Comparison

Orientation vs MapQ

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

Head to head
About

Orientation

Easily locate yourself and find directions with this intuitive navigation tool. Search for any address or landmark and get real-time guidance on a map that functions as a compass. Ideal for urban exploration, outdoor adventures, or simply finding your way back.

Highlights
  • Locate yourself easily
  • Get directions and distance to destination
  • Find your car or return to starting point
  • Intuitive address search
  • Map orients as a compass
  • Display current address
  • Zoomable map
Read full description

Keep your bearings, wherever you are. Orientation lets you choose up to six places and instantly see where they are in relation to your current position. Compare their direction and distance, view their coordinates, and keep important places in sight while traveling, walking, hiking, or going about your day. Keep your hotel, parked car, starting point, meeting place, landmark, or any position you select on the map in view. MAIN FEATURES • View up to six places at the same time • See the direction and distance to each place on a visual compass • Check latitude and longitude coordinates • Display all selected places together on the map • Search for a place or address, or tap the map to place or move a target • Recenter on your current position and switch map types • Share a position or open a target in Apple Maps • Designed for iPhone and iPad Built for orientation at a glance, Orientation gives you a clear view of each selected place relative to you, so you can compare destinations and choose where to head. Location access and an internet connection are required. Compass accuracy may be affected by magnetic or electromagnetic interference.

About

MapQ

Features
Read full description

Ever just want to know how a few places sit relative to each other? That is the only thing this app does. Type a place, a pin drops. Type another, another pin drops. That alone is enough to build the layout in your head. No turn-by-turn directions, no business listings, no reviews. Only where things are in relation to each other. ■ Type, and the pins pile up - Suggestions appear as you type a place, station, or landmark - Tap a suggestion and the pin drops instantly - Pins are numbered and color-coded, so you never lose track ■ See the whole picture - Every time you add a pin, the map zooms to fit them all - One button returns you to the overview whenever you want - Connect the pins with a line to see their order and total distance ■ Address and phone for businesses - Tap a pin or chip to open a detail card - Copy the address, or tap the phone number to call ■ Where you are, and which way you're facing - Your location shows as a blue dot - A blue cone on the map shows the direction you're facing - The compass reads out both bearing and degrees, like "NE 38°" - Distances from you to each pin are listed at a glance ■ Simple and private - No account, no ads - Pins are stored on your device only. Nothing is sent anywhere For planning trips, scoping out a business destination, choosing a neighborhood, or checking how a listing sits relative to the station and the supermarket. The fastest way to build a map in your head.

Screenshots

Orientation4 screens
MapQ4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: MapQ at Free against Orientation's $2.99. MapQ also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). Orientation's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On ads and in-app purchases 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

MapQ is free to download; Orientation costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Orientation ships an update every 2 months, MapQ fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Orientation versus MapQ: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOrientationMapQ
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.6 (142 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews81.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings142 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChaviro SoftwareTakeaki Hashimoto

In-app purchases

None

Orientation

No in-app purchases

None

MapQ

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Orientation free?
Orientation costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is MapQ free?
MapQ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Orientation or MapQ have ads?
Neither Orientation nor MapQ shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Orientation or MapQ?
Orientation ships an update every 2 months, and MapQ fortnightly. Most recently, Orientation was updated on October 1, 2026 and MapQ on September 25, 2026.

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