Soil Explorer vs Strat Mobile
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
Read full descriptionHide full description
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.
Strat Mobile
This application allows geologists to measure and record stratigraphic sections directly on their mobile devices. It offers multiple measurement methods, including using the device's camera or a traditional Jacob Staff, and automatically logs location and time data. Users can define lithology types, view statistics, and see section locations on a map.
- Real-time stratigraphic section plotting
- Measure sections using device camera or Jacob Staff
- Automatic recording of location, time, and date
- Define unlimited lithology types with custom colors
- Basic statistics on lithology thicknesses and percentages
- View section locations on satellite or road maps
Read full descriptionHide full description
Strat Mobile is a program for iOS devices that enables you to measure and record stratigraphic sections right on your iPhone or iPad. Some of the basic tasks that one can perform with the app include: • Real time plotting of the stratigraphic section as it is being measured. • Measure sections using your know eye height as the “Jacob Staff” by sighting down dip through the device camera. The thickness of the measured interval, of course, depends directly on the dip (as well as your eye height). • Measure sections using a traditional Jacob Staff. The device can determine the strike and dip of the bedding for you with the tap of a button • Measure sections using a tape measure. You enter the tape azimuth, slope, start and end point, as well as the strike and dip of bedding, and the device will calculate the correct thickness automatically. • Automatically record, latitude, longitude, time and date for every interval measured • You can define an unlimited number of lithology types (with corresponding colors and widths) to draw your section and tag your observations • Provide basic statistics on the section measured, including the thicknesses and percentages of each lithology • See the locations of entire sections, measured intervals, and samples on a satellite image or road map. • Provide basic input and output of data using standard iOS conventions Will work on iPhones or iPads. The program will work on iPads lacking a cellular data connection but those devices have fewer sensors and thus cannot be used in automatic data collection mode.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Soil Explorer at 4.1 against Strat Mobile's 1.0. Soil Explorer also leads on ratings volume (9 vs 1). Strat Mobile's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 11 months) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 14.7). 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.
Soil Explorer holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Soil Explorer has 9 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Soil Explorer ships an update every 11 months, Strat Mobile monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Soil Explorer | Strat Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (9 ratings) — better | 1.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 9 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.7 | 10.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 172 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Purdue University | Richard Allmendinger |
Customer experience
Soil Explorer
Strat Mobile
In-app purchases
Soil Explorer
No in-app purchases
Strat Mobile
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Soil Explorer free?
Is Strat Mobile free?
Which has better reviews, Soil Explorer or Strat Mobile?
Do Soil Explorer or Strat Mobile have ads?
Which is updated more often, Soil Explorer or Strat Mobile?
Other comparisons















