Simple TOPO vs Topo 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
Read full descriptionHide full description
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.
Topo Maps+
Plan and execute backcountry adventures with offline topographic maps and GPS navigation. Features include route building, waypoints, land boundaries, and on-trail tools. Integrates with Apple Watch and CarPlay for seamless outdoor exploration.
- Offline topographic maps
- Smart route building
- Waypoints and proximity alerts
- Land boundary overlays
- Track recording
- Apple Watch and CarPlay integration
Read full descriptionHide full description
Designed and tested on real dirt, Topo Maps+ is packed with the maps & tools to plan and execute your backcountry adventure. ‣‣ MAPS FOR EVERY ACTIVITY ‣Setup your map based on your planned activity ‣‣ PLANNING TOOLS ‣ Compare and Download maps for use offline. ‣ Combine overlays to customize your map view ‣ Smart route-building tools ‣ Waypoints ‣ Print, email or share custom maps and routes ‣ Public, Private, and Hunting land boundaries ‣ Parcel Information ‣ Create teams and live-share members’ last known location ‣‣ ON-TRAIL TOOLS (Offline) ‣ View your current location ‣ All Maps and Overlays are downloadable ‣ Record your tracks - see where you’ve been ‣ Photo Waypoints - snap a pic and instantly shows on the map ‣ Progress on Trail - how much further on the trail ‣ Guide Me - to a waypoint ‣ Proximity Alerts - notify me when I’m close to a waypoint, trail, or region ‣ Line of Sight - what am I looking at? ‣ Downloaded elevation data for route-creation on the trail ‣‣ APPLE WATCH ‣ Integration with Apple HealthKit ‣Download maps directly to the watch ‣ Pan and zoom the map just like on the phone ‣ Drop a waypoint ‣ Record a track and see all of your stats ‣‣ CARPLAY ‣ Navigate to the trailhead ‣ Turn by Turn directions on USFS Roads ‣‣ NAVIGATIONAL MINDSET - helpful tips and tricks for keeping you safe in the backcountry! ‣‣ SUBSCRIPTION LEVELS: FREE level: view low resolution maps, record your tracks, and limited features Topo Maps+ Pro: high resolution maps, download maps, planning & on-trail tools, driving mode, import geospatial PDFs and TIFFS Topo Maps+ Elite: MapBox Satellite map, US public and private land overlays, parcel and ownership contact info, game management units. ‣‣ CLOUD Sync your routes, trips, subscriptions, and waypoints between all of your iOS and Mac devices. SUBSCRIPTION PAYMENT INFORMATION Topo Maps+ subscriptions will be charged to your Apple ID account at the confirmation of purchase and/or completion of free trial. Subscription automatically renews unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the free trial or current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel your subscriptions by going to your account settings on the App Store after purchase. Privacy Policy: https://topomaps.co/info/privacy Terms of Service: https://topomaps.co/info/tos Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Simple TOPO at 100% against Topo Maps+'s 62%. Simple TOPO also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (7.0 vs 17.0). Topo Maps+'s advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 51 months) and ratings volume (9.4K vs 1). 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 Topo Maps+ sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per 3 months. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Simple TOPO holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Topo Maps+ has 9.4K 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 62% of Topo Maps+'s.
Simple TOPO ships an update every 51 months, Topo Maps+ every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.
| Parameter | Simple TOPO | Topo Maps+ |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | 4.7 (9.4K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 62.2% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 9.4K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 51 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | — | #69 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — better |
| Requires iOS | 7.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 41 MB | 252 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Red Sky Engineering, LLC | Glacier Peak Studios LLC |
Customer experience
Simple TOPO
Topo Maps+
Bugs and requests
Simple TOPO
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Topo Maps+
Reported bugs
3 issues- Crashes during map downloads
- GPS tracking issues in certain areas
- Waypoint data loss after app updates
Requested features
5 requests- Improved route planning tools
- Ability to import/export user data
- Enhanced offline map caching
- More detailed map legends
- Integration with other outdoor apps
In-app purchases
Simple TOPO
- Monthly$2.991 Month
- Simple Topo - 12 Month$29.991 Year
Topo Maps+
- Topo Maps+ Essentials 3 Months$14.993 Months
- Topo Maps+ Pro: 3 Months$29.993 Months
- Topo Maps+ Essentials$29.991 Year
Show 3 moreShow fewer
- Topo Maps+ Elite: 3 Months$39.993 Months
- Topo Maps+ Pro7 Days trial$59.991 Year
- Topo Maps+ Elite7 Days trial$79.991 Year
- 3 Month Map Pass$11.99
- 6 Month Map Pass$14.99
- 12 Month Map Pass$19.99
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- 3 Months PRO$29.99
- 12 Months PRO$59.99







