Comparison

Map Notes vs Open Maps

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

Head to head
About

Map Notes

This app allows users to draw directly on maps, add custom pins with icons, and plan journeys with direction calculation. It converts sketches into navigable paths and saves all annotations as part of the map, syncing across devices via iCloud.

Highlights
  • Draw directly on maps
  • Create pins with custom icons
  • Calculate directions
  • Convert drawings to navigable paths
  • Save annotations as part of the map
  • Attach tags, info, and photos
  • Sync across devices with iCloud
Features
Read full description

Map Notes: Your Personalized Cartography & Travel Planner "Map Notes" is your ultimate companion for personalized mapping and travel planning. With its intuitive interface and powerful features, Map Notes allows you to effortlessly mark your favorite spots, plan your adventures, and customize your maps like never before. Draw Directly on the Map:  Let your creativity flow as you draw directly onto the map. Whether it's highlighting a hiking trail, sketching out a scenic route, or simply doodling landmarks, Map Notes gives you the freedom to express yourself visually. Your drawing will stick to the map and become part of it, moving, rotating, and scaling along with the map itself. Create Pins with Custom Icons:  Make your map truly your own by creating pins with custom icons. Whether it's a favorite restaurant, a hidden gem, or a must-see attraction, personalize your pins to reflect your unique interests and preferences. Calculate Directions and Customise Colours:  Seamlessly plan your journeys with Map Notes' direction calculation feature. Simply pick your starting and ending locations, and let the app generate the optimal route for you. Plus, you can customize the color of your directions to enhance visibility. Convert Drawings to Navigable Paths:  Bridge the gap between creativity and utility. Draw a rough path on the map, and Map Notes can automatically convert your sketch into a formal, snap-to-road direction path. Once converted, save it directly to your map to keep your custom routes ready for your next adventure. Save Annotations as Part of the Map:  Your annotations aren't just temporary markings – they become integral parts of your map. Watch as your drawings, pins, and directions seamlessly rotate, scale, and move along with the map, ensuring that your personalized annotations are always in sync with your location. Attach Tags, Information, and Photos:  Add depth and context to your annotations by attaching tags, information, and photos. Whether it's adding notes about opening hours, descriptions of landmarks, or snapshots of memorable moments, Map Notes lets you enrich your map with meaningful details. Sync Across Devices with iCloud:  Your work is automatically saved to your iCloud account, ensuring seamless syncing across all your devices. Whether you're using your iPhone or iPad, access your maps and annotations anytime, anywhere, with the convenience of iCloud syncing. EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/manage-app-information/manage-app-privacy/

About

Open Maps

Read full description

Open Maps for Everyone – Your Ultimate Collaborative Mapping Tool Discover a new way to explore, create, and share maps with Open Maps for Everyone. Designed for travelers, explorers, and community builders, our innovative app transforms the way you view locations and share experiences—all in one intuitive platform. Key Features: Custom Map Creation: Create public maps for the world to see, keep private maps just for you, or build member-only maps for a trusted circle. Tailor your maps to your lifestyle with flexible privacy settings. Versatile Drawing Tools: Draw more than just markers—add circles, polygons, and polylines to illustrate routes, zones, and areas of interest. Express your creativity and highlight the details that matter most. Enhanced Marker Functionality: Attach images, website links, and phone numbers directly to markers. With a simple tap, instantly open a website or place a call, making your maps not only informative but also interactive. Advanced Tagging & Search: Organize markers using multiple tags to easily filter and find exactly what you need. Utilize both address and keyword searches to quickly locate specific markers on your map. Personalized Marker Decoration: Customize markers with selectable background colors and choose from over 1,600 icons to visually represent your favorite locations. Highlight your best spots with favorite icons and rate them using a 5-star system. Seamless Navigation Integration: With one-tap functionality, launch third-party map apps directly from a marker for a smooth transition to turn-by-turn navigation and further exploration. Collaborative Mapping: Invite family, friends, or colleagues to co-edit your maps with varying permission levels—administrator, editor, or viewer. Build rich, shared maps that evolve with community input. Global Community Maps: Explore a vast collection of public maps created by users from around the world. Get inspired, find new places, and contribute your own discoveries to the global map community. Experience the freedom to create and explore with a tool that’s as dynamic as your adventures. Download Open Maps for Everyone now and start mapping your world in a fun, collaborative way! Terms of Use https://www.knecht.co/guidelines/terms-of-service Privacy Policy https://www.knecht.co/guidelines/privacy-policy

Screenshots

Map Notes4 screens
Open Maps4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Open Maps at every 4 days against Map Notes's every 3 weeks. On price, ads, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Map Notes sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Open Maps sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Map Notes ships an update every 3 weeks, Open Maps every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 7 level
Map Notes versus Open Maps: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMap NotesOpen Maps
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.4 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size290 MB93 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperZhuoyao luKnecht, Inc.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Map Notes

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription3 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Yearly subscription3 Days trial$34.991 Year
8 purchases

Open Maps

Subscriptions8
  • Basic (Monthly)$4.991 Month
  • Basic (Monthly)$5.991 Month
  • Pro (Monthly)$9.991 Month
Show 5 more
  • Pro (Monthly)$11.991 Month
  • Basic (Annual)$49.991 Year
  • Basic (Annual)$59.991 Year
  • Pro (Annual)$99.991 Year
  • Pro (Annual)$119.991 Year

Questions

Is Map Notes free?
Map Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Open Maps free?
Open Maps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Map Notes or Open Maps have ads?
Neither Map Notes nor Open Maps shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Map Notes or Open Maps?
Map Notes ships an update every 3 weeks, and Open Maps every 4 days. Most recently, Map Notes was updated on October 4, 2026 and Open Maps on October 2, 2026.

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