# Mapstr vs Elya

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Mapstr at 2.6K against Elya's 1. Mapstr also leads on chart position (#32 vs unranked). Elya's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mapstr sells 22 in-app purchases, starting at $5.49 per month and Elya sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Elya holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mapstr has 2.6K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Mapstr ships an update monthly, Elya every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mapstr | Elya |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mapstr-save-and-follow-places/id917288465/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elya/id6642709950/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.6K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 60.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#32** | — |
| Size | 192 MB | 81 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hulab](https://appshunter.io/developer/917288464) | [Hadoken](https://appshunter.io/developer/1564986727) |

## What reviewers say

### Mapstr

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

**Currently charting:** #32 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

**In-app purchases (22)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly membership | $5.49 | per month |
| 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 |
| mapstr plus | $19.99 | per month |
| Mapstr CLUB | $27.49 | per year |
| 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 | $59.99 | per year |
| mapstr plus - Yearly | $59.99 | per year |
| mapstr plus yearly | $79.99 | per year |
| mapstr plus - yearly | $79.99 | per year |
| mapstr plus - yearly | $89.99 | per year |
| mapstr plus - yearly | $139.99 | per year |
| In the Loup - a foodie's world | Free | one-time |
| Experience NY | Free | one-time |
| My Secret NY | Free | one-time |
| World’s Best Bars | Free | one-time |
| The Lazy Frenchie in NYC | $1.99 | 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


### Elya

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elya/id6642709950)

Explore cities independently with this app, featuring self-guided tours, GPS navigation, and interactive scavenger hunts. Immerse yourself in local history with audio commentary, photos, and videos at each step.

**Highlights:** Self-guided city tours, Interactive scavenger hunts, GPS navigation, Multimedia audio, photo, video content, Local guide-curated routes, Intuitive interface

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Jeu de piste | $4.00 | one-time |
| Visite | $9.00 | one-time |
| Visite | $10.00 | one-time |
| Jeu de piste | $17.00 | one-time |
| Bundle visites | $39.00 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mapstr free?

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

### Is Elya free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Mapstr or Elya?

Elya is rated higher. Mapstr averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.6K ratings, while Elya averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Mapstr or Elya have ads?

Neither Mapstr nor Elya shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mapstr or Elya?

Mapstr ships an update monthly, and Elya every 2 weeks. Most recently, Mapstr was updated on October 21, 2026 and Elya on October 9, 2026.

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