MapLayers vs maps.earth
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
MapLayers
Access a wide variety of maps for outdoor activities, including USGS and Bureau of Land Management charts. Import custom GeoPDF maps and overlay them with different base layers. Track your GPS location and record your travels for review.
- GPS tracking and logging
- Multiple map types
- Custom GeoPDF import
- Map overlays
- Compass navigation
- View current location
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MapLayers is a collection of maps for outdoor activities and more! New in Version 1.4: Compass for navigating to any point on the map New in Version 1.2: App URLs to open individual charts either in app or on the web. New in Version 1.1: GPS Track Logging. You can now record and review your travels!. Discovering and downloading maps for your adventures is easy and fast. Multiple types of maps are available and multiple maps can be viewed at the same time. Custom maps can be imported as GeoPDF and we are adding more maps constantly. Featuring maps from the USGS, Bureau of Land Management and more! Each map is viewable on our custom, spherical based map engine and can be overlaid with various base maps. Your current location can also be shown on the map. SUPPORT We can help! Email team@cartolake.com LEGAL End User License Agreement: https://www.cartolake.com/about/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.cartolake.com/about/privacy
maps.earth
Discover the world with low-stress directions powered by OpenStreetMap. This open-source application prioritizes user privacy by not displaying ads or selling data, focusing solely on providing a pleasant mapping experience.
- World exploration
- Low-stress directions
- OpenStreetMap powered
- Ad-free experience
- Data privacy focused
- Open source
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Explore the world and get low stress directions powered by OpenStreetMap. maps.earth is built on open source. We never show you ads or sell your data. We just want a nice map.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: MapLayers at 5.0 against maps.earth's 3.2. MapLayers also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.4). maps.earth's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On price and update cadence 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. MapLayers sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $24.99 per year. maps.earth asks for nothing beyond the download.
MapLayers holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: maps.earth has 5 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
MapLayers ships an update every 3 weeks, maps.earth monthly. Both last shipped on October 27, 2026.
| Parameter | MapLayers | maps.earth |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | 3.2 (5 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 33.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 5 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Monthly |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 24 MB | 27 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | CartoLake, LLC | Michael Kirk |
In-app purchases
MapLayers
- Basic Yearly7 Days trial$24.991 Year
maps.earth
No in-app purchases
