App guide · iPhone, iPad and web
The best history map apps: borders, old maps or events?
A history map can mean three different things: an atlas of moving borders, a collection of scanned old maps, or pins that show where events happened. The right app depends on which one you want.
Short answer. To watch empires grow and shrink: Historical Atlas ($9.99 once) or the free HistoryLayer on iPhone, GeaCron or Omniatlas on the web. To lay old scanned maps over today's streets: OldMapsOnline or Vetus Maps. To see where events happened, with a story behind each pin: Histia (our app), or our free interactive history map in your browser. For US battlefields: Battle Maps.
Which kind of history map do you need?
Border atlases
Political borders redrawn year by year. Best for questions like "how big was the Roman Empire in 117?" or "what did Europe look like in 1914?"
Old map collections
Scans of real maps from libraries and archives, often laid over a modern map. Best for local history, genealogy and walking an old town plan.
Event maps
Pins where things happened, with dates. Best for connecting a story to its place, and for seeing what was going on elsewhere at the same time.
Eight history map apps for iPhone and iPad
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Borders, year by year
Historical Atlas
Watch empires rise and fall on an interactive world map, and jump to any year from 3000 BC to 1900 AD.
$9.99 once · no in-app purchases listed
Watch out: it stops at 1900, and it has 19 US ratings so far.
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Borders plus 23,000 events
HistoryLayer: World Atlas
Drag the year and the borders change, from 123,000 BCE to today; stop anywhere to see the events, people and wars on that ground.
Free · no in-app purchases listed
Watch out: released in September 2026, with 4 US ratings: promising, but new.
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2,500 years, with sources to follow
Geographic History: Atlas Map
Changing borders over 2,500 years, events pinned where they happened, and a Wikipedia link for every place, ruler and person.
Free · no in-app purchases listed
Watch out: one US rating so far, so check what matters against a second source.
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Half a million old maps
OldMapsOnline
More than 500,000 scanned historical maps from cultural institutions, searchable on an interactive map with a timeline. Also on Android.
Free · $1.99 to remove ads
Watch out: 3.3 stars from 25 US ratings, the lowest here.
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Old maps over today's map
Vetus Maps
Lay an old regional map over a modern satellite or terrain map, adjust its transparency and record GPS tracks. Also on Android.
Free download · map packs from $1.99
Watch out: its catalog leans toward Russian and Eastern European maps.
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US battlefields
Battle Maps: America's Wars
The American Battlefield Trust's maps from Lexington and Concord to Appomattox, with your live position on the historic map.
Free · no in-app purchases listed
Watch out: the first century of US wars only.
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History around you
Happened Here: History Map
Historical sites near your current location, what happened there and why it matters, with check-ins as you visit.
Free · no in-app purchases listed
Watch out: a travel companion more than an atlas, with 5 US ratings.
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Our appEvents, with a story behind each pin
Histia
A map through time from 3000 BCE to 2025, with markers for the events in Histia's library. Open one to reach its five-minute story, where Histia has one.
Free download · $7.99/mo or $69.99 once
Watch out: events, not borders, and only what Histia's library covers.
Get Histia free
Free history maps in your browser
Some of the best history maps are websites, not apps. They need no install and work on a laptop, where a big map is easier to read.
- Histia's interactive history map 72 turning points pinned where they happened, from the first writing in Uruk to 2001. Free to use and to embed, CC BY 4.0. Made by us.
- GeaCron A world history atlas by year since 3000 BC, with timelines.
- Omniatlas Step-by-step regional atlases with free maps, articles and timelines for teaching.
- Chronas Civilizations, cultures and political boundaries over 5,000 years on one map.
- OpenHistoricalMap An open map of the world through history, made by volunteers and dedicated to the public domain.
- Running Reality A model of world history you can open at any date from 3000 BC to today.
History map apps side by side
| App | Kind | Time span | US price | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Historical Atlas | Borders | 3000 BC to 1900 AD | $9.99 once | iOS |
| HistoryLayer | Borders and events | 123,000 BCE to today | Free | iOS |
| Geographic History | Borders and events | About 2,500 years | Free | iOS |
| OldMapsOnline | Old map scans | Depends on the map | Free; $1.99 without ads | iOS, Android, web |
| Vetus Maps | Old map overlays | Depends on the map | Free; map packs from $1.99 | iOS, Android |
| Battle Maps | US battlefields | 1775 to 1865 | Free | iOS |
| Happened Here | Sites near you | Depends on the site | Free | iOS |
| Histia (ours) | Events and stories | 3000 BCE to 2025 | $7.99/mo or $69.99 once | iPhone, iPad |
US App Store listings checked October 14, 2026. Android only where a Google Play listing appeared for the app. Time spans are each publisher's description.
Is there a free history map app?
Yes. HistoryLayer, Geographic History, Battle Maps and Happened Here are free on the US App Store with no in-app purchases listed, and OldMapsOnline is free with a $1.99 option to remove ads. In a browser, Omniatlas, Chronas and OpenHistoricalMap can be explored free, and our interactive history map is free to use and embed.
How we checked
Each app's description, ratings and prices come from its US App Store listing, read signed out on October 14, 2026. Android availability comes from Google Play results for the app's name. The websites were opened the same day; their descriptions are their own. We did not install the competitor apps or pay, so we compare what each map is for, not its accuracy. For apps that teach history more broadly, see our best history apps for adults.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best app for historical maps?
It depends on the kind of map. To watch borders change, Historical Atlas ($9.99 once) or the free HistoryLayer. To overlay scanned old maps on today's streets, OldMapsOnline or Vetus Maps. To see where events happened, with a story behind each pin, Histia (our app). For US battlefields, Battle Maps from the American Battlefield Trust.
Is there a free history map app?
Yes. HistoryLayer, Geographic History, Battle Maps and Happened Here are free on the US App Store with no in-app purchases listed, and OldMapsOnline is free with a $1.99 option to remove ads. In a browser, Omniatlas, Chronas and OpenHistoricalMap can be explored free, and our interactive history map is free to use and embed.
Which history map app shows borders changing over time?
On iPhone, Historical Atlas (3000 BC to 1900 AD), HistoryLayer and Geographic History. On the web, GeaCron, Omniatlas, Chronas, Running Reality and OpenHistoricalMap. Histia does not draw borders: its map shows events.
Is there an interactive world history map I can use online?
Yes. GeaCron, Chronas, Omniatlas and OpenHistoricalMap run in a browser and focus on borders. Our free interactive world history map pins 72 turning points from 3200 BCE to 2001 where they happened, with a link to the full story for most of them.
Official sources
- Historical Atlas, HistoryLayer: World Atlas and Geographic History: Atlas Map — US App Store listings.
- OldMapsOnline, Vetus Maps, Battle Maps: America's Wars and Happened Here: History Map — US App Store listings.
- GeaCron, Omniatlas, Chronas, OpenHistoricalMap and Running Reality — official sites.
- Histia — US App Store listing.
Listings and sites checked October 14, 2026. Apps change; a new app with few ratings deserves a quick check before you rely on it.