Distance Tool vs Head Tracker
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Distance Tool
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.
- 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
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Distance Tool allows for quick and easy calculations to find distances between points on a map, including area calculations for non-overlapping polygons drawn. Includes metric (meters, kilometers) and imperial units (yards, miles, feet for altitude) for distances. Co-ordinates can either be displayed in decimal or degrees, meters and seconds. Useful for mapping fields in agriculture, plots of land/home boundaries, or for general interest in distances and areas! Functionality to drop a point at your current location (GPS or otherwise), and to email the results. Tap briefly to drop points anywhere on the map. Share your drawing (shape) by email, which includes a file that can be opened on any device with Distance Tool. Allows the standard map views of standard, satellite and hybrid. Supports quick altitude calculation without data connectivity. Find out how high up you are! Or see the altitude of ANY point (requires data). Freehand draw: Draw any shape on the map to quickly calculate area. Follow Mode: Calculate distance or areas simply by moving! Subscription terms: - The subscription auto-renews at the end of each term. - Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. - The subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. - Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. - You may manage your subscription and turn off auto-renewal by going to your Account Settings after purchase. Privacy policy and Terms of Use: https://applorium.com/privacy-distance-tool
Head Tracker
This app provides responsive 6DOF head tracking for PC games using your iPhone's camera. Enjoy immersive flight and driving simulations without expensive hardware or uncomfortable headsets.
- 6DOF head tracking
- Wireless Wi-Fi connection
- No external hardware needed
- Accurate and responsive tracking
- Easy setup
- Compatible with opentrack
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Head Tracker uses iPhone’s front-facing TrueDepth camera to provide responsive and accurate 6DOF (degree of freedom) head tracking input to opentrack. Allowing users to enjoy flight and driving simulation games without expensive hardware or wearing uncomfortable headsets. ================================== Supported Devices (iPhone 11 and newer) ================================== This app requires device with TrueDepth camera or Devices with A12 or later processors: iPhone 11, iPhone SE(2nd Gen), iPad (8th Gen), Pro (2nd Gen) and later are supported. ================= Features ================= - 6 DOF - Connects over wifi network, no need for cables - No need to wear any uncomfortable head tracking headsets - Accurate and responsive (up to 60fps) - simple to setup ================================== opentrack supported games includes: ================================== - Microsoft Flight Simulator - FSX - DCS World - Star Citizen - Elite: Dangerous - IL2 - Euro Truck - and more. ================= Customer Reviews ================= "Installation took a couple of minutes on the PC and after the latest update is now smooth as butter. Looking forward to more improvements! Works perfectly on Euro Truck and other racing sims I play like Assetto Corsa etc" "I sold my TrackIR headset some years ago and missed it now in the new Flight Simulator - and guess what: this is combined with opentrack the ideal replacement. It “just works” and is easy to set up. Fair pricing. 5 stars. Thank you, John." ================= How to use: ================= - Open Head Tracker app on your iPhone, set your PC's IP address, then start - Launch opentrack application on your PC, select "Network over UDP" and the "freetrack 2.0" protocol, and press start - Start your favourite simulator game, it will now follow you head movements in the virtual cockpit. Visit https://jbcconsulting448679429.wordpress.com/head-tracking-quick-start/ for detailed instructions and download opentrack preset profile. ================================== Versions (Free and in-app purchase) ================================== Try out the free version. The free version allows you to play for 10 minutes per session, you can restart to extend the trial. Upgrade to the full version via in-app purchase to remove trial limit and automatic screen dimming to reduce battery usage. ================================== More Information and Support ================================== Visit https://jbcconsulting448679429.wordpress.com for more tips, network setup and troubleshooting instruction on configuring head tracking, and contact me for support.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Head Tracker at fortnightly against Distance Tool's every 2 months. Head Tracker also leads on review sentiment (70% vs 59%). Distance Tool's advantage is rating (4.4 vs 4.1) and ratings volume (2.1K vs 62). 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. Distance Tool sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Head Tracker sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Distance Tool holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Distance Tool has 2.1K ratings behind it against 62, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 59% of Distance Tool's written reviews are positive against 70% of Head Tracker'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, Head Tracker fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and August 18, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Distance Tool | Head Tracker |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (2.1K ratings) — better | 4.1 (62 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 58.6% of reviews | 70.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2.1K — better | 62 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 17 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Applorium Ltd | John Yu |
Customer experience
Distance Tool
Head Tracker
User reviews
Distance Tool
From 2.1K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Accurate measurements
- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 💡 Useful for various applications (farming, surveying, etc.)
- 🚀 Works well in remote areas
Room to improve
- 🐛 Glitchy pin drop functionality
- 🐛 Inaccurate distance measurements
- 💰 Paywall for advanced features
- 🐛 Difficulty unsubscribing from paid plans
Head Tracker
From 62 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Great value for price
- 🚀 Smooth and responsive tracking
- 🎮 Enhances gaming immersion
- ✅ Easy setup and use
- 💡 Good alternative to expensive hardware
Room to improve
- 🐛 Shaky tracking
- ❌ Doesn't work with older iPhones
- ⚠️ Inconsistent performance in low light
- 🔄 Purchase not restoring
- 🪲 Connection drops
Bugs and requests
Distance Tool
Reported bugs
4 issues- GPS not working on certain devices
- App crashes when trying to access location services
- Saved routes not loading properly
- Inconsistent distance calculations
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to edit/reposition dropped pins
- Option to toggle visibility of distance labels
- Support for entering coordinates manually
- Improved map quality and zooming capabilities
Head Tracker
Reported bugs
10 issues- Pitch flips upside down when yawing
- Purchase not restoring after reinstall
- Camera always in portrait mode
- Image gets dark after a few seconds
- Tracking is shaky and buggy
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Connection drops and won't reconnect
- Does not work with iPhone SE
- Does not work with iPhone 7
- Does not work with iPhone 8
- Roll axis detects other axis components
Requested features
5 requests- Option to turn off screen when tracking
- Always visible rotation button for landscape camera
- Ability to brighten screen for better tracking
- Use IR camera for low-light conditions
- Option to make screen black to reduce battery/screen burn
In-app purchases
Distance Tool
- Distance Calculator Monthly3 Days trial$3.991 Month
- Distance Calculator Premium3 Days trial$19.991 Year
- Premium - freehand & follow$7.99
- Distance Tool Lifetime$39.99
Head Tracker
- Full Version$1.99
Questions
Is Distance Tool free?
Is Head Tracker free?
Which has better reviews, Distance Tool or Head Tracker?
Do Distance Tool or Head Tracker have ads?
Which is updated more often, Distance Tool or Head Tracker?
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