RailsMaps vs ARDAR
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
RailsMaps
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RailsMaps is built around regions — pick one, then explore the railway network the way you want. Vector maps load fast, zoom deep, and stay sharp. Also on web: railsmaps.com Rail types • Mainline railways, metro, tram, light rail, narrow gauge, monorail, funicular, miniature railways Map modes (availability varies by region and rail type) • Standard: full network with rail type colouring • Max speed: lines by permitted speed • Electrification: AC and DC systems by voltage • Track gauge: standard, broad, narrow, mixed • Usage: passenger, freight, heritage, industrial • High-speed: dedicated HSR and fast corridors • Stations: station and halt locations • Level crossings: classified by safety • Under construction and proposed lines • Historical: disused and abandoned railways Offline maps • Download region packs for full offline map access • Region packs updated weekly • Tile depth scales with region size: city packs reach zoom 13, national packs zoom 9 — range shown before download • Strict offline mode: block network requests, use installed packs only • Wi-Fi-only downloads and per-region disk usage control Map customization • Built-in presets: default and infrastructure-style colouring • Custom presets: adjust rail line colors, widths and visibility per layer state • Up to 20 presets saved on device, applied separately for light and dark themes Layers and appearance • Vector basemaps (auto, light, dark) with optional raster overlay • Rail layer opacity, basemap labels on/off • Country and city boundary overlays • Compare two regions side by side • Light, dark, or follow the system theme Line & station details • Tap any line or station for speed, gauge, electrification, usage and Wikipedia data Location • Optional passive or active location — see where you are on the rail network • Follow mode to track movement along any line — useful on heritage railways and historical routes Web Export Pass • One-time free claim: +2 weeks of web export access on railsmaps.com and freakmaps.com • Custom styles, region clipping and watermark-free PNG export in your browser Coverage • 600+ regions: countries, states, provinces and major urban areas • 13 interface languages Data from OpenStreetMap contributors. Coverage and attribute completeness vary by region.
ARDAR
This app uses augmented reality to overlay live aircraft information directly onto your camera view. Point your device at the sky to identify planes, track their routes, and see details like speed, altitude, and airline.
- AR aircraft labels over real sky
- Live flight tracker data
- Flight and plane radar views
- Detailed aircraft information
- Flight path visualization
- Filters for focused spotting
- Apple Watch companion map
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Turn the sky into a live flight tracker. ARDAR is an AR flight radar and plane spotting app that places nearby aircraft directly over your camera view, so you can point your iPhone at the sky and see what is flying above you. Built for every plane spotter, aviation fan, traveler, and curious sky watcher, ARDAR makes air traffic feel visible, immediate, and real. Use ARDAR as an AR plane spotter, flight tracker, plane radar, and air traffic radar in one simple experience. See live nearby aircraft with callsigns, altitude, speed, heading, distance, route details, aircraft type, airline info, and more. Tap a plane in the sky to focus on it, follow its flight path, and stay flight aware without digging through a traditional map-first flight tracker. Whether you are plane spotting near an airport, watching arrivals and departures, tracking overhead flights from your backyard, or pairing the view with ATC or live ATC listening, ARDAR gives you a fast, visual way to understand the air traffic around you. Features: • AR aircraft labels over the real sky • Live nearby flight tracker data • Flight radar and plane radar views • Air traffic radar for local aircraft • Callsign, altitude, speed, heading, and distance • Route, origin, and destination details when available • Airline and aircraft identification • Flight path and trajectory visualization • Filters for focused plane spotting • Apple Watch companion map for nearby air traffic ARDAR is made for people who look up. Open the app, point at the sky, and know what is flying.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: ARDAR at Free against RailsMaps's $4.99. ARDAR also leads on device support (3 vs 1). RailsMaps's advantage is chart position (#103 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (16.4 vs 26.0). On update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
ARDAR is free to download; RailsMaps costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
RailsMaps ships an update fortnightly, ARDAR every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | RailsMaps | ARDAR |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | — | 4.6 (9 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 9 — better |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 10 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Best chart rank | #103 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 104 MB | 14 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Bartomiej Banasik | Villegas Ventures LLC |
In-app purchases
RailsMaps
No in-app purchases
ARDAR
No in-app purchases









