Comparison

Private Maps vs maps.earth

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

Head to head

Minimalist OSM

★ 3.05 ratingsView app →

About

Private Maps

This navigation app offers detailed, minimalist maps powered by OpenStreetMap data. It prioritizes user privacy with its own servers and ensures no usage data is collected or shared. Enjoy a clean interface and high-resolution maps.

Highlights

Minimalist OpenStreetMap data
Own servers for privacy
No usage data collection
High-resolution detailed maps
Clean interface

Read full description

The maps are based on OpenStreetMap data and style. Own servers are used to guarantee your privacy. Clean and minimalist interface. High-resolution detailed maps. The usage data is neither collected nor shared. Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

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.

Highlights

World exploration
Low-stress directions
OpenStreetMap powered
Ad-free experience
Data privacy focused
Open source

Features

Read full description

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

Private Maps4 screens

maps.earth4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: maps.earth at none against Private Maps's 2. maps.earth also leads on review sentiment (33% vs 0%). Private Maps's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and iOS requirement 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. Private Maps sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. maps.earth asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Private Maps ships an update every 2 months, maps.earth monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level

Private Maps versus maps.earth: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter	Private Maps	maps.earth
Price	Free	Free
Rating	—	3.0 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews	0.0% of reviews	33.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings	—	5 — better
Update frequency	Every 2 months	Monthly — better
Ads	No	No
In-app purchases	Yes	No — better
Monetization	Freemium	Free — better
Devices	iPhone, iPad, Mac — better	iPhone
Requires iOS	17.0	16.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size	1 MB	26 MB
Age rating	4+	4+
Developer	64 Characters	Michael Kirk

Customer experience

Private Maps

Written reviews1 reviews

Positive0.0%

Neutral0.0%

Negative100.0%

maps.earth

All ratings5 ratings

Positive60.0%

Neutral0.0%

Negative40.0%

Written reviews3 reviews

Positive33.3%

Neutral0.0%

Negative66.7%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Private Maps

Subscriptions2

Monthly Pro$1.991 Month
Yearly Pro14 Days trial$19.991 Year

None

maps.earth

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Private Maps free?

Private Maps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

Is maps.earth free?

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

Do Private Maps or maps.earth have ads?

Neither Private Maps nor maps.earth shows ads.

Which is updated more often, Private Maps or maps.earth?

Private Maps ships an update every 2 months, and maps.earth monthly. Most recently, Private Maps was updated on October 6, 2026 and maps.earth on October 9, 2026.