Distance Tool vs RulerGPS
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
RulerGPS
Measure distances between two physical locations using your phone's GPS. Simply tap start at one point, walk to the second, and tap end to see the measured distance. It's useful for various outdoor activities and quick estimations.
- GPS distance measurement
- Tap start and end points
- Supports yards, feet, miles, meters, kilometers
- Optional decimal precision
- Map view toggle
- Last measurement saved
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RulerGPS measures the distance between two physical spots using your phone's GPS. You tap Start at one location, walk to the other, and tap End. That's it. The distance shows up at the top of the screen along with the units you picked. A few things people use this for: Checking how far they hit a golf shot. Sizing up a yard, garden, or fence line. Marking practice fields for soccer, football, or pickup games. Estimating walking distance on a trail or around a campsite. Quick property checks before paying for an actual survey. You can set either point first. If you tap End and then go back and tap Start, it works the same way. The number updates as soon as both points are in place. Each point shows a GPS accuracy reading underneath. That tells you the margin your phone is currently giving you. A smaller number means a better fix. If accuracy looks rough, give it a few seconds and try again. Settings let you switch between yards, feet, miles, meters, and kilometers. There is also a toggle for decimals if you want extra precision on shorter distances. The map view can be hidden if you only want the number. If you reset by accident, it asks first. Your last measurement sticks around between launches, so closing the app does not wipe your work. This app is free with ads. If you prefer no ads, there is a one time purchase in the settings that turns them off for good.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: RulerGPS at 100% against Distance Tool's 58%. RulerGPS also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.4) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Distance Tool's advantage is ratings volume (2.2K vs 3) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). On ads, 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
RulerGPS holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Distance Tool has 2.2K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 58% of Distance Tool's written reviews are positive against 100% of RulerGPS's.
Distance Tool ships an update every 2 months, RulerGPS every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Distance Tool | RulerGPS |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | — |
| Rating | 4.4 (2.2K ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 58.1% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 2.2K — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 20 MB | 13 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Applorium Ltd | William Kirkpatrick |
Customer experience
Distance Tool
RulerGPS
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
RulerGPS
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Distance Tool
- Distance Calculator Monthly3 Days trial$3.991 Month
- Distance Measure Premium - Monthly$7.991 Month
- Distance Calculator Premium3 Days trial$19.991 Year
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- Distance Measure Premium - Yearly3 Days trial$39.991 Year
- Premium - freehand & follow$7.99
- Distance Tool Lifetime$39.99
RulerGPS
- Remove Ads$1.99
Questions
Is Distance Tool free?
Is RulerGPS free?
Which has better reviews, Distance Tool or RulerGPS?
Do Distance Tool or RulerGPS have ads?
Which is updated more often, Distance Tool or RulerGPS?
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