Comparison

RailsMaps vs SkyDot

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

RailsMaps

Features
Currently charting
Read full description

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.

About

SkyDot

Features
Read full description

The offline flight tracker that works in Airplane Mode. SkyDot follows your own flight in real time using your iPhone's GPS, with no signal and no inflight Wi-Fi. See your plane on the map with live altitude, speed and arrival countdown, even at 38,000 feet. Cities, airports and the world map live on your device. Turn on Airplane Mode, keep Location Services on, open SkyDot and see exactly where you are, whether that's over an ocean, a desert or the pole. WHY FLYERS USE SKYDOT - Works fully offline. Your GPS position keeps updating without any connection. - Know your ETA. A great-circle route line shows distance remaining and a live countdown to your local arrival time. - Real flight instruments. Live ground speed, altitude and heading, like a GPS altimeter and speedometer in your pocket. - See the sky. A day-night terminator and sunrise/sunset almanac tell you when to expect that window-seat sunset. FEATURES - Live GPS flight tracking on a world map, no internet required - Great-circle route with distance remaining and arrival countdown - Speed, altitude and heading instruments - Day-night terminator and sunrise/sunset almanac - Flight log with stats: distance, duration, max altitude, top speed and countries crossed - Visited-countries world map to track where you've been - Shareable flight summary cards - Multi-leg trips with per-leg ETA - Flight number entry for quick route setup - Offline city and airport database with 69,000 cities BUILT FOR TRAVELERS Frequent flyers, nervous passengers who like knowing exactly where they are, and aviation fans who love the numbers all get the same thing: a window seat that feels like mission control, with or without a connection. FREE TO START Offline flight tracking is free and supported by ads. Your first 5 saved flights are included. Watch a rewarded ad to unlock one more save, up to 10 extra. Rewarded ads need an internet connection. SKYDOT PREMIUM Premium removes all ads and unlocks all your flights [CHECK: and every offline map region]. Signed-in Premium users also get cloud backup of their flight log. - Monthly: $2.99 per month - Yearly: $12.99 per year, save over 60% compared to monthly - Lifetime: $19.99, one payment, no subscription Prices are in US dollars and may vary by country. YOUR FLIGHT PATH STAYS ON YOUR PHONE GPS is processed on your device. Cloud backup stores flight summaries only, never raw coordinates or the route line. GOOD TO KNOW GPS reception varies by device, aircraft, and seat. A window seat works best, and updates may pause when the signal is weak. Follow your airline's rules for electronic devices. Download SkyDot to track your flight, even in Airplane Mode. LEGAL Monthly and Yearly subscriptions start with a 7-day free trial. When the trial ends, the subscription starts automatically and payment is charged to your Apple ID. Any unused part of a free trial is forfeited when you purchase a subscription. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the period ends. Manage or cancel subscriptions in your App Store account settings. Lifetime is a one-time purchase and does not renew. Privacy Policy: https://skydotapp.com/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://skydotapp.com/terms

Screenshots

RailsMaps4 screens
SkyDot4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: SkyDot at Free against RailsMaps's $4.99. SkyDot also leads on device support (3 vs 1). RailsMaps's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#145 vs unranked). On update cadence, in-app purchases 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

SkyDot is free to download; RailsMaps costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RailsMaps ships an update fortnightly, SkyDot every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 3 level
RailsMaps versus SkyDot: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRailsMapsSkyDot
Price$4.99Free — better
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 9 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
Best chart rank#145 — better—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.415.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size104 MB68 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBartomiej BanasikJahanzaib Akhter

In-app purchases

None

RailsMaps

No in-app purchases

None

SkyDot

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is RailsMaps free?
RailsMaps costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is SkyDot free?
SkyDot is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do RailsMaps or SkyDot have ads?
SkyDot shows ads; RailsMaps does not.
Which is updated more often, RailsMaps or SkyDot?
RailsMaps ships an update fortnightly, and SkyDot every 9 days. Most recently, RailsMaps was updated on September 24, 2026 and SkyDot on September 27, 2026.

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