# Desert Maps vs Maplet

The clearest difference is rating: Desert Maps at 4.6 against Maplet's 3.8. Desert Maps also leads on ratings volume (472 vs 4) and review sentiment (74% vs 50%). Maplet's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 weeks). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Desert Maps sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per year and Maplet sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Desert Maps holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Desert Maps has 472 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 74% of Desert Maps's written reviews are positive against 50% of Maplet's.

Desert Maps ships an update every 5 weeks, Maplet fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Desert Maps | Maplet |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (472 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/desert-maps-navigator-offline/id6741031623/reviews)** | [3.8 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/maplet-map-location-bookmarks/id6748853120/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **472** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **73.9% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 173 MB | 55 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.4** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rachid Smet](https://appshunter.io/developer/1792651329) | [Gemsheer Chalil](https://appshunter.io/developer/1777244155) |

## What reviewers say

### Desert Maps

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/desert-maps-navigator-offline/id6741031623)

Explore deserts and remote areas with reliable offline navigation. This app provides detailed maps, trip tracking, and distance measurement, ensuring safety and confidence on your outdoor adventures. It's designed for users who need dependable navigation without an internet connection.

**Highlights:** Offline and tower-free operation, Detailed offline maps, Save and retrieve locations, Trip tracking, Distance measurement, Contour lines and elevation profiles, Import and export data

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Desert Maps Yearly Plan | $9.99 | per year |


### Maplet

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/maplet-map-location-bookmarks/id6748853120)

Organize saved locations, plan optimized multi-stop routes, and manage GPX files completely offline. This app offers advanced map markers with notes, photos, and voice memos, along with a route planner and GPS tools for navigation.

**Highlights:** Advanced map marker and pin log, Organize bookmarks into folders and tags, Plan multi-stop routes and track progress, Pro compass and GPS tools, Import and export GPX, KML, and CSV files, Works fully offline, No ads or tracking

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Maplet Pro: Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Maplet Pro: Yearly Access | $19.99 | per year |
| Maplet Lifetime Pro | $39.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Desert Maps free?

Desert Maps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Maplet free?

Maplet is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Desert Maps or Maplet?

Desert Maps is rated higher. Desert Maps averages 4.6 out of 5 from 472 ratings, while Maplet averages 3.8 from 4 ratings.

### Do Desert Maps or Maplet have ads?

Neither Desert Maps nor Maplet shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Desert Maps or Maplet?

Desert Maps ships an update every 5 weeks, and Maplet fortnightly. Most recently, Desert Maps was updated on October 30, 2026 and Maplet on October 25, 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.*