 up front. 4WD Maps sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Detector Maps sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Detector Maps holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Detector Maps has 265 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of 4WD Maps's written reviews are positive against 73% of Detector Maps's.
4WD Maps ships an update every 8 months, Detector Maps every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | 4WD Maps | Detector Maps |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $64.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 2.3 (4 ratings) | 4.6 (265 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 39.8% of reviews | 73.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 4 | 265 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | Every 6 days — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid — better | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | — | #58 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.4 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1.7 GB | 115 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Hema Maps Pty Ltd | GOLD DISCOVERY SOLUTIONS PTY LTD |
Customer experience
4WD Maps
Detector Maps
Bugs and requests
4WD Maps
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Detector Maps
Reported bugs
2 issues- Issues with subscription and login
- LiDAR not working in certain areas
Requested features
2 requests- Expand coverage to more areas
- Improve data accuracy and consistency
In-app purchases
4WD Maps
- Import 3rd Party Maps$18.99
- Victoria Topo Maps$64.99
- Topo SA$64.99
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- NSW Topo maps (Ed3)$64.99
- QLD Topo Ed2$64.99
- Tasmania Topo Maps Ed2$64.99
Detector Maps
- Monthly Explorer Plan$7.991 Month
- Monthly Plan$11.991 Month
- Yearly Explorer Plan7 Days trial$59.991 Year
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- Yearly Plan7 Days trial$99.991 Year






