Comparison

Cartographer vs Digital ROW Utilities

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

Head to head
About

Cartographer

Features
Read full description

Cartographer is a toolkit for map lovers. - Measure distances, perimeters, and areas by tapping points on the map. - Save places to your Atlas with names, notes, colors, and icons, then group them into collections. - Compare two maps side by side with ease. Terms of service can be found here: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Digital ROW Utilities

Features
Read full description

Digital ROW Utilities helps contractors, utility engineers, and inspectors document underground and aboveground utility infrastructure in the field. CAPTURE AND DOCUMENT • Capture point and linear features with location measurements and recorded uncertainty. • Attach field photographs, asset attributes, material certificates, and inspection notes. • Measure visible surfaces and trench geometry with LiDAR on supported devices. • Review on-device infrastructure detection candidates before adding them to your project. MAPS AND REFERENCE DATA • Browse public WFS and ArcGIS reference sources. • Import KML overlays, PDF plan sheets, and georeferenced imagery. • View captured assets and reference overlays in augmented reality. • Review extracted plan-sheet symbols, lines, and tabulations before accepting them. REVIEW AND DELIVER • Record ASCE 75-22-oriented utility attributes and positional accuracy information. • Review data completeness, provenance, and quality-level justification. • Capture collector, reviewer, and professional signature records for your review workflow. • Export GIS and civil-design formats, PDF reports, and deliverable packages with file hashes. • Publish to your own configured ArcGIS destination using your credentials. LOCAL FIELD WORKFLOW • Organize projects, permits, photos, and scans on your device. • Undo edits and recover a previous session snapshot when possible. • Exchange session bundles with another device through a user-selected sharing method. • Prepare permit packets and follow the selected agency's filing instructions. Phone positioning retains the device's measured accuracy. A correction-stream connection alone does not improve phone accuracy or establish an RTK fix. LiDAR and AR availability depend on device hardware. Utility investigation quality and professional compliance require appropriate evidence and review; the app does not certify them automatically from GPS precision. Cloud account synchronization and external accessory GNSS connectivity are not enabled in this release. Permit packet preparation does not constitute agency acceptance or an 811 ticket. Built by Purpose Built Systems for field utility documentation.

Screenshots

Cartographer3 screens
Digital ROW Utilities4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Digital ROW Utilities at none against Cartographer's 5. Digital ROW Utilities also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads 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. Cartographer sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Digital ROW Utilities asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences · 4 level
Cartographer versus Digital ROW Utilities: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCartographerDigital ROW Utilities
PriceFreeFree
Update frequency—Every 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB51 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSecond Party Software LLCPurposeBuilt Systems, LLC

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Cartographer

Subscriptions2
  • Cartographer Pro Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Cartographer Pro Yearly$19.991 Year
One-time3
  • Small Tip$0.99
  • Medium Tip$4.99
  • Big Tip$14.99
None

Digital ROW Utilities

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Cartographer free?
Cartographer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Digital ROW Utilities free?
Digital ROW Utilities is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Cartographer or Digital ROW Utilities have ads?
Neither Cartographer nor Digital ROW Utilities shows ads.

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