# Distance Tool vs Free Map Tools

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Free Map Tools at none against Distance Tool's 4. Free Map Tools also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (67% vs 59%). Distance Tool's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.4 vs 4.0). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Distance Tool sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Free Map Tools asks for nothing beyond the download.

Distance Tool holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Distance Tool has 2.1K ratings behind it against 61, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 59% of Distance Tool's written reviews are positive against 67% of Free Map Tools's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Distance Tool ships an update every 2 months, Free Map Tools fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and June 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Distance Tool | Free Map Tools |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/distance-tool/id478687476/reviews)** | [4.0 (61 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/free-map-tools/id1075853833/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.1K** | 61 |
| Positive reviews | 58.6% of reviews | **67.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 17 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15** | 15.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Applorium Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1688522804) | [GV Software Solutions Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1546986561) |

## What reviewers say

### Distance Tool

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/distance-tool/id478687476)

Calculate distances between points and areas of polygons on a map. Supports metric and imperial units, GPS location, and freehand drawing. Altitude calculation is also available, with or without data connectivity.

**Highlights:** Distance calculation between points, Area calculation for polygons, GPS location dropping, Metric and imperial units, Altitude calculation, Freehand drawing, Follow mode for real-time calculation

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Distance Calculator Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Distance Calculator Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| Premium - freehand & follow | $7.99 | one-time |
| Distance Tool Lifetime | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate measurements
- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 💡 Useful for various applications (farming, surveying, etc.)
- 🚀 Works well in remote areas

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitchy pin drop functionality
- 🐛 Inaccurate distance measurements
- 💰 Paywall for advanced features
- 🐛 Difficulty unsubscribing from paid plans

**Reported bugs**

- GPS not working on certain devices
- App crashes when trying to access location services
- Saved routes not loading properly
- Inconsistent distance calculations

**Requested features**

- Ability to edit/reposition dropped pins
- Option to toggle visibility of distance labels
- Support for entering coordinates manually
- Improved map quality and zooming capabilities


### Free Map Tools

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/free-map-tools/id1075853833)

This app offers a suite of map-based utilities for measuring distances, calculating areas, and visualizing radii. It can also determine travelable distances within a set time and find antipodal points on the globe. Useful for planning, analysis, and geographical exploration.

**Highlights:** Measure distance and area, Plot radius around a point, Calculate travelable distance/time, Find distance between two locations, Locate antipodal points, Find zip/postcodes within a radius

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Distance Tool free?

Distance Tool is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Free Map Tools free?

Free Map Tools is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Distance Tool or Free Map Tools?

Distance Tool is rated higher. Distance Tool averages 4.4 out of 5 from 2.1K ratings, while Free Map Tools averages 4.0 from 61 ratings.

### Do Distance Tool or Free Map Tools have ads?

Free Map Tools shows ads; Distance Tool does not.

### Which is updated more often, Distance Tool or Free Map Tools?

Distance Tool ships an update every 2 months, and Free Map Tools fortnightly. Most recently, Distance Tool was updated on September 24, 2026 and Free Map Tools on June 8, 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.*