Simple TOPO vs 3D Offline Maps
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Simple TOPO
This app provides offline outdoor navigation with detailed topographic maps and route planning. It allows users to track their location, share itineraries, and find friends, ensuring safety and ease of use in remote areas.
- High-resolution USGS 24k Topographic charts
- Easy Waypoint and Route creation
- Buddy-tracking feature
- Itinerary sharing for safety
- Offline chart viewing
- Real-time track recording
- Point of Interest database
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Simple TOPO is a powerful, yet easy-to-use outdoor navigation solution. No matter your outdoor pursuit Simple TOPO will get you there and back home safely – with nothing more than your iPhone or iPad. The free evaluation version displays standard satellite, road, and hybrid maps. An in-app subscription purchase of $2.99/mo or $29.99/yr includes USGS 24k Topo charts, navigational features, and frequent app upgrades. Key Features: • High-resolution USGS 24k Topographic charts • Easy one-touch Waypoint and Route creation. Pre-plan your routes at home or create them in the field with equal ease. Just touch the screen to create new waypoints and routes. • Find your friends outdoors. With our new Buddy-tracking feature, you can see and meet up with your friends while you’re out on the water. If you’re on your secret spot and don’t want to be seen, you can hide your location with the touch of a button. • Stay safe. Easily create and send an itinerary of your trip to a friend or family member. Your itinerary and location history can be forwarded to search and rescue personnel in case of an emergency. • Easy-to-use point-to-point navigation. The red heading bug on the large on-screen compass always directs you to the next point on your route. Navigation is as easy as pointing yourself at the heading bug to stay on course. • No Network. No Problem. Simple TOPO is designed so no internet connection is required to view your charts while in the field. You simply download in advance any charts you’ll need in the field with the touch of a button. • Record your tracks. Track your position in real-time and later view your track history. • Fully indexed point of interest (POI) database including weather, tides, currents, your buddies, and more. -------------------- Subscription prices: One year - $29.99 Monthly - $2.99 -Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. -Your subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period. -You will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period, for the same duration and at the current subscription rate for that product. -You can manage your subscriptions and turn off auto-renewal by going to your Account Settings in the Apple Settings app after purchase. -No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period. This does not affect your statutory rights. -Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription. -We will be collecting information about your use of the app both when you are online and offline. To find out more please see our privacy policy. -------------------- By purchasing a subscription or downloading an app you agree that you have read and accept our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. http://www.redskyengineering.com/terms-of-use/ http://www.redskyengineering.com/privacy-policy/ NOTE: Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. Though Simple TOPO will function without a GPS as a chart reader, a GPS-enabled device is required for point-to-point navigation. Third-party Bluetooth GPS units are available to enable GPS for iOS devices such as WiFi-only iPads that do not include a GPS receiver. For offline use where no Internet connection is available, charts must be pre-cached while still on-line and connected, any charts downloaded while online will be available for offline use.
3D Offline Maps
Navigate and explore the world with detailed 2D and 3D offline maps. Record GPS tracks, save routes, and import/export GPX files. Plan adventures, mark points of interest, and share data, even without an internet signal.
- Offline 2D and 3D maps
- GPS track recording
- Route planning
- GPX import/export
- Unlimited offline map storage
- Multiple map types
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Detailed 2D and 3D maps for navigation, travel, hiking, and outdoor adventures all over the world. Download maps in advance, use them offline without internet access, record GPS tracks, save routes and waypoints, import and export GPX files, and keep everything important close at hand on every trip. Plan routes, build your own collection of tracks, mark interesting places on the map, share data with friends, and travel more comfortably even where there is no signal. The app supports offline maps with no time limits on storage and contains no ads. Main features: - 9 map types: satellite, vector, and 3D maps. - compatible with Apple Silicon Macs. - background track recording. - compare tracks by speed, elevation, and time at any distance, including gains and delays relative to a selected reference track. - fast and convenient map downloads. - route planner. - step counter with data for the last three months (steps, distance). - elevation for any waypoint. - address search. - coordinate search. - compass. - barometer. - track processing and optimization. - offline map downloads with unlimited storage time. - supports all available ways on your device to import and export tracks and waypoints in GPX, KML, KMZ format. - color gradient by speed and elevation for imported tracks when this data is available. - color gradient by speed and elevation for recorded tracks. - records speed and elevation in tracks. - contour lines in outdoor mode. - extended track information: average and maximum speed, duration, distance, and number of waypoints. - different units of measurement: miles, kilometers, feet, meters. - view one or multiple tracks in any app mode, including while recording another track. - create, edit, and delete waypoints in any mode and anywhere on the map. - selectable icons for waypoints. - track recording quality settings, distance filters, and power saving mode. - points to the selected waypoint and shows the distance to it. - shows the current distance covered and time on route. - quick start and stop of track recording. - several map orientation modes: by device compass, by direction of movement, centered mode, and north-up mode. - map tilt with a two-finger gesture. - quick selection and convenient viewing of saved tracks, waypoints, and downloaded maps. - speed and elevation charts with zooming and scrolling. - link to the user guide in settings. - waypoint photos: take photos, store them, open the waypoint on the map from the photo, and share your shots. - photo geotagging: coordinates and shooting data are saved in the text caption and in EXIF/GPS metadata. - Terms of Service: https://appsupport.store/terms/ - Privacy Policy: https://appsupport.store/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: 3D Offline Maps at weekly against Simple TOPO's every 51 months. 3D Offline Maps also leads on ratings volume (647 vs 1). Simple TOPO's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and review sentiment (100% vs 80%). 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. Simple TOPO sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and 3D Offline Maps sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Simple TOPO holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 3D Offline Maps has 647 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Simple TOPO's written reviews are positive against 80% of 3D Offline Maps's.
Simple TOPO ships an update every 51 months, 3D Offline Maps weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Simple TOPO | 3D Offline Maps |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | 4.6 (647 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 80.2% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 647 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 51 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 7.0 — better | 15.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 41 MB | 72 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Red Sky Engineering, LLC | SERGEI BEZDENEZHNYKH |
Customer experience
Simple TOPO
3D Offline Maps
Bugs and requests
Simple TOPO
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
3D Offline Maps
Reported bugs
4 issues- 3D offline maps display black and grainy visuals
- Maps require zooming out and back in to clear display
- GPX file download compatibility issues
- Background tracking does not work
Requested features
5 requests- CarPlay support integration
- Map selection icon on main page
- Current/real-time satellite imagery
- Map gradients relative to pitch
- Background tracking functionality
In-app purchases
Simple TOPO
- Monthly$2.991 Month
- Simple Topo - 12 Month$29.991 Year
3D Offline Maps
- Premium Month3 Days trial$1.991 Month
- Premium Week2 variants$1.997 Days
- Premium Month3 Days trial$3.991 Month
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- Premium Annual3 Days trial$12.991 Year
- Annual Sale$12.991 Year
- Matching to road$0.99
- Lifetime$19.99
Questions
Is Simple TOPO free?
Is 3D Offline Maps free?
Which has better reviews, Simple TOPO or 3D Offline Maps?
Do Simple TOPO or 3D Offline Maps have ads?
Which is updated more often, Simple TOPO or 3D Offline Maps?
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