Comparison

Detector Maps vs Gold Prospector App

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

Head to head
About

Detector Maps

This app provides advanced geological data and GPS tools for gold prospecting in Australia, the US, and New Zealand. It offers offline map access, breadcrumb tracking, and waypoint marking to help users explore efficiently and locate potential gold-bearing areas.

Highlights
  • Advanced geological and gold-focused data
  • Offline map and data layer downloads
  • Breadcrumb trail tracking (background GPS)
  • Waypoint marking with field notes
  • Real-time GPS navigation
  • Historic gold mines and workings layers
Features
Read full description

Detector Maps is the field tool that keeps you on the gold - and on the relics. Built by geologists for prospectors, relic hunters and metal detectorists across the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, it pairs geological data and historical maps with rock-solid GPS so you spend your time on high-potential ground, not guessing. Whether you are swinging a detector for gold nuggets, coin shooting an old homestead, hunting Civil War relics or panning a creek, it puts serious research intelligence in your pocket - and it works offline, where the finds actually are. COIN & RELIC HUNTING - NATIONWIDE Research old towns, ghost towns, homesteads, schoolhouses and long-forgotten gathering places - the ground where old coins, buttons, buckles and relics are still waiting. - Historical map overlays: hunt the buildings, roads and fields the modern map forgot - Historic USGS Topo maps, coast to coast - LiDAR that reveals cellar holes, old roads and house sites hiding under the trees - Plan permissions with confidence before you knock GOLD PROSPECTING - 15 STATES Serious geology for nugget hunting, from California to the Carolinas. Detect where gold has already been found, then find what the old-timers missed. - Historic gold mines, diggings and workings - proven gold ground - Surface geochemistry with pathfinder-element filtering - Current and expired mining claims, updated every weekday - 1-metre LiDAR hillshade that reveals old workings worth a closer swing DETECTOR ACADEMY A built-in crash course: 34 short video lessons, most under a minute - layers, LiDAR, waypoints, trails, offline maps and Pro tools. DETECTOR GRIDS Plan complete, methodical coverage of a site with adjustable search lanes you follow while recording your trail - never grid the same ground twice. BREADCRUMB TRAIL TRACKING (BACKGROUND GPS) Record your exact trail even with the app in the background or the screen off. See where you have walked and save paths for the next trip. WHY WE REQUEST "ALLOW ALL THE TIME" LOCATION ACCESS Detector Maps only uses background location when you switch breadcrumb tracking ON, keeping an unbroken log while your phone is idle. Disable it anytime in the app or device settings. WAYPOINT MARKING AND FIND LOGGING Drop waypoints on coins, relics, gold finds and old workings. Add names, notes and photos, then sync securely between your phone and the web app so your finds are never lost. REAL-TIME GPS NAVIGATION Watch boundaries, geology, historical maps and terrain update around you as you move - a GPS built for prospecting, coin shooting and relic hunting. COVERAGE USA COIN & RELIC: Nationwide USA GOLD: CA, AL, NC, AZ, NV, ID, OR, UT, CO, MT, WA, SC, VA, GA, NM AUSTRALIA: QLD, NSW, VIC, WA, SA, TAS, NT NEW ZEALAND: historic goldfields, geology and offline maps CANADA: British Columbia SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION All plans include every map, standard data layers, offline downloads, and access to Australia, USA, New Zealand, Canada (BC) and the UK. USA Pricing - Explorer Monthly: $7.99 USD; Explorer Yearly: $59.99; Pro Monthly: $11.99 USD; Pro Yearly: $99.99 USD. Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Pricing may vary by region. PRIVACY AND DATA Your location, trails and waypoints are used only for core app functionality. Delete your account anytime: Profile > Delete Account > type "confirm" > tap Delete. Privacy Policy: https://app.detectormaps.com/privacy-policy Terms of Use (EULA): https://app.detectormaps.com/license-agreement Whether you swing a GPX 6000, an Equinox, a Manticore, a Deus or a Gold Monster - or a sluice or a pan - Detector Maps helps you cover more ground, log your best finds, and read productive terrain like a professional.

About

Gold Prospector App

This app uses AI and LiDAR to analyze terrain for gold potential, offering detailed maps, prospecting guides, and a community forum. It helps users identify promising locations and track their finds.

Highlights
  • AI terrain analysis for gold potential
  • AI prospecting guide (GoldBot)
  • 1-meter LiDAR hillshade mapping
  • Customizable maps with data layers
  • GPS trail tracking and find logging
  • In-app guides and community forum
Features
Read full description

