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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See how the rail network is built. RailsMaps maps railway, metro and tram lines in 1,150+ regions (countries, states, provinces, cities): max speeds, lines under construction, proposed routes, disused and abandoned lines, stations, level crossings, bridges and tunnels, electrification and track gauge. It's an infrastructure map, not a journey planner. Pick a region and you get every line, from national main lines to city trams, downloadable for offline use. One-time purchase. No subscription, no ads. INFRASTRUCTURE MAP MODES • Max speed: lines colored by permitted speed • Electrification: electrified lines by system and voltage (AC and DC) • Track gauge: standard, broad, narrow and mixed • Usage: main lines, branch lines, industrial, heritage and military • High-speed: dedicated high-speed lines and upgraded fast corridors • Stations and halts • Level crossings, classified by safety level • Under construction: lines and extensions being built • Proposed: planned and approved future lines • Historical: disused and abandoned railways Available map modes depend on the region and rail type. EVERY RAIL TYPE • Mainline railways, metro (subway / underground), tram, light rail, narrow gauge, monorail, funicular and miniature railways TAP FOR DETAILS • Tap any line or station for speed, gauge, electrification, usage and Wikipedia info WORKS OFFLINE • Download a region once, then use it with no connection • Offline packs are updated weekly • Detail scales with region size: city packs zoom in further than country packs, and you see the zoom range before you download • Strict offline mode: the app uses only your downloaded packs and makes no network requests • Wi-Fi-only downloads and per-region storage control MAKE IT YOURS • Built-in presets: Default and FreakMaps (infrastructure-style colors) • Custom presets: set rail line colors, widths and opacity • Save up to 20 presets, with separate colors for light and dark maps • Light, dark or auto basemap, plus an OpenStreetMap-style Carto look • Adjustable rail opacity, map labels on or off • Country and city boundary overlays • Compare two regions side by side • App theme: light, dark or system SEE WHERE YOU ARE (OPTIONAL) • Show your position on the rail network, in passive or active location mode • In active mode the map follows you along the line, handy on heritage railways and old routes BONUS: 2 WEEKS OF WEB EXPORT Buying the app includes a free 2-week map export pass for railsmaps.com and freakmaps.com. Style a map, clip it to a region and download it as a watermark-free PNG, right in your browser. One-time claim. COVERAGE • 1,150+ regions: countries, states, provinces and major cities • 13 interface languages Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Detail and completeness vary by region. Same data as railsmaps.com, the free web map, now on your phone.
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. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
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 in-app purchases (none vs 2) and chart position (#93 vs unranked). On update cadence and ads 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. ARDAR sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. RailsMaps asks for nothing beyond the download.
RailsMaps ships an update fortnightly, ARDAR every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | RailsMaps | ARDAR |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | — | 4.6 (11 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 11 — better |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 10 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Best chart rank | #93 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 104 MB | 23 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Bartomiej Banasik | Villegas Ventures LLC |
In-app purchases
RailsMaps
No in-app purchases
ARDAR
- ARDAR Pro - Monthly Subscription3 Days trial$2.991 Month
- ARDAR Pro Yearly Subscription3 Days trial$26.901 Year









