Mapping Software reviews from Reddit
Summary
We analyzed 176 Reddit reviews across 45 subreddits and 62 posts to rank the best Mapping Software brands recommended by redditors, including communities like r/UAVmapping, r/gis, r/drones, r/dndnext, r/worldbuilding. Top-rated brands include QGIS (4.3/5), ArcGIS (4.3/5), Pix4D (3.7/5).
Stats
Reviews176
Subreddits45
Posts62
Brands95
Products14
176 reviews from
and
By Brand
/By Product
#1
QGIS
4.3
(12)
"You want something with a coordinate system for mapping real world stuff? QGIS."
"QGIS is free and should be able to do what you're asking for."
"QGIS = free, relatively easy to use."
"QGIS"
"1. QGIS to pull together, format, and style your data."
"You can use QGIS for this."
"Recommend QGIS DESKTOP with plugins."
"QGIS is free and works on Mac."
"You could try out QGIS. It's a open source, professional mapping software but you might need some time to get into it."
"Using applications such as QGIS."
#2
ArcGIS
4.3
(8)
"ArcGIS pro and ArcGIS online are the industry standards for making and publishing maps/webmaps."
"ArcGis (ArcMap) if you want a job at local municipalities."
"ArcGIS. People will suggest lots of open source stuff (mainly because its trendy) but most places you will ever work or study at use ArcGIS."
"The best is still a mix of GIS program (arcgis / mapinfo) and Adobe suite."
"ArcGIS for data and StoryMaps for presenting are your best options."
"Create a free ArcGIS Developer account. This gives you an ArcGIS Online subscription."
"I think arcgis would be your best bet."
"ArcGIS? I used it more for diligence but I think it would be able to do what you want."
#3
Pix4D
3.7
(7)
"Pix4d may be the easiest to pick up and learn."
"Some alternatives include Reality Capture, Agisoft Metashape, Pix4DMatic"
"Pix4d is the gold standard but it's very expensive."
"If they want to do it in-house then Pix4D."
"We use pix4d to create an orthomosaic and plot in ARC."
"Pix4D is most dumb dumb proof"
"Pix4D: Make certain you want to pay $400/month for this software. Compared to the $60 OBM I think you get a much better result and more optio"
#4
Agisoft Metashape
3.8
(6)
"I think Agisoft is the best, Pix4D is the easiest, but WebODM is a really good open source option"
"Agisoft is straight forward and loads of support"
"Agisoft Metashape is the best."
"Small company standard is pretty much Agisoft Metashape."
"Agisoft Metashape 30 day free trial is a good option."
"Agisoft Metashape is free in demo version and does a good job you just can't save anything."
#5
WebODM
4.0
(5)
"WebODM is great. I'm very impressed with what it can do and how much it keeps improving over time."
"Best is subjective, but WebODM is free if you have a good computer."
"WebODM is free if you are OK installing it and its dependencies from GitHub. The software is superb and the people who work on it are very engaged with the community."
"WebOBM: I have the least amount of time on it, but it’s a one time fee of $60-$130 and I bought the cheapest package. Works fine, watch some videos, it’s open source but gets the job done for $60."
"Webodm is free, pix4dMapper is enterprise pricing."
#6
Arkenforge
4.8
(4)
"Check out Arkenforge! Huge range of assets for Wild West maps, and a pretty solid map builder."
"I have recently discovered a program called arkenforge and I love it, it is still being worked on and there is almost a weekly update/improvement made to it."
"You won't find much better than our Masters Toolkit software! It's built specifically to run on digital tables :) On top of that, there's no subscription fee!"
"We settled on arkenforge with Fantasty Grounds running combat rolls."
#7
Maptive
4.5
(4)
"You might want to check out Maptive. It's similar to Google Maps in some ways but offers more flexibility."
"Maptive might be a good fit for your needs. It lets you use different shapes and colors to distinguish fixture types."
"I would suggest you try Maptive, it's a pretty easy to use solution."
"Maptive should help streamline your sales process and improve team collaboration.. It allows team members to add and view notes on specific accounts, ensuring everyone stays informed and coordinated."
#8
Freeplane
4.5
(4)
"However Freeplane is the way to go."
"[Freeplane] OR [Freemind] (both free)"
"Freeplane. Free, great community support, steep learning curve."
"I like Freeplane."
#9
Dungeondraft
4.5
(4)
"Absolutely try Dungeondraft. I've used it for the past few months in my own campaign and I love it."
