# Backseat Geologist vs Sempervia

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sempervia at none against Backseat Geologist's 7. Sempervia also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Backseat Geologist's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 7 months) and ratings volume (82 vs 1). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Backseat Geologist sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Sempervia asks for nothing beyond the download.

Sempervia holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Backseat Geologist has 82 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Backseat Geologist ships an update fortnightly, Sempervia every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Backseat Geologist | Sempervia |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (82 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backseat-geologist/id6746209605/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sempervia/id6748201574/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **82** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 92.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 48 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.6** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Blake Morgan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1815745960) | [Aaron Matthew Deibele](https://appshunter.io/developer/1824592178) |

## What reviewers say

### Backseat Geologist

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backseat-geologist/id6746209605)

This app provides audio explanations of the geology visible from your car. Explore geological features, create custom routes, and learn about earth history on the go. Offline access and adjustable audience settings enhance the learning experience.

**Highlights:** Audio descriptions of geology, Interactive geologic map, Custom route creation, Offline map and data access, Adjustable audience settings, Points of Interest (volcanoes, earthquakes), Background audio playback

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Max Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium Annual | $17.99 | per year |
| Max Annual | $39.99 | per year |
| Colorado I-70 Route Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Seward Highway | $4.99 | one-time |
| Moab Utah Route Pack | $9.99 | one-time |


### Sempervia

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sempervia/id6748201574)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Backseat Geologist free?

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

### Is Sempervia free?

Sempervia is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Backseat Geologist or Sempervia?

Sempervia is rated higher. Backseat Geologist averages 4.7 out of 5 from 82 ratings, while Sempervia averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Backseat Geologist or Sempervia have ads?

Neither Backseat Geologist nor Sempervia shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Backseat Geologist or Sempervia?

Backseat Geologist ships an update fortnightly, and Sempervia every 7 months. Most recently, Backseat Geologist was updated on October 26, 2026 and Sempervia on October 24, 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.*