# Mapstr vs Bora Explorer

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Bora Explorer at none against Mapstr's 10. Mapstr's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 6 months) and chart position (#56 vs unranked). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mapstr sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Bora Explorer asks for nothing beyond the download.

Mapstr ships an update monthly, Bora Explorer every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mapstr | Bora Explorer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mapstr-save-and-follow-places/id917288465/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2.6K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 60.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Best chart rank | **#56** | — |
| Size | 190 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.0** | 26.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hulab](https://appshunter.io/developer/917288464) | [Godefroy de La Bourdonnaye](https://appshunter.io/developer/1468228303) |

## What reviewers say

### Mapstr

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mapstr-save-and-follow-places/id917288465)

**Currently charting:** #56 Top Grossing · Travel (US App Store)

Save and organize all your favorite places worldwide, from restaurants to hidden gems. Discover new spots through recommendations from friends and trusted sources, and easily share your own curated maps.

**Highlights:** One-tap place saving, Unlimited color and tag organization, Import existing map lists, Personal notes, ratings, and photos, Follow trusted users and influencers, Shareable map links, Private by default

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| mapstr plus | $5.99 | per month |
| mapstr plus - Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Mapstr plus monthly | $8.99 | per month |
| Mapstr plus monthly | $8.99 | per month |
| Yearly membership | $32.99 | per year |
| mapstr plus - yearly | $59.90 | per year |
| mapstr plus - yearly | $59.90 | per year |
| mapstr plus - Yearly | $59.99 | per year |
| mapstr plus yearly | $79.99 | per year |
| My Secret NY | Free | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Useful for travel and organizing places
- 👍 Customizable tagging and organization
- 💡 Sharing maps with friends
- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 👍 Visually appealing interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🔒 Concerns about new subscription model
- 💰 Expensive subscription pricing
- 🔍 Inaccurate location data
- 📱 Lack of iPad support

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch for some users
- Locations not showing up correctly on the map
- Inability to access saved data after subscription change

**Requested features**

- Ability to add notes and photos for each location
- Option to create multiple maps or organize by city
- Offline access and map downloads
- Integration with other services like Yelp
- Ability to change icon colors


### Bora Explorer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bora-explorer/id1468228304)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mapstr free?

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

### Is Bora Explorer free?

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

### Do Mapstr or Bora Explorer have ads?

Neither Mapstr nor Bora Explorer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mapstr or Bora Explorer?

Mapstr ships an update monthly, and Bora Explorer every 6 months. Most recently, Mapstr was updated on November 11, 2026 and Bora Explorer on November 3, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*