"Really easy to use, very cool looking maps you can directly import in Foundry."
"Has some Star Wars assets along with sci-fi assets."
"You will need to invest some small effort in 'packing' the assets for use by the software."
#10
DroneDeploy
4.0
(4)
"I like DroneDeploy"
"DroneDeploy by far is a good place to start but if they want to do it in-house then Pix4D."
"DroneDeploy is free for flight."
"Sign up for a free trial of drone deploy."
#11
XMind
4.0
(4)
"I am a big fan of XMind."
"If you don't mind proprietary software, Xmind works on Linux."
"XMind is good on Windows, no idea if its on iOS."
"If you don't mind saving files locally and opening them on another device, Xmind is good."
#12
Bentley
3.8
(4)
"Bentley is the best I've used and have a contractor that processes some of my stuff with this when I need high detail."
"Look into Bentley. I think they offer products for everything you stated."
"Best option I believe is Bentley. You have itwin capture modeller on individual engines, multiple server engines and the Bentley Cloud console based on azure."
"Bentley is a bit more complex"
#13
Madmapper
4.3
(3)
"MadMapper seems to be the best."
"For actual mapping, Madmapper."
"Madmapper is the right choice if you don't use a all-in-one application like Resolume."
#14
Google My Maps
4.3
(3)
"Google MyMaps seems like the best solution, and it's free! You can add all kinds of information like links, pictures, and text."
"I think google my maps will be useful. It’s been a while since I’ve used it but you can create custom maps in google my maps."
"Use Google My Maps (not Google maps) to create your tracks."
#15
Resolume
4.3
(3)
"Resolume."
"I use Resolume you can do an insane amount of things with it"
"I wish I had a license and the price wasn't so high though."
#16
Inkarnate
4.3
(3)
"[Inkarnate] is a web based tool that I prefer."
"I use Inkarnate, but the style it's fairly different from Canvas of Kings."
"I'd probably lay out the terrain, mountains rivers and such in Inkarnate."
#17
Qlab
4.0
(3)
"QLab, Isadora, or Watchout."
"Renting Qlab would be the best option in my opinion."
"Qlab has some easy mapping abilities and works as a cue based software for theatre audio and video."
#18
Mapbox
4.0
(3)
"Have you tried Mapbox?"
"You may be able to embed a mapbox map in Shopify. But there is probably a better solution out there for you."
"MapBox is good and what you are proposing to do is fairly easy."
#19
Ekahau
5.0
(2)
"There's none better out there and it's worth every penny."
"The best in the business is quite costly."
#20
GBTEC
5.0
(2)
"Moved from Promapp over to GBTEC and based on the advice your looking for you can easily set up this structure."
"I would take a look at GBTEC. Very user friendly for all levels of technical aptitude."
#21
Obsidian
4.5
(2)
"I use [Obsidian](https://obsidian.md/) which may not be exactly what you're looking for, but it's incredibly powerful for all kinds of different workflows."
"I use Obsidian for similar purposes, especially the Canvas plugin."
#22
Fantasy Grounds
4.5
(2)
"Fantasy Grounds X1000, it’s on sale now as well. Best Mapping system to take images offline and grid them."
"Fantasy Ground, also has built in range calculators and tons of other features, though it IS more geared towards full use during online play."
#23
FreeMind
4.5
(2)
"Freemind is fantastic."
"Freemind and Freeplane are two mind mapping applications that have been around for years."
#24
RPTools
4.5
(2)
"Maptools Nothing around remotely as well expanded. Light and sight out of the box and free to boot."
"[https://www.rptools.net/toolbox/maptool/](https://www.rptools.net/toolbox/maptool/)"
#25
DJI
4.0
(2)
"DJI Groundstation Pro aka GS Pro."
"Free to use and I’ve done missions with my Mavic Pro"
#26
Maptitude
4.0
(2)
"Another one to consider is Maptitude. You can see your accounts on a map, plan your routes for meetings, and color-code pins for different account types."
"You could try Maptitude Online."
#27
Bentley iTwin
4.0
(2)
"Maybe look into iTwin, it's actually really quite good!"
"Bigger players that need a site management and tie up many types of survey use more integrated solutions, like Bentley iTwin."
#28
WonderDraft
4.0
(2)
"Wonderdraft."
"For random map creation (and to make it really look good), WonderDraft might be worth looking into."
