Detector Maps vs Patchly
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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.
Patchly
This app helps gold prospectors and metal detectorists explore and understand goldfields with detailed maps and offline capabilities. It records your activity, classifies finds, and allows for private data management. Navigate to locations and track your findings with detailed logs.
- 90+ curated prospecting layers
- Offline map and search functionality
- Field recording and smart classification
- Off-road navigation to finds
- Stash for tracking gold and value
- Automatic cloud backup
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Know the ground you're working. Patchly is the all-in-one gold prospecting and metal detecting app for exploring and understanding the goldfields. It puts the layers that matter on one map and records where you have been and which detector you used. PRIVACY Patchly asks for no account, runs no server that stores or processes your field history, and does not track you. Your sessions, finds, photos and Stash live in a plain database on your phone that you can export any time. Optional backups and exports go only to storage you choose. Map and content downloads still use network services. MAPS AND RESEARCH • 100+ curated layers and growing: geology, geochemistry, tenements, land access, terrain, historic activity and more • Tenements refresh nightly, so leases, applications and expiries are current • Bare-earth LiDAR relief for New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania, with Victoria as a separate add-on • Stacks: build your own layer setups with per-layer filters, and switch between saved maps in a tap • Custom layers: bring your own GeoTIFFs and map services into a Stack • 3D terrain: tilt and exaggerate the ground to read its shape • Section 40E permit builder for Western Australia, with Form 1A export • Offline search for places and watercourses FIELD RECORDING AND NAVIGATION • Smart classification: Patchly works out which parts of a session were travelling, detecting or stopped • Logbook+ draws detecting as lines or as Coverage, the honeycomb of how hard a patch has been worked • Record a session and see where you detected, and which detector was active for that section • Off-road go-to and multi-stop routes, by bearing, distance and ETA • Finds by type, size and condition, and pins with icons for camps, vehicles, water and hazards • Logbook Editor: edit tracks, finds, pins and shapes on the map, draw lines and areas, and reclassify travelling, detecting or stopped by hand • Recording setup checklist: keep a session running all day • Nametag: sign on to the Palmerville camp board from your phone, no more trips to the office RECORDS AND GOLD • Logbook: filter and sort every session, inspect it, and return to the exact ground • Stash: track nuggets, specimens, bars and coins in a simple or purity-aware mode, valued at the live gold price • Overview and Calendar: totals, value, categories, daily hauls and season statistics • Add photos to finds and pins, and link a find to its Stash item OFFLINE, BACKUP AND SYNC • Offline regions: download an area's satellite and layers, and keep working out of range • Automatic backup of records, photos, Stash, detectors and Stacks to your own iCloud Drive or Google Drive • Sync your Logbook between your phones and tablets, through your cloud or straight over Wi-Fi • Guided imports for Trilobite CSV, Detector Maps KML and Gaia GPS, plus generic GPX, KML and KMZ • Share .patchly files for Stacks, sessions, finds, pins and shapes PATCHLY FREE Free is a real field tool, not a trial. The offline map, the land-access and place-name layers, full session recording, your Logbook, finds, pins, Stash and cloud backup. Free tracks up to one troy ounce in Stash and allows one active detector. PATCHLY PRO Patchly Pro adds the deeper curated Library including LiDAR relief, Logbook+ classified travelling and detecting sections, the Coverage honeycomb over ground you have already searched, and offline region downloads. Unlimited Stash and detectors. • Patchly Pro annual: A$79.99 per year (first year A$23.99) • Patchly Pro monthly: A$13.49 per month • Victoria LiDAR relief add-on: A$59.99 per year, requires Patchly Pro Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. A subscription renews automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the current period ends. Manage or cancel it in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use: https://patchly.gold/terms Privacy Policy: https://patchly.gold/privacy Patchly is made in Australia by Patchly Labs Pty Ltd.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: Patchly at free against Detector Maps's subscription. Patchly also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (92% vs 73%). Detector Maps's advantage is chart position (#78 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Detector Maps sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and Patchly sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Detector Maps ships an update every 6 days, Patchly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Detector Maps | Patchly |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (265 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 73.0% of reviews | 92.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 265 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 6 days — better | Weekly |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Subscription | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #78 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 15.5 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 115 MB | 105 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | GOLD DISCOVERY SOLUTIONS PTY LTD | Patchly Labs Pty Ltd |
Customer experience
Detector Maps
Patchly
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
Patchly
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Detector Maps
- Monthly Explorer Plan$7.991 Month
- Monthly Plan$11.991 Month
- Yearly Explorer Plan7 Days trial$59.991 Year
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- Yearly Plan7 Days trial$99.991 Year
Patchly
- Patchly Pro$8.991 Month
- Victoria LiDAR Relief$39.991 Year
- Patchly Pro1 Year trial$49.991 Year









