# Ascend Maps vs OSM Maps

The clearest difference is update cadence: OSM Maps at every 11 days against Ascend Maps's every 6 months. Ascend Maps's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.6). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Ascend Maps against 5.0 for OSM Maps. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

Ascend Maps ships an update every 6 months, OSM Maps every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ascend Maps | OSM Maps |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ascend-maps/id6504321706/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/osm-maps/id6740077038/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 11 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Matthew White](https://appshunter.io/developer/1498369427) | [Michael Roennau](https://appshunter.io/developer/1499959874) |

## What reviewers say

### Ascend Maps

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ascend-maps/id6504321706)

This app provides customizable outdoor maps with offline capabilities. It features 3D terrain, track recording, saved places management, and the ability to save map tiles for offline use. Explore the outdoors with detailed, personalized navigation tools.

**Highlights:** Offline search, 3D terrain, Track recording and editing, Saved places management, Customizable map styles, Offline map tile saving

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### OSM Maps

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/osm-maps/id6740077038)

View OSM maps from various sources, create notes, and add multimedia like photos, audio, and video. Record and manage routes and tracks in GPX format, with iCloud synchronization and desktop backup options.

**Highlights:** View OSM maps from multiple sources, Create and edit notes with multimedia, Record and manage GPX routes and tracks, iCloud synchronization, Desktop backup functionality, Open Source

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ascend Maps free?

Ascend Maps is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is OSM Maps free?

OSM Maps is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Ascend Maps or OSM Maps?

Ascend Maps and OSM Maps are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do Ascend Maps or OSM Maps have ads?

Neither Ascend Maps nor OSM Maps shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ascend Maps or OSM Maps?

Ascend Maps ships an update every 6 months, and OSM Maps every 11 days. Most recently, Ascend Maps was updated on October 15, 2026 and OSM Maps on October 28, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*