Comparison

Detector Maps vs Inukshuk

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

Inukshuk

Features
Read full description

Inukshuk turns the maps you already trust into a live, offline navigator. Import a georeferenced PDF — a park map, a topographic sheet, a ski-hill plan — and Inukshuk draws your GPS position right on top of it. No signal, no data plan, no account. Everything happens on your phone. BRING YOUR OWN MAPS • Import georeferenced PDFs and see yourself on them, page by page. • Stack several maps at once and choose which pages are drawn. • Everything is rendered on the device — your map never leaves your phone. A FREE LIBRARY OF OFFICIAL TOPO SHEETS Search thousands of free government map sheets — USGS US Topo, Natural Resources Canada CanTopo and Geoscience Australia — and download them straight into a folder. Browse what is around you, by category, or by name. MAKE YOUR OWN MAP No sheet for where you are going? Draw a box on the map and Inukshuk composes a georeferenced PDF of it: contour lines, slope shading, marked trails, a graticule, and your own tracks and waypoints, at the scale and page size you pick. WORKS WITH NO SIGNAL • Download map regions for offline use — choose the area, the basemap (map, satellite or relief) and the level of detail. • "Locally downloaded only" mode keeps the app off the network entirely. • An OpenStreetMap base layer fills in wherever your imported map ends. RECORD YOUR TRAILS • Start a recording, pick the activity, and watch live distance, time, elevation gain and pace. • Recording keeps going with the screen off or the app in the background, and survives a restart. • Every outing is saved and can be shared as a standard GPX file. • Import GPX from friends, from the web, or straight from "Open with". READ THE TERRAIN IN 3D Open any saved trail in real 3D relief with your chosen basemap draped over the landscape. Add slope-angle shading, contour lines or elevation tint, scrub the camera along the route, trim a track, or export the whole trail as a PDF. ELEVATION PROFILES, NOTES AND PHOTOS Every trail gets an interactive elevation profile you can scrub point by point, coloured by gradient or by pace. Drop notes and photos anywhere along the route — the lookout, the tricky crossing, the last water — and they appear on the map, on the profile and in 3D. SEE WHERE YOU KEEP GOING A heatmap over your own tracks shows the ground you cover most, and repeat outings on the same trail are grouped so you can compare them. ORGANISE IT ALL Folders keep maps, trails and waypoints together by area or by trip; drag items between them and show a whole folder on the map in one tap. A dashboard charts your last week, quarter or year, with a calendar of every outing. PRIVATE BY DESIGN • No account, no sign-up, no ads, no analytics, no advertising identifier, no tracking. • Your maps, trails and notes are stored on your device and are never uploaded — sharing is always something you choose to do. • Map tiles are fetched from OpenStreetMap and other map providers as you pan, the way any map app works; nothing sent identifies you. • Export everything you have as a single zip whenever you want, and delete anything in one tap. Free and open source under the MIT licence — read the code, file an issue, send a patch. Metric or imperial, light or dark, three visual styles. Built for hikers, skiers, paddlers, hunters and anyone whose map matters more than their signal. Source code and issue tracker: https://github.com/MVXTechnologies/inukshuk Privacy policy: https://inukshuk.mvxtechnologies.com/privacy/

Screenshots

Detector Maps4 screens
Inukshuk4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Inukshuk at none against Detector Maps's 4. Inukshuk also leads on ads (none vs shown). Detector Maps's advantage is chart position (#77 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement 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. Inukshuk asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Detector Maps ships an update every 6 days, Inukshuk every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Detector Maps versus Inukshuk: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDetector MapsInukshuk
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (267 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews73.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings267 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 daysEvery 4 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscription—
Best chart rank#77 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size115 MB109 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGOLD DISCOVERY SOLUTIONS PTY LTDMarc-Andre Vigneault

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

Inukshuk

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 Plan7 Days trial$59.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Yearly Plan7 Days trial$99.991 Year
None

Inukshuk

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Detector Maps free?
Detector Maps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Inukshuk free?
Inukshuk is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Detector Maps or Inukshuk have ads?
Detector Maps shows ads; Inukshuk does not.
Which is updated more often, Detector Maps or Inukshuk?
Detector Maps ships an update every 6 days, and Inukshuk every 4 days. Most recently, Detector Maps was updated on November 4, 2026 and Inukshuk on October 31, 2026.

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