Read the land. Strike gold. Gold Prospector is the all-in-one app for recreational gold prospectors and metal detectorists. Built by a lifelong prospector and metal detectorist, it brings together AI, GIS mapping, 1-meter LiDAR, and historic topo maps. — FEATURES — OFFLINE MAPS Download map areas before you go and use them with no service at all. Not just the satellite view — LiDAR hillshades, historic topo, mining claims, public lands, property lines, and 3D terrain all come with it. 1-METER LIDAR HILLSHADE USGS 3DEP elevation shading that reveals what the ground remembers. Placer cuts, hydraulic pits, tailings piles, benches, and old water races show up in the terrain itself, even where brush has grown over for a century. Nationwide. STREAMS, RIVERS & LAKES Every waterway in the lower 48, named where it has one. Line weight follows actual flow, and the map tells you which run year-round and which only after rain. Tap any stream for its name, size, and average flow. HISTORIC TOPO MAPS Scanned USGS topographic maps back to 1879, overlaid on the modern world with an opacity slider so you can fade between then and now. Find the mill, the cabin, the wagon road, and the townsite that are not there anymore. Three eras spanning the 1880s to the 1940s. California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and Arizona. More coming. PROPERTY LINES Parcel boundaries and some owner names across 133 counties in California, Oregon, Washington, and Arizona. CLAIM WARNINGS The app watches your position and tells you when you step onto a mining claim, whether the layer is on or not. Active, filed, and pending all count — if someone has staked it, you will know. COIN & RELIC ID Photograph a coin, button, buckle, or nail and get an instant ID — type, mint years, material, and history. Works on relics using the details that date an object: nail type, button construction, glass seams, cartridge headstamps. AI TERRAIN ANALYSIS Snap a photo of any creek or hillside and let the AI score its gold potential. Get back geology cues, indicator minerals, and where to focus your effort. GOLDBOT, YOUR AI PROSPECTING GUIDE Ask anything. From "what does a black sand line tell me?" to "how do I read a contact zone?" Built for prospectors, by a prospector. MAPS & LAYERS Pick your basemap, then stack the layers that matter. Every layer has its own opacity control. Tilt into 3D and every layer drapes over the terrain. Basemaps: Satellite, Outdoors, Topo, and Dark. DATA LAYERS, 2D AND 3D Hillshade / LiDAR, 1-meter USGS 3DEP Historic Topo, 1879 to 1949 Streams & Rivers, with flow and seasonality Lakes & Ponds Gold Probability Water Flow Zones Pay Streak Zones Historic Mines Active Mining Claims Closed Mining Claims Public Lands, with unit names and access Designations & Wilderness State & Local Lands Property Lines, with owner names Geochemistry Rock Types Mineral Deposits Magnetic Anomaly Modern USGS Topo Roads & Trails My Pins and Find Log The right stack of layers reveals ground most prospectors walk right past. TRACK EVERY TRIP & FIND GPS trail tracking and a detailed find log. Record finds with photos, weight, location, and notes. Drop pins by type: find, point of interest, relic, coin, camp, or waypoint. TIPS & GUIDES Guides covering geology, equipment, technique, and history. A COMMUNITY THAT GETS IT Share finds, follow other prospectors, ask questions. Built for our hobby, without the noise of social media. — FREE & PRO — Free forever: the map and all basemaps, 3D terrain, GPS, your pins and find log, trail tracking, tips and guides, and the community feed. Pro unlocks: every data layer above, plus offline map downloads, AI terrain analysis, Coin & Relic ID, and GoldBot. Pro is $8.99/month or $89.99/year, charged to your Apple ID and renewing automatically unless canceled 24 hours before the period ends. Manage or cancel in your Apple ID settings. https://goldprospector.app https://goldprospector.app/privacy https://goldprospector.app/terms

Screenshots

Detector Maps4 screens
Gold Prospector App4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Gold Prospector App at freemium against Detector Maps's subscription. Gold Prospector App also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (100% vs 73%). Detector Maps's advantage is ratings volume (246 vs 5). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and chart position 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. Detector Maps sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and Gold Prospector App sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Gold Prospector App holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Detector Maps has 246 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 73% of Detector Maps's written reviews are positive against 100% of Gold Prospector App's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Detector Maps ships an update every 6 days, Gold Prospector App every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Detector Maps versus Gold Prospector App: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDetector MapsGold Prospector App
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (246 ratings)5.0 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews73.2% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings246 — better5
Update frequencyEvery 6 daysEvery 5 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFreemium — better
Best chart rank#114 — better#188
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.1
Further details — not scored
Size129 MB75 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperGOLD DISCOVERY SOLUTIONS PTY LTDJordan Setnor

Customer experience

Detector Maps

All ratings246 ratings
Positive93.1%
Neutral1.6%
Negative5.3%
Written reviews71 reviews
Positive73.2%
Neutral2.8%
Negative23.9%

Gold Prospector App

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Detector Maps

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Issues with subscription and login
  • LiDAR not working in certain areas

Requested features

2 requests
  • Expand coverage to more areas
  • Improve data accuracy and consistency

Gold Prospector App

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Detector Maps

Subscriptions4
  • Monthly Explorer Plan$7.991 Month
  • Monthly Plan$11.991 Month
  • Yearly Explorer Plan$59.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Yearly Plan3 Days trial$99.991 Year
2 purchases

Gold Prospector App

Subscriptions2
  • Gold Prospector Pro7 Days trial$8.991 Month
  • Gold Prospector Pro7 Days trial$89.991 Year

Questions

Is Detector Maps free?
Detector Maps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Gold Prospector App free?
Gold Prospector App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Detector Maps or Gold Prospector App?
Gold Prospector App is rated higher. Detector Maps averages 4.7 out of 5 from 246 ratings, while Gold Prospector App averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.
Do Detector Maps or Gold Prospector App have ads?
Detector Maps shows ads; Gold Prospector App does not.
Which is updated more often, Detector Maps or Gold Prospector App?
Detector Maps ships an update every 6 days, and Gold Prospector App every 5 days. Most recently, Detector Maps was updated on September 20, 2026 and Gold Prospector App on September 10, 2026.
Which is more popular, Detector Maps or Gold Prospector App?
Detector Maps currently peaks at #114 in the App Store charts, and Gold Prospector App at #188. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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