Soil Explorer vs Rockd
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Soil Explorer
Discover detailed soil property and landscape maps for U.S. states and global soil distributions. Understand how map features relate to real-world observations. This educational tool uses data from USDA and USGS to illustrate complex soil-landscape relationships.
- Detailed soil property maps
- Landscape visualizations
- Global soil distribution maps
- Field observation correlation
- USDA NRCS data integration
- USGS data integration
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Explore detailed maps of soil properties and landscapes for various U.S. states, as well as small-scale maps of soil distributions for the world. Examine the details for a specific area, but also see the overview for a large area. Learn how features shown on the maps correspond to what you observe in the field. Soil Explorer utilizes detailed soil survey data from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and data and maps from the U. S. Geological Survey and other sources to produce informative, highly engaging maps. These maps are designed to show the complex interrelationships between soil properties and the landscapes in which soils occur.
Rockd
Discover and document the geology around you. Access global geologic maps, 3D globes, and detailed summaries of your surroundings. Contribute your own observations and track your exploration of Earth's geologic history.
- Interactive global geologic maps
- 3D virtual globe exploration
- Field observation logging
- Offline map caching
- Paleogeographic map access
- Stratigraphic column viewing
- Geologic literature integration
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Explore, learn about, and document your geologic surroundings! Whether you are a professional geoscientist or curious about the rocks around you and the stories they tell, Rockd allows you to explore and learn about the geologic record, contribute your own observations, and log your journey through the geologic record. Features: - Instant access to geologic and geographic summaries of your current location via a Dashboard - Interactive global access to more than 290 geologic maps, with more being added weekly - Explore the landscape with a dynamic, 3D virtual globe - Save maps for use in the field with a built-in map caching system - See your past location and explore paleogeographic maps from C.R. Scotese and GPlates - View Macrostrat stratigraphic columns where available (beta) - Explore published literature containing mentions of mapped geologic units (when available) via xDD (formerly, GeoDeepDive) - Elevation data for most points on Earth from digital elevation models (DEMs) - Add your own field observations even offline; tag features from Macrostrat and the Paleobiology Database - Record strike/dip or trend/plunge for geologic features, using your phone's compass - Track your progress through the geologic record privately, or share it with others - See the public activity of other users and share your own and other public checkins using unique URLs Rockd is produced by the Macrostrat lab in the Department of Geoscience at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. Support provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Dept. of Geoscience. Experiencing issues? Send an email to contact@rockd.org and we will do our best to help you resolve it.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Rockd at 73% against Soil Explorer's 0%. Rockd also leads on update cadence (every 3 months vs every 11 months) and rating (4.4 vs 4.1). Soil Explorer's advantage is iOS requirement (14.7 vs 16.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Rockd holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Rockd has 185 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Soil Explorer's written reviews are positive against 73% of Rockd's.
Soil Explorer ships an update every 11 months, Rockd every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Soil Explorer | Rockd |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (9 ratings) | 4.4 (185 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 73.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 9 | 185 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 14.7 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 172 MB | 259 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Purdue University | University of Wisconsin-Madison Shared Apps |
Customer experience
Soil Explorer
Rockd
Bugs and requests
Soil Explorer
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Rockd
Reported bugs
17 issues- Black map display in airplane mode and online
- Persistent error dialogs that cannot be dismissed
- GPS not tracking in real-time
- Offline check-ins not syncing properly
- Sign-up page jumps between fields and login page
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- Fossils button not working
- Map returns to user location after viewing check-ins
- App crashes and becomes unresponsive
- Data loss after app reinstall or logout
- Maps fail to load after recent updates
- Location search functionality broken
- Android version windows not visible
- Straight lines appear when zooming
- Formations stop at state lines
- Check-in screen stuck with no exit option
- App won't load after initial use
- Geological overlay won't upload to base map
Requested features
16 requests- Follow/friend mechanic to track other users' check-ins
- Rock identification tool from photo uploads
- Offline map download with customizable zoom levels
- Stereonet tool for structural geology
- Groundwater/aquifer information section
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- Map legend/key for geological features
- Spanish language support
- Ability to move dashboard to different locations
- Latitude/longitude search functionality
- Multiple photo attachments per location
- Strike and dip data visualization
- Fault line labeling on maps
- Better Android version compatibility
- Tutorial or short course for advanced features
- Black contact lines between formations toggle
- Personal photo upload focus with mineral variations
In-app purchases
Soil Explorer
No in-app purchases
Rockd
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Soil Explorer free?
Is Rockd free?
Which has better reviews, Soil Explorer or Rockd?
Do Soil Explorer or Rockd have ads?
Which is updated more often, Soil Explorer or Rockd?
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