# SW Maps vs FDsidekick

The clearest difference is rating: FDsidekick at 5.0 against SW Maps's 3.8. FDsidekick also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months). SW Maps's advantage is ratings volume (25 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

FDsidekick holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SW Maps has 25 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

SW Maps ships an update every 2 months, FDsidekick every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SW Maps | FDsidekick |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (25 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sw-maps/id6444248083/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fdsidekick/id6795324398/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **25** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 30.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 17 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Aviyaan Tech](https://appshunter.io/developer/1653343736) | [Erik Patrinostro](https://appshunter.io/developer/1616290144) |

## What reviewers say

### SW Maps

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sw-maps/id6444248083)

This app allows users to collect, present, and share geographic information. It supports recording points, lines, polygons, and associated data like photos and audio. High-accuracy GPS surveys are possible with external receivers, and data can be shared in various standard formats.

**Highlights:** Collect points, lines, and polygons, Attach custom attributes (text, photo, audio, video), High-accuracy GPS surveys with external receivers, Offline map support, Export data in multiple formats (Shapefile, GeoPackage, CSV), Create and share project templates

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### FDsidekick

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fdsidekick/id6795324398)

This app offers quick access to preflight and inflight notes and utilities. It includes features for customizing notecards, viewing imported PDFs, and a specialized aviation calculator. You can also create PA scripts and jot down notes with stylus support.

**Highlights:** Customizable Notecard with Autofill, PDF Reference Viewer, Aviation Calculator, PA Script Creator, Touch/Stylus Notepad

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SW Maps free?

SW Maps is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is FDsidekick free?

FDsidekick is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, SW Maps or FDsidekick?

FDsidekick is rated higher. SW Maps averages 3.8 out of 5 from 25 ratings, while FDsidekick averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do SW Maps or FDsidekick have ads?

Neither SW Maps nor FDsidekick shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SW Maps or FDsidekick?

SW Maps ships an update every 2 months, and FDsidekick every 5 days. Most recently, SW Maps was updated on November 3, 2026 and FDsidekick on October 31, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*