Coverage Map vs FCC Mobile Speed Test
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Coverage Map
This app provides a crowdsourced map of cellular network performance and coverage across the US, Canada, UK, and Puerto Rico. Users can view real-time speed test data, compare carrier performance, and check signal strength in specific areas. It also includes a built-in speed test to contribute to the map.
- Crowdsourced speed test map
- Real-time performance data
- Download, upload, and latency details
- Carrier and network type filters
- Built-in speed test functionality
- Signal strength mapping (US only)
- Data-driven coverage reports (US only)
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Coverage Map helps you find the #1 cell phone carrier in your area. It is a crowdsourced map of cellular networks in the US, Canada, United Kingdom, and Puerto Rico with more countries launching soon. SPEED TEST MAP (All Countries) • Highly accurate: see real-world performance reported by users • Real-time: map updates in real-time as new data comes in • Rich detail: tap any square to see download speeds, upload speeds, and latency for all carriers in that area • Powerful filters: filter by carrier, LTE/5G, download speeds, upload speeds, or see your speed tests only • Helpful color profiles: default, heat map, and best carrier help you visualize and understand the data • Easy to understand: see what carrier performs best in an area at a glance with the Best Carrier color profile BUILT-IN SPEED TEST (All Countries) • Test your speeds: see how fast your LTE or 5G connection is by running a speed test • Accurate results: get accurate results for download speed, upload speed, and latency • Recurring tests: run up to 500 recurring tests automatically and customize the pause duration between tests • Set a data limit: limit how much data the app can use • Tag your tests: tag a test as indoor, outdoor, driving, or other • Improve the Speed Map: running a speed test automatically contributes to the fastest-growing crowdsourced map of cellular networks (note: if your country is not currently supported, when we do launch in your country all of your tests will instantly be mapped and will show up on the map) SIGNAL STRENGTH MAP (US only) • Check reception: see where each carrier has great, good, or poor coverage • Compare coverage footprints: toggle between carriers to see how coverage footprints compare in different areas • Data for every location: the Signal Strength Map uses data from the FCC Broadband Collection, which has coverage data for the continental U.S., Alaska, and Hawaii COVERAGE REPORT MAP (US only) • Data-driven reports: the Coverage Report Map aggregates all available data points to generate detailed reports of cellular coverage & performance in every state, county, city, and ZIP code • Percentage covered: see what percentage of an area each carrier covers • Weighted median: see weighted median values for download speed, upload speeds, and latency for a better picture of real-world cellular performance • Carrier rankings: see what carrier ranks best for coverage, speed, reliability, and overall performance in every area • Distribution graphs: see the distribution graphs for download speeds, upload speeds, and latency • Performance by time of day: see how data speeds vary over the course of day as network traffic picks up Terms of Use and Privacy Policy: https://coveragemap.com/privacy-policy
FCC Mobile Speed Test
This app allows users to test their mobile and wireless broadband connection speeds. It offers options to dispute provider coverage maps, contribute to national broadband data, or simply check connection performance. Results can be saved and exported for review.
- Mobile speed testing
- Wireless broadband speed testing
- Dispute provider coverage maps
- Contribute to national broadband data
- Background scheduled tests
- Data cap settings
- Exportable test results
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About this app You can use the FCC Mobile Speed Test app to take mobile speed tests that will help improve the Federal Communication Commissions (FCC) National Broadband Map. The app can also test the speed of your wireless broadband connection! The ad-free FCC Mobile Speed Test app offers three speed test options: Challenge, Crowdsource,and QuickCheck. Challenge speed tests enable you to dispute, or “challenge,” your provider’s mobile coverage shown on the National Broadband Map. Once enough negative challenges are filed with the FCC, the provider must respond or correct their coverage maps. Crowdsource speed tests help the FCC evaluate mobile coverage across the United States and verify the accuracy of the National Broadband Map. QuickCheck speed tests let you test the speed of your wireless network connection without submitting a challenge or sharing your contact information with the FCC. To learn more about the FCC’s National Broadband Map, go to www.fcc.gov/BroadbandData. App Features: • Use the “Repeated Test” option to perform back-to-back Challenge, Crowdsource, or Quick Check tests for up to 4 hours without having to initiate a new test each time. • Run scheduled Crowdsource tests seamlessly in the background at your desired frequency. • Set a data cap to limit the amount of data the app can use for tests over a one-month period. • View test results in the History section. • Export and save results as a CSV on your device or email yourself a ZIP file with test results. This is the official mobile speed test app of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Consistent with the FCC’s rules, users taking Challenge or Crowdsource test must enter certain personal contact information: name, phone number, and email address. Privacy: We protect your privacy, and you can choose to share data with specific parties. Refer to the Privacy Notice for more details or get the App for more information. The FCC may share your contact info with your mobile broadband provider if you choose to run a Challenge test so that the provider can use your data plan and other technical information to fully evaluate the test result.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Coverage Map at 68% against FCC Mobile Speed Test's 23%. Coverage Map also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.1) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). FCC Mobile Speed Test's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and device support 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Coverage Map holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 798 and 277 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 68% of Coverage Map's written reviews are positive against 23% of FCC Mobile Speed Test's.
Coverage Map ships an update fortnightly, FCC Mobile Speed Test every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Coverage Map | FCC Mobile Speed Test |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (798 ratings) — better | 4.1 (277 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 67.6% of reviews — better | 22.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 798 — better | 277 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 69 MB | 70 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Coverage Map LLC | Federal Communications Commission |
Customer experience
Coverage Map
FCC Mobile Speed Test
User reviews
Coverage Map
From 798 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 User-friendly
- 🚀 Large data collection
- 👍 Detailed coverage maps
- 👍 Crowdsourced data
- 🚀 Intuitive interface
Room to improve
- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 🔋 High data usage
- 🔍 Inaccurate coverage maps in some areas
- 🔍 Missing some carrier information
- 🔍 Limited options for customization
FCC Mobile Speed Test
From 277 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Quick and reliable speed tests
- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Helpful challenge test feature
Room to improve
- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 🔒 Invasive privacy concerns
- 🔒 Requires personal information
- 🔒 Questionable data access
Bugs and requests
Coverage Map
Reported bugs
4 issues- Frequent crashes when viewing maps
- Speed test failures and timeouts
- Inconsistent speed test results
- Incorrect location detection
Requested features
5 requests- Low data mode
- Offline coverage map downloads
- Ability to set test duration and frequency
- Display cell tower locations
- Expand to international coverage
FCC Mobile Speed Test
Reported bugs
3 issues- Incorrect categorization of test results
- Inability to test in areas without cellular coverage
- Crashes when trying to view historical results
Requested features
3 requests- Ability to test WiFi speeds
- Save user information to avoid repeated entry
- Improved accuracy and consistency of test results
In-app purchases
Coverage Map
No in-app purchases
FCC Mobile Speed Test
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Coverage Map free?
Is FCC Mobile Speed Test free?
Which has better reviews, Coverage Map or FCC Mobile Speed Test?
Do Coverage Map or FCC Mobile Speed Test have ads?
Which is updated more often, Coverage Map or FCC Mobile Speed Test?
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