#29
Scapple
4.0
(2)
"Maybe Scapple (developed by Literature & Latte)? not free but it's on sale on the winterfest2024 now."
"Your best bet is Scapple, at least I enjoy using it."
#30
ClickUp
4.0
(2)
"ClickUp is a task manager that has a mindmap view for tasks and subtasks."
"I like that you can keep a calendar and do other things with it and it's free."
#31
World Anvil
4.0
(2)
"Seconded. That is precisely what WorldAnvil does."
"Maybe World Anvil can do what you want."
#32
Microsoft Visio
4.0
(2)
"[Microsoft's Visio] should handle that."
"I use Visio for this. The cool thing with Visio is you can tie data to shapes for more detail."
#33
R
4.0
(2)
"My personal favorite, use R, specifically the packages Tidycensus and tmap."
"R is a really powerful free tool for data management and analysis and I’ve been hearing good things about making maps using R."
#34
Encounter +
5.0
(1)
"Encounter + on IOS is about the best DM tool I have ever used."
#35
xLights
5.0
(1)
"Powerful and free"
#36
Questel Orbit Intelligence
5.0
(1)
"Is what you’re looking for"
#37
Emberly
5.0
(1)
"It has math equations, cross-linking nodes, automatic layout, collapsing, exporting, and a rich block-based text editor."
#38
Adobe Photoshop
5.0
(1)
"No limits, nothing is holding you back from creating a beautiful map."
#39
Octopus
5.0
(1)
"The Octopus software worked for me. Mapped buttons with 0 issue."
#40
Esri
5.0
(1)
"I'd personally recommend reaching out to Esri to see if they can give you a free non-profit license."
#41
Gingko
5.0
(1)
"I have had a ton of success with Gingko."
#42
ArcMap
5.0
(1)
"ARCmap is all you need."
#43
Felt
5.0
(1)
"I'll recommend r/felt (disclaimer: I work there, but it's still pretty awesome)."
#44
MindJet
5.0
(1)
"I've been using MindJet's Mindmanager for years and like it."
#45
Whimsical
5.0
(1)
"My current fave is Whimsical."
#46
Millumin
5.0
(1)
"Look into Millumin. The high school I work at used it a few years ago."
#47
Isadora
5.0
(1)
"I used Isadorra, and had a freshman run projections."
#48
Lucidchart
5.0
(1)
"I really like Lucidchart. It's all cloud based and supports real-time collaboration."
#49
Dynamic Dungeons
4.0
(1)
"This is one I Kickstarted - https://dmge.net/"
#50
Xastir
4.0
(1)
"While not the easiest to set up and use, Xastir (xastir.org) has the ability to plot bearings with a beam width on a map."
#51
Cherrytree
4.0
(1)
"There's an app called "Cherrytree" which sounds a bit like what you're after."
#52
Notion
4.0
(1)
"Could probably use [notion.so](https://notion.so) to do this with a little work."
#53
MindMeister
4.0
(1)
"MindMeister."
#54
OpenLayers
4.0
(1)
"Learn some coding and sql, then use OpenLayers/ leaflet, geoserver, postgresql/postgis and you are done."
#55
Miro
4.0
(1)
"If you go the post-it route you could consider using a digital whiteboard such as Miro."
#56
Resolume Arena
4.0
(1)
#57
PlantUML
4.0
(1)
"Check out plant uml"
#58
draw.io
4.0
(1)
"I use he draw.io extension"
#59
AppMap
4.0
(1)
"The closest i've found"
#60
MapsofMastery
4.0
(1)
"MapsofMastery has a lot of other maps that can work very well"
#61
Starfinder
4.0
(1)
"Starfinder which are like dnd/pathfiner maps but generic sci fi and can be pretty good as well!"
#62
GenBrush
4.0
(1)
"A map-making tool called GenBrush which sounds like exactly what you're looking for."
#63
Ayoa
4.0
(1)
"Formerly iMindMap"
#64
CartoDB
4.0
(1)
"CartoDB is a location analytics platform designed to help businesses answer these types of questions."
#65
Celtx
4.0
(1)
"I use celtx with the game/VR stuff. It’s great but might be a little pricey."
#66
Microsoft Paint
4.0
(1)
"It’s a good general-purpose no-frills workhorse. And it’s free."
#67
Paint.NET
4.0
(1)
"It's free photoshop without some feature."
#68
Dungeon Scrawl
4.0
(1)
"Dungeon Scrawl could work