Comparison

Orienteering Companion vs Mapcha

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

Head to head
About

Orienteering Companion

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Orienteering Companion is an outdoor map utility for iPhone, which is primarily intended for orienteering training. The position of the user is displayed in real time on a map image that has been imported from the picture library and calibrated by the user. The app uses the Location Services in the device to get the current position information. The accuracy is at best +/- 5 meters, which requires a good GPS reception. Map images that have been imported are saved in a map collection. A new map image must be calibrated the first time before it can be used. After that, a calibrated map can be used unlimited number of times without any need for recalibration. Features: - Map Sharing: The maps can be shared with other users of the app. - Map Import: Maps in the form of KML/KMZ files (Google Earth map format) that contain calibrated map image overlays can be imported from websites and are ready for use in the app. - Snapshot of Maps: The currently used map, with visible track details can be captured to the Picture library. - Logged Tracks: The user can choose to log the run and see the actual track in real-time. Logged tracks can be exported in GPX format to be used with other applications. - Courses: Orienteering waypoint symbols (virtual flags) can be created using a built-in editor for each map. The user can practice run against the course that has been created in order to "find" the waypoint flags and get a result with found flags, split times and distance information. The course run is logged and the result can be viewed later and exported just like any logged track. Note: - Please read Privacy Policy for information regarding the handling of your Location data. - Your use of this real time route guidance application is at your sole risk. Location data may not be accurate. - Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease the battery life. - Maps are normally protected by copyright and the user must make sure to own the right to copy the images of the maps that are to be imported to the app.

About

Mapcha

Overlay your paper maps onto your device's screen to see your current location, even offline. Simply calibrate by matching points on your paper map to digital maps.

Highlights
  • Overlay paper maps on digital maps
  • See current location on paper maps
  • Offline map usage
  • Calibrate maps using known points
  • Use device camera or photo library
Features
Read full description

Mapcha allows you to easily navigate paper based maps on your iOS device, even without an internet connection*. Perfect for walking, trekking or just navigating an unfamiliar city, Mapcha allows you to see your current location on your paper map. Mapcha uses an intuitive mechanism to overlay images of maps on to the standard Apple Maps: - Take a picture of your paper map using your device's camera or choose an image from your photo library - Choose two known points on the paper map and locate those points on Apple Maps - From those points Mapcha calculates the map's scale and positions your image on top of Apple Maps * An active internet connection may be required in order to load Apple Map data to assist in calibrating a map, however once a map has been calibrated it can be used offline. Note - Mapcha does not cache Apple Map data; however your map images will be available offline and you will still be able to see your current location. - Mapcha does not come with any preloaded maps.

Screenshots

Orienteering Companion3 screens
Mapcha4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Mapcha at Free against Orienteering Companion's $1.99. Mapcha also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 16.0). Orienteering Companion's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 11 months). 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

Mapcha is free to download; Orienteering Companion costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Orienteering Companion ships an update every 3 months, Mapcha every 11 months. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Orienteering Companion versus Mapcha: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOrienteering CompanionMapcha
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 11 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.08.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB31 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperKristian HolmlundMarc Baldwin

In-app purchases

None

Orienteering Companion

No in-app purchases

None

Mapcha

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Orienteering Companion free?
Orienteering Companion costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Mapcha free?
Mapcha is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Orienteering Companion or Mapcha have ads?
Neither Orienteering Companion nor Mapcha shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Orienteering Companion or Mapcha?
Orienteering Companion ships an update every 3 months, and Mapcha every 11 months. Most recently, Orienteering Companion was updated on September 19, 2026 and Mapcha on October 15, 2026.

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