Comparison

Map Canvas vs Drawing On Map

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

Head to head
About

Map Canvas

Create and share custom maps with drawing, annotation, and pathfinding tools. Supports collaboration via iCloud and offers map templates for illustrations. Import and export geographic data in GeoJSON and GPX formats.

Highlights
  • Drawing, annotation, and pathfinding tools
  • Alternative map engine (Google Maps)
  • iCloud map collaboration
  • Map templates for illustrations
  • GeoJSON and GPX file import
  • GeoJSON export
Features
Read full description

Map Canvas is a collaborative tool for planning, journalling and illustration on Apple Maps. Key features: 1. Tools for drawing, annotating and pathfinding. 2. Google Maps as alternative map engine for browsing. 3. Map collaboration via iCloud. 4. Map templates of countries and regions overlays for illustrations. 5. GeoJSON and GPX files import. 6. GeoJSON export.

About

Drawing On Map

Annotate maps with drawings, notes, and photos. Plan routes, mark locations, and share your creations easily. Supports Apple Pencil and syncs across devices.

Highlights
  • Draw directly on maps
  • Pen, pencil, highlighter, eraser tools
  • Shapes, text, and photo annotations
  • Save and share annotated maps
  • Apple Pencil support
  • iCloud sync across devices
Features
Read full description

Draw on any map. Plan trips, mark places, add notes. This app lets you draw and write on maps. Mark a meeting spot, draw a route, highlight an area, or add notes. Everything stays on the map so you can find it later. Easy drawing tools Use pen, pencil, highlighter, or eraser. Add shapes like lines, rectangles, arrows, and circles. Pick any color. Make lines thick or thin. Add text or photos. Your maps will look clear and easy to read. Saving and sharing Save your map with all your drawings and notes. Share it with friends or coworkers. Great for giving directions, planning trips, or showing project locations. Works with Apple Pencil Draw with Apple Pencil for smooth, precise lines. iCloud Sync Your maps sync across all your Apple devices. Start on iPhone, continue on iPad. Features: * Draw directly on maps * Pen, pencil, highlighter, eraser * Lines, rectangles, arrows, circles * Text, Photos * Many colors and line sizes * Save and share your maps * Apple Pencil support * iCloud Sync across devices

Screenshots

Map Canvas4 screens
Drawing On Map3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Drawing On Map at none against Map Canvas's 4. Map Canvas's advantage is ratings volume (110 vs 25) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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. Map Canvas sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Drawing On Map asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Drawing On Map holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 110 and 25 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 81% of Map Canvas's written reviews are positive against 75% of Drawing On Map's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Map Canvas ships an update fortnightly, Drawing On Map every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on November 8, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Map Canvas versus Drawing On Map: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMap CanvasDrawing On Map
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (110 ratings)4.7 (25 ratings) — better
Positive reviews81.0% of reviews — better75.0% of reviews
Number of ratings110 — better25
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.0 — better26.2
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKa Chun Wong327APPS, LLC

Customer experience

Map Canvas

All ratings109 ratings
Positive88.1%
Neutral1.8%
Negative10.1%
Written reviews21 reviews
Positive81.0%
Neutral4.8%
Negative14.3%

Drawing On Map

All ratings25 ratings
Positive92.0%
Neutral4.0%
Negative4.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Map Canvas

One-time4
  • 3-Days Free TrialFree
  • Map Canvas Watch App$0.99
  • Donation$2.99
Show 1 more
  • Map Canvas Premium$4.99
None

Drawing On Map

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Map Canvas free?
Map Canvas is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Drawing On Map free?
Drawing On Map is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Map Canvas or Drawing On Map?
Drawing On Map is rated higher. Map Canvas averages 4.5 out of 5 from 110 ratings, while Drawing On Map averages 4.7 from 25 ratings.
Do Map Canvas or Drawing On Map have ads?
Neither Map Canvas nor Drawing On Map shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Map Canvas or Drawing On Map?
Map Canvas ships an update fortnightly, and Drawing On Map every 2 weeks. Most recently, Map Canvas was updated on November 8, 2026 and Drawing On Map on November 8, 2026.

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