For all the talk about how much better Google Maps is than Apple’s default maps app on the iPhone, the experience for both essentially boils down to the same thing: search for a place on a map and look up directions. Plotter aims to take mapping on the iPhone to the next level by adding a social layer and some features that will appeal to your inner cartographer.
Plotter’s app users a simple way to create, share and discover maps with friends and the Plotter community. Rather than simply look up a bar on Google Maps, you can use Plotter to plot out all your favorite bars in a particular city and then share that map with friends. Likewise, if you’re new to an area, you could surf Plotter to search for maps from other users of things to do.
“Plotter was built out of necessity,” the company’s founder and CEO Tom Nolan told Mashable. “As a frequent traveler and constant user of my native maps app on the iPhone, I was always hoping for additional functionality with maps.”
In some ways, Plotter is reminiscent of Stamped, an app recently acquired by Yahoo and subsequently shut down, which let users mark their favorite venues on a map. However, the map wasn’t the central feature of Stamped and users didn’t have the option to create and share multiple maps of recommendations like they do on Plotter.