TopoRec vs Wayback Maps USA
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
TopoRec
Explore historical and modern maps with this powerful viewer. Discover locations, record tracks, edit areas, and import/export data. Ideal for historians, archaeologists, and outdoor enthusiasts.
- View historical and modern online maps
- Capture and edit points, areas, and tracks
- Import and export data (GPX compatible)
- Filter maps by type and scale
- Create custom lines and areas
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TopoRec – The powerful map viewer for historical & modern maps Explore the world through maps! TopoRec gives you access to both historical and current map data. Discover locations, collect position data, edit areas, record tracks, and export or import your data – all in one app. Perfect for: • Historians & archaeologists • Metal detector enthusiasts • Map lovers & outdoor explorers • History buffs with a curiosity for the past Features at a glance: • View online maps (historical & modern) • Capture & edit points, areas, and tracks • Import & export data (incl. GPX) • Filter maps by type and scale • Create your own lines and areas • Internet connection required Free use with time limitation: All features can be used free and without restrictions for a short time. After approx. 2 minutes per session, a Premium subscription is required to continue without limitations. TopoRec Premium – Your benefits: • Unlimited access to all features • Exclusive extras & new updates • Priority support Subscription info: The annual subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Auto-renewal can be turned off at any time in the account settings. Legal information: • End User License Agreement (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ • Privacy Policy: https://toporec.com/privacy_policy/datenschutzerklaerung.html Rediscover maps – with TopoRec!
Wayback Maps USA
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Wayback Maps USA displays U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) maps, from the current USGS Topo national map all the way back to historical topographic maps from previous centuries. • Up to date background map layers, street and imagery • Historic map overlays at many scales and dates • Displays map legend, or "collar" • Turn off collar to align adjacent historic maps • Turn on GPS to find historic maps at your current location • Set marker for measuring position, heading, and distance • Cache maps for offline field use • Comprehensive search of place names • Single purchase for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch TIPS & TRICKS The arrow cursor at the center of the screen points to an exact location on the map. Drag the map to move the cursor's location. Pinch to zoom the map in and out. Press the location icon at bottom left of screen to turn on GPS and move the cursor to your current location on the map. The map rotates in the direction facing the top of your device. Press the location icon again to rotate the map to face north. Turn off location by dragging the map off center. Press the "..." icon at bottom right of screen to display the options menu. Press the "Overlay map" drop down control. Choose an historic map available at the current map location. Maps are listed by year and map scale. The expand button at the upper left will change the drop down to an inline list for closer study. Also on the options menu, press "Search" and type "Fort Point Ca..." The first overlay map listed for this location is "1995 1:24K San Francisco North CA." This is a 7.5 x 7.5 degree minute topographic map of the Golden Gate Bridge area. USGS stopped making this style of hand-drawn map in the 1990s, as it had grown too expensive to keep up to date. The modern replacement map is the computer generated base map displayed in Wayback Maps, USGS Topo. The oldest map in the list is from 1895, 1:62.5K scale. Note the old railway lines that have since vanished. And, of course, there is no Golden Gate Bridge. The overlay map appears with its "collar," the white area surrounding the map that contains the map legend. The "Map collar" toggle controls the display of the collar. With the collar off you can select adjacent maps of the same scale to achieve a seamless view at the map edges. The base map is the background map over which the overlay maps appear. The default base map is "USGS Topo," which is the modern topographic map from USGS. "USGS Imagery" is a similar map but with aerial imagery. Maps downloaded by Wayback are stored in an internal cache. If the cache size is set sufficiently large then you can view your previously viewed Wayback maps without a network connection in the backcountry. To make sure all desired content is cached it is a good idea to preview maps in airplane mode before heading out. To measure distances on the map, move the center arrow cursor to the starting point. Tap the center arrow. A cross mark appears, and the latitude and longitude of this point is displayed. Now move the cursor to the second spot. The arrow points back towards the cross mark and shows the distance. To turn off measurement, tap on the center arrow again. Thank you for using Wayback Maps USA.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: TopoRec at Free against Wayback Maps USA's $4.99. Wayback Maps USA's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On update cadence, ads, device support 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
TopoRec is free to download; Wayback Maps USA costs $4.99 up front. TopoRec sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $17.99 per year. Wayback Maps USA asks for nothing beyond the download.
TopoRec ships an update every 9 days, Wayback Maps USA weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | TopoRec | Wayback Maps USA |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $4.99 |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 90.5% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 17 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 97 MB | 89 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Enrico Hoffmann | Eastridge Technology |
In-app purchases
TopoRec
- Premium3 Days trial$17.991 Year
Wayback Maps USA
No in-app purchases









