Comparison

MapInk vs CX Map Explorer

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

Head to head
About

MapInk

This app transforms your device into a map canvas for planning trips, marking locations, and adding handwritten notes directly onto maps. Create detailed journeys with custom routes, view weather forecasts for each stop, and share annotated map images.

Highlights
  • Draw and plan routes
  • Add pins with notes
  • Create custom journeys
  • View weather forecasts
  • Handwritten notes on maps
  • Share annotated maps
Features
Read full description

MapInk turns your iPhone and iPad into a map canvas for planning trips, marking places, and capturing handwritten notes exactly where they belong. Search for a place or address, drop pins, and sketch routes with Apple Pencil or your finger. Connect your pins into a Journey to drive, walk or fly between stops, and check the weather for every stop along the way. When you want to explain or remember a place, write directly on the map and share a snapshot. Plan a Journey - Connect your pins into a Journey and reorder stops anytime - Choose Drive, Walk or Fly for each leg; flights are drawn as arcs across the map - See the distance and travel time of every leg Weather for your trip - Add your travel dates to see the forecast at each stop - Choose Flexible dates to compare typical weather month by month - See rain, daylight and a typical-day temperature curve for any month - Turn weather off in Preferences if you don't need it Draw on the map - Sketch freehand lines and see their distances - Drive and Walk lines follow the roads through the corners you draw - Rest your pencil on the end of a line to keep drawing it - Erase whole lines or just part of one - Name your routes, group them, and give each Project its own colors Notes and projects - Drop titled pins with notes for stops, landmarks, ideas and meeting points - Write handwritten notes on the map with Apple Pencil or your finger - Save projects with lines, pins and notes together, and reopen them later - Switch between standard, hybrid and satellite map styles - Share annotated map images, with your Journey included Try MapInk free with up to five items on the map, then unlock unlimited items forever with a one-time purchase. MapInk is built for visual thinkers, travelers, field note takers, students, and anyone who plans better by drawing over real places.

About

CX Map Explorer

Features
Read full description

Map Explorer turns the places you travel into a personal map of the world you have explored. Start exploring to record a walk, ride, or drive and watch your coverage grow over time. Save meaningful places as bookmarks, add a photo, review your walking and driving statistics, and set a daily reminder to get outside. YOUR MAP, ON YOUR DEVICE Your route history, bookmarks, photos, and settings stay on your device. Back up or restore your map whenever you choose. FEATURES • Record active exploration in the foreground or background • Build a growing map of explored places • Save and organize bookmarks with optional photos • Review distance, exploration, and trip statistics • Set daily exploration reminders • Export and import your local map data Map Explorer is designed for personal exploration and memories, not turn-by-turn navigation.

Screenshots

MapInk3 screens
CX Map Explorer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CX Map Explorer at none against MapInk's 1. CX Map Explorer also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 weeks) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 27.0). MapInk's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price and device support 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. MapInk sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. CX Map Explorer asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MapInk ships an update every 6 weeks, CX Map Explorer every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
MapInk versus CX Map Explorer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMapInkCX Map Explorer
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS27.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMC Software LtdCygnus X Enterprises LLC

In-app purchases

1 purchases

MapInk

One-time1
  • MapInk Lifetime Unlock$14.99
None

CX Map Explorer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MapInk free?
MapInk is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is CX Map Explorer free?
CX Map Explorer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do MapInk or CX Map Explorer have ads?
CX Map Explorer shows ads; MapInk does not.
Which is updated more often, MapInk or CX Map Explorer?
MapInk ships an update every 6 weeks, and CX Map Explorer every 3 weeks. Most recently, MapInk was updated on October 31, 2026 and CX Map Explorer on November 6, 2026.

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