Topo Maps+ vs HikeTracker
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Topo Maps+
Plan and execute backcountry adventures with offline topographic maps and GPS navigation. Features include route building, waypoints, land boundaries, and on-trail tools. Integrates with Apple Watch and CarPlay for seamless outdoor exploration.
- Offline topographic maps
- Smart route building
- Waypoints and proximity alerts
- Land boundary overlays
- Track recording
- Apple Watch and CarPlay integration
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Designed and tested on real dirt, Topo Maps+ is packed with the maps & tools to plan and execute your backcountry adventure. ‣‣ MAPS FOR EVERY ACTIVITY ‣Setup your map based on your planned activity ‣‣ PLANNING TOOLS ‣ Compare and Download maps for use offline. ‣ Combine overlays to customize your map view ‣ Smart route-building tools ‣ Waypoints ‣ Print, email or share custom maps and routes ‣ Public, Private, and Hunting land boundaries ‣ Parcel Information ‣ Create teams and live-share members’ last known location ‣‣ ON-TRAIL TOOLS (Offline) ‣ View your current location ‣ All Maps and Overlays are downloadable ‣ Record your tracks - see where you’ve been ‣ Photo Waypoints - snap a pic and instantly shows on the map ‣ Progress on Trail - how much further on the trail ‣ Guide Me - to a waypoint ‣ Proximity Alerts - notify me when I’m close to a waypoint, trail, or region ‣ Line of Sight - what am I looking at? ‣ Downloaded elevation data for route-creation on the trail ‣‣ APPLE WATCH ‣ Integration with Apple HealthKit ‣Download maps directly to the watch ‣ Pan and zoom the map just like on the phone ‣ Drop a waypoint ‣ Record a track and see all of your stats ‣‣ CARPLAY ‣ Navigate to the trailhead ‣ Turn by Turn directions on USFS Roads ‣‣ NAVIGATIONAL MINDSET - helpful tips and tricks for keeping you safe in the backcountry! ‣‣ SUBSCRIPTION LEVELS: FREE level: view low resolution maps, record your tracks, and limited features Topo Maps+ Pro: high resolution maps, download maps, planning & on-trail tools, driving mode, import geospatial PDFs and TIFFS Topo Maps+ Elite: MapBox Satellite map, US public and private land overlays, parcel and ownership contact info, game management units. ‣‣ CLOUD Sync your routes, trips, subscriptions, and waypoints between all of your iOS and Mac devices. SUBSCRIPTION PAYMENT INFORMATION Topo Maps+ subscriptions will be charged to your Apple ID account at the confirmation of purchase and/or completion of free trial. Subscription automatically renews unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the free trial or current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel your subscriptions by going to your account settings on the App Store after purchase. Privacy Policy: https://topomaps.co/info/privacy Terms of Service: https://topomaps.co/info/tos Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.
HikeTracker
This app provides accurate GPS tracking for outdoor activities like hiking, walking, and cycling. It focuses on simplicity, ensuring a smooth and error-free experience for recording your routes and distance traveled. All your data is saved in a standard GPX file format.
- Accurate GPS tracking
- Simple user interface
- Records distance and elevation
- Saves data in GPX format
- No social media integration
- No ads or in-app purchases
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Why another tracking app? ACCURACY - GPS receivers, including smartphones, can record locations every second but have inherent and unavoidable errors that are small compared to the distance traveled in that second by an automobile, airplane or cruise missile but are large enough to overwhelm the data when used in human-powered activities like • Hiking • Walking • Running and Cycling This is especially true In situations where the GPS satellite signals can be compromised by things that block or absorb microwaves: • Hills and mountains • Heavy tree cover • Rain and clouds SIMPLICITY - Most apps have a lot of features that may be very useful for some folks but they often make the user hunt for the simple stuff. Also I have occasionally lost all my data when I accidentally touched the wrong thing on a busy and complicated screen HikeTracker was designed with Accuracy and Simplicity in mind to support hiking in the mountains of the beautiful Pacific Northwest but it works just as well for less challenging activities like walking and biking around town. It uses several strategies to combine and curate the raw GPS data, filtering out some of the inherent errors and saving only enough points to get a smooth and accurate picture of the user’s track and accurate distance measurements. But all that fancy-schmancy stuff is kept out of sight - to use it you just: • Open HikeTracker • Press “Start” • Go What it does • Makes an accurate GPS-based track of your activity • Shows accurate distance traveled and elevation gained • Saves that info in a standard GPX (GPS file exchange format) file that can be saved and/or shared with other apps and programs What it lacks • No social media • No ads • No in-app purchases • No saving or sharing of personal data • iPhone only • Currently lacks support for languages other than English
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: HikeTracker at 100% against Topo Maps+'s 62%. HikeTracker also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 11) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Topo Maps+'s advantage is ratings volume (9.4K vs 5) and chart position (#65 vs unranked). On price, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. Topo Maps+ sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per 3 months. HikeTracker asks for nothing beyond the download.
HikeTracker holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Topo Maps+ has 9.4K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 62% of Topo Maps+'s written reviews are positive against 100% of HikeTracker's.
Topo Maps+ ships an update every 3 weeks, HikeTracker monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Topo Maps+ | HikeTracker |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (9.4K ratings) | 5.0 (5 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 62.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 9.4K — better | 5 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Monthly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #65 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 252 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Glacier Peak Studios LLC | Alan Heezen |
Customer experience
Topo Maps+
HikeTracker
Bugs and requests
Topo Maps+
Reported bugs
3 issues- Crashes during map downloads
- GPS tracking issues in certain areas
- Waypoint data loss after app updates
Requested features
5 requests- Improved route planning tools
- Ability to import/export user data
- Enhanced offline map caching
- More detailed map legends
- Integration with other outdoor apps
HikeTracker
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Topo Maps+
- Topo Maps+ Essentials 3 Months$14.993 Months
- Topo Maps+ Pro: 3 Months$29.993 Months
- Topo Maps+ Essentials$29.991 Year
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- Topo Maps+ Elite: 3 Months$39.993 Months
- Topo Maps+ Pro7 Days trial$59.991 Year
- Topo Maps+ Elite7 Days trial$79.991 Year
- 3 Month Map Pass$11.99
- 6 Month Map Pass$14.99
- 12 Month Map Pass$19.99
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- 3 Months PRO$29.99
- 12 Months PRO$59.99
HikeTracker
No in-app purchases









