Comparison

Elevation vs Topo Maps US

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Elevation

Easily find your current elevation, altitude, and height above sea level. This app allows you to check elevations by touching the map, entering an address, or using your device's GPS or barometer. It also provides valuable data for flood prediction and outdoor planning.

Highlights
  • Find current elevation and altitude
  • Check elevation by map touch or address input
  • Utilize GPS and barometer for altitude
  • Record and display GPS altitude path
  • Standalone barometer functionality
  • Support for UTM and MGRS coordinates
  • Export timestamp, altitude, pressure, and coordinates
Features
Read full description

Find your current elevation, altitude, and height above sea level easily with this altimeter/barometer app. ## Elevation Finder ## This app helps you observe the elevations of all locations on the surface of the earth by simply touch and move the map around, or input the address/location name. You can also find the elevation of your current location by using online database, built-in GPS, or barometer on your device. Elevation data benefits flood prevention, prediction of water levels in rivers, lakes, and seas, etc. Thus, knowing the elevation of places is very crucial if you are looking for a flood-free house, or planning for a hiking trip, and more. ## Cloud-based Altitude Data ## The easiest way to find altitude of any location on earth. By simply point on the screen, you can get the elevation data from a coordinate location point. “Range Mode” is available for altitude comparison (by graph and line) of each point between two selected locations. ## GPS Altitude Data ## Use built-in GPS on your device to determine the altitude of your current location. The altitude data of the area you walked-through will be recorded and displayed as a multicolored line on the map. The colors presented on the line indicate different heights. Precision indicators (horizontal resolution and vertical resolution) are displayed on the screen. ## Barometric Altitude Data ## Use built-in barometer on your device to determine the elevation of your current location. You can either measure the elevation from raw barometric data, or relative pressure from sea-level. Like GPS data, the result is displayed as a multicolored line. To get the most accurate data, it is recommended to adjust the sea level pressure and temperature prior to the measurement, and set the offset or calibration value if necessary. ## Standalone Barometer ## You can use this app as a standalone barometer. ## Air Pressure / Altitude Calculator ## Atmospheric pressure and/or altitude at your current location are calculated from known altitude, pressure of the location, temperature and/or sea level pressure. ## Support of Coordinate Formats ## This app not only displays regular latitude and longitude data, but also supports many coordinate systems such as, Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinate system and Military Grid Reference System (MGRS) and more. ## Export of Data ## From this app, you can export many useful information including timestamp, altitude, pressure, and coordinates. Subscription ------------- Elevation - Sea Level Map is completely free to use with all features. You can subscribe to this application to remove ads and reduce data retrieving delay by 50%. Device subscriptions are available in these plan and will renew automatically each month, six months or year, unless cancelled. (Per month) - $4.49 (Per six-months) - $25.99 (Per year) - $48.99 Pricing shown is for the United States store. Pricing in other stores will vary. Payment for subscriptions will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period Subscriptions may be managed by going to your iTunes Account Settings after purchase or by clicking the “Purchase / Manage Subscription. Auto-renewal may be turned off by going to Account Settings after purchase. Subscription cannot be cancelled during the active subscription period More information: https://mapnitude.com/elevation Privacy policy: https://mapnitude.com/privacy-policy Terms of use: https://mapnitude.com/terms-of-service

About

Topo Maps US

Access and download detailed topographic maps of the United States for offline use. Track your location, mark waypoints, and record your routes for outdoor activities. Navigate with direction arrows and measure distances on the map.

Highlights
  • Download US topographic maps
  • Offline map viewing
  • GPS location tracking
  • Add and import waypoints (flags)
  • Import and share GPX/LOC files
  • Record and share trails
  • Elevation profile charts
Features
Read full description

Download and view topographic maps covering the United States. Topographic maps are useful for recreational activities such as hiking, canoeing, camping, fishing, mountain biking, geocaching, and exploring. MAPS Choose from 2 map sources: USGS standard topographic or USGS hybrid topographic. OFFLINE Download maps for areas of interest to view them later when you don't have Internet access or you don't want to use cell data. TRACKING Use location tracking to show where you are on the map, your elevation, and the accuracy of the GPS signal. FLAGS Flags are included with map downloads. Add flags (waypoints) to the map to mark your current location or other locations. Import flags from other sources using GPX files and geocache LOC files. Share flags with others using email or AirDrop. Organize your flag types by color, for example, geocaches, trailheads, and summits. TRAILS Trails are included with map downloads. Import trails (tracks) using GPX files you find on the Internet or from your personal GPS track collection. Share trails with others using email or AirDrop. Organize your trail types by color, for example, mountain bike trails, hiking trails, and OHV trails. TRAIL RECORDING Record your own trails to show where you've been on the map, follow them later, and share with others. ELEVATION PROFILE Recorded trails include an elevation profile (distance/elevation chart). NAVIGATION Navigate to a flag by following the direction arrow that uses your compass heading. Useful for geocaching. MEASURE Measure the distance between points on the map. Note: Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.

