# Soil Explorer vs Rockd

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Soil Explorer | Rockd |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/soil-explorer/id996159565/reviews) | **[4.4 (185 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rockd/id1153056624/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 9 | **185** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **73.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 172 MB | 259 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.7** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Purdue University](https://appshunter.io/developer/371741257) | [University of Wisconsin-Madison Shared Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/908478605) |

## What reviewers say

### Soil Explorer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/soil-explorer/id996159565)

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.

**Highlights:** Detailed soil property maps, Landscape visualizations, Global soil distribution maps, Field observation correlation, USDA NRCS data integration, USGS data integration

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Rockd

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rockd/id1153056624)

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.

**Highlights:** Interactive global geologic maps, 3D virtual globe exploration, Field observation logging, Offline map caching, Paleogeographic map access, Stratigraphic column viewing, Geologic literature integration

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🗺️ Comprehensive geological maps with detailed information
- 💡 Innovative integration of peer-reviewed references and literature
- 🧭 Built-in Brunton compass and clinometer tools
- 📱 User-friendly interface and intuitive navigation
- 🌍 Global coverage with paleomaps and stratigraphic data

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Black map display issues in offline and online modes
- 📍 GPS tracking and real-time position updates failing
- 🔌 Offline functionality severely limited or broken
- 🔐 Persistent login requirement without password saving
- ⚠️ Error dialogs that won't dismiss

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Soil Explorer free?

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

### Is Rockd free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Soil Explorer or Rockd?

Rockd is rated higher. Soil Explorer averages 4.1 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while Rockd averages 4.4 from 185 ratings.

### Do Soil Explorer or Rockd have ads?

Neither Soil Explorer nor Rockd shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Soil Explorer or Rockd?

Soil Explorer ships an update every 11 months, and Rockd every 3 months. Most recently, Soil Explorer was updated on September 19, 2026 and Rockd on September 18, 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.*