Comparison

Smart Maps vs Sidewalk

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

Head to head
About

Smart Maps

Visualize detailed US Census data, including population density, home prices, and salaries, down to the street level. Discover upcoming events and explore hundreds of measures. An optional upgrade unlocks additional data layers for deeper insights.

Highlights
  • Street-level US Census data visualization
  • Population density mapping
  • Home price and salary data
  • Commute time analysis
  • Upcoming Ticketmaster events
  • Customizable information layers
Features
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- Create your own maps using AI and toolkits - Share your maps with others - Experience CarPlay and Navigation like never before - Explore maps that others have created - Explore our proprietary layers, including hundreds derived from U.S. Census data

About

Sidewalk

This app helps you explore New York City by tracking the blocks you walk on an interactive map. It allows you to import past walks and compete with others on a leaderboard. Enjoy detailed stats and history of your explorations.

Highlights
  • Interactive block tracking map
  • Import walks from other apps
  • Leaderboard for New Yorkers
  • Background walking detection
  • Detailed walk history and stats
  • Privacy-focused with no sign-up
Features
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Walk every block in New York City. Sidewalk checks off each block as you walk it on an interactive map across all five boroughs. Set goals by borough, watch your coverage grow, and see how you stack up against other New Yorkers on the leaderboard. BACKGROUND TRACKING Sidewalk marks off your blocks without you opening the app. GPS only turns on when your pedometer detects you're walking, so battery use stays low (less than 3% per day). IMPORT YOUR EXISTING WALKS Already walked a lot of the city? Import your history from Apple Health, Strava, Google Timeline, and more to fill in the blocks you've already covered. Imported walks do not affect your leaderboard position. PRIVACY Your walks stay on your device. Servers only ever see aggregate stats: total blocks, total distance, walking time. GPS coordinates never leave your phone. There's no sign-up, no account, no name unless you choose to set one for the leaderboard. LEADERBOARD See how you stack up against other New Yorkers by blocks — today, this week, this month, this year, or all time. WALK HISTORY Every walk is saved with its full path, timestamps, distance, and walking time. Open one to replay it on the map. STATS Daily, weekly, and monthly charts for distance, walking time, new blocks, and steps. FREE No accounts, no subscriptions, no ads, no in-app purchases.

Screenshots

Smart Maps4 screens
Sidewalk4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sidewalk at none against Smart Maps's 1. Sidewalk also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs monthly) and ratings volume (928 vs 11). On price, review sentiment, 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. Smart Maps sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $0.99 per month. Sidewalk asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Sidewalk holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sidewalk has 928 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Smart Maps's written reviews are positive against 74% of Sidewalk's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Smart Maps ships an update monthly, Sidewalk every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Smart Maps versus Sidewalk: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSmart MapsSidewalk
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (11 ratings)4.6 (928 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews73.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings11928 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.4 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size163 MB18 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLucas RugarJoe Puccio

Customer experience

Smart Maps

All ratings11 ratings
Positive81.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative18.2%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

Sidewalk

All ratings928 ratings
Positive87.8%
Neutral4.6%
Negative7.5%
Written reviews38 reviews
Positive73.7%
Neutral13.2%
Negative13.2%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Smart Maps

Subscriptions1
  • Smart Maps Plus$0.991 Month
None

Sidewalk

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Smart Maps free?
Smart Maps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sidewalk free?
Sidewalk is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Smart Maps or Sidewalk?
Sidewalk is rated higher. Smart Maps averages 4.3 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Sidewalk averages 4.6 from 928 ratings.
Do Smart Maps or Sidewalk have ads?
Neither Smart Maps nor Sidewalk shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Smart Maps or Sidewalk?
Smart Maps ships an update monthly, and Sidewalk every 3 days. Most recently, Smart Maps was updated on October 18, 2026 and Sidewalk on October 20, 2026.

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