Comparison

Poly Canyon vs cMaps

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

Head to head
About

Poly Canyon

Explore the architectural wonders of Poly Canyon with an interactive guide. Navigate in person with real-time tracking or experience detailed stories and visuals remotely.

Highlights
  • Interactive architectural guide
  • Real-time navigation
  • Structure tracking
  • Detailed stories
  • Stunning visuals
  • Remote exploration
Features
Read full description

DISCOVER POLY CANYON An outdoor architecture laboratory in the hills behind Cal Poly, built by generations of students. Get to know its experimental structures through maps, photographs, and the stories behind them. FIND WHAT’S AROUND YOU Head into the canyon with the illustrated or satellite map. Discover structures as you walk, then tap to take a closer look. TAKE A VIRTUAL TOUR Explore from wherever you are. Swipe from one structure to the next as the map moves with you. EVERY STRUCTURE HAS A STORY. Browse by photograph, search by name, number, or year, and look back through historical images. From Shell House to traces of structures long gone, discover the ideas and people that shaped the canyon.

About

cMaps

This navigation app provides offline maps and GPS tracking for outdoor enthusiasts, especially hunters. Save waypoints, record tracks, and view land boundaries without cell service. It offers a one-time purchase for unlimited map access.

Highlights
  • Offline topo and satellite maps
  • GPS waypoint creation
  • Track recording
  • Public land and property boundaries
  • Hunting unit boundaries
  • Weather forecast and alerts
  • Data export
Features
Read full description

Built for hunters, landowners, and crews who need a map that still works when service disappears. Plan with topo and satellite maps, public land and property boundaries, hunting units, trails, roads, water, fire, weather, and terrain tools. Scout ridges and drainages in 3D. Read slope and aspect. Drop waypoints. Record tracks. Download the country you need before you leave service. Start with a free seven-day full-access trial. It only begins when you choose to start it, never auto-renews, and never turns into a charge. Afterward, unlock cmaps with a one-time lifetime purchase—no annual map subscription and no per-state fees. FIELD MAPPING • Offline topo and satellite maps • Public land and property boundaries • Hunting unit boundaries • Trails, trailheads, campgrounds, roads, and water • Active fire layers and weather TERRAIN INTELLIGENCE • 3D terrain • Slope and aspect layers • Elevation profiles for recorded tracks NAVIGATION & FIELD WORK • Custom GPS waypoints • Track recording with distance, time, elevation gain, and background recording • Optional Field Party sharing designed for low bandwidth • Account sync across your devices • Waypoint and track export cmaps is a supplemental reference tool. Always confirm hunting regulations, property access, fire information, and navigation decisions with official sources and carry appropriate backup equipment.

Screenshots

Poly Canyon4 screens
cMaps4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Poly Canyon at none against cMaps's 3. Poly Canyon also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 6 weeks). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. cMaps sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Poly Canyon asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Poly Canyon against 5.0 for cMaps. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 8 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Poly Canyon ships an update every 9 days, cMaps every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Poly Canyon versus cMaps: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPoly CanyoncMaps
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (7 ratings)5.0 (8 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings78 — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size611 MB34 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperParker JonesConnor Callison

Customer experience

Poly Canyon

All ratings7 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

cMaps

All ratings8 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Poly Canyon

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

cMaps

One-time3
  • 7-day TrialFree
  • cmaps Lifetime Access$39.99
  • cmaps Family Pack$79.99

Questions

Is Poly Canyon free?
Poly Canyon is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is cMaps free?
cMaps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Poly Canyon or cMaps?
Poly Canyon and cMaps are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 7 and 8 ratings respectively.
Do Poly Canyon or cMaps have ads?
Neither Poly Canyon nor cMaps shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Poly Canyon or cMaps?
Poly Canyon ships an update every 9 days, and cMaps every 6 weeks. Most recently, Poly Canyon was updated on October 30, 2026 and cMaps on October 31, 2026.

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