Screenshots

Elevation4 screens
Topo Maps US3 screens

Verdict

The call

Elevation and Topo Maps US both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 88% of Topo Maps US's written reviews are positive against 30% of Elevation's. Topo Maps US also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). Elevation's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (5.4K vs 210). On price, rating, device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Elevation sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.49 per month. Topo Maps US asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Elevation against 4.4 for Topo Maps US. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Elevation has 5.4K ratings behind it against 210, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 30% of Elevation's written reviews are positive against 88% of Topo Maps US's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Elevation ships an update every 3 weeks, Topo Maps US every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Elevation versus Topo Maps US: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterElevationTopo Maps US
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (5.4K ratings) — better4.4 (210 ratings)
Positive reviews29.6% of reviews87.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings5.4K — better210
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 4 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size53 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMapnitude Company LimitedDC Cloud Apps, LLC

Customer experience

Elevation

All ratings5,396 ratings
Positive88.5%
Neutral4.9%
Negative6.6%
Written reviews135 reviews
Positive29.6%
Neutral8.1%
Negative62.2%

Topo Maps US

All ratings210 ratings
Positive87.1%
Neutral1.4%
Negative11.4%
Written reviews80 reviews
Positive87.5%
Neutral2.5%
Negative10.0%

User reviews

Elevation

From 5.4K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Works great
  • 👍 Helpful for research
  • 👍 Useful for tracking elevation during storms
  • 👍 Easy to use

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes on opening
  • 🐛 Elevation readings are inaccurate
  • 🐛 Doesn't work consistently
  • 💰 Too many ads
  • 🤔 Confusing user interface

Topo Maps US

From 210 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Intuitive and simple user interface
  • 📱 Works completely offline with downloaded maps
  • 💰 Free app with no subscriptions or ads
  • 🗺️ High-quality USGS topographic maps
  • 📍 Accurate GPS location tracking

Room to improve

  • 🐛 White/gray blocks appearing on offline maps
  • 🔋 High battery drain during route recording
  • ❌ Limited color options for flags (only red)
  • ⚠️ Route recording stops unexpectedly
  • 🔍 No search functionality for trails/landmarks

Bugs and requests

Elevation

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Elevation readings not working
  • App freezes or crashes frequently
  • Inconsistent behavior across locations

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add search functionality
  • Display elevation in feet instead of meters
  • Improve accuracy of elevation readings

Topo Maps US

Reported bugs

8 issues
  • White and gray blocks appearing on downloaded offline maps
  • Route recording stops unexpectedly mid-hike
  • High battery drain during route tracking
  • GPX file import issues in iOS 13+
  • Map display issues near borders
Show 3 more
  • Flags cluttering the view
  • Inconsistent zoom functionality
  • Route tracking drops without saving

Requested features

18 requests
  • Pause/resume tracking during hikes
  • Search feature for trails and landmarks
  • Apple Watch app support
  • CarPlay integration
  • Slope shading visualization
Show 13 more
  • Ability to select and download multiple tiles at once
  • Background map downloading
  • Map transfer between devices
  • iCloud backup for GPS tracks
  • Older USGS topographic map versions
  • Time stamps in GPX export for fitness tracking
  • Quadrangle identification display
  • Built-in compass with map orientation
  • Laptop map manager for easier updates
  • Community Q&A section
  • Multiple color options for waypoints
  • Auto-save feature for long recordings
  • Larger downloadable map areas

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Elevation

Subscriptions3
  • Plus Upgrade$4.491 Month
  • Plus Upgrade$25.996 Months
  • Plus Upgrade$48.991 Year
None

Topo Maps US

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Elevation free?
Elevation is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Topo Maps US free?
Topo Maps US is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Elevation or Topo Maps US?
Elevation is rated higher. Elevation averages 4.5 out of 5 from 5.4K ratings, while Topo Maps US averages 4.4 from 210 ratings.
Do Elevation or Topo Maps US have ads?
Elevation shows ads; Topo Maps US does not.
Which is updated more often, Elevation or Topo Maps US?
Elevation ships an update every 3 weeks, and Topo Maps US every 4 months. Most recently, Elevation was updated on September 24, 2026 and Topo Maps US on September 18, 2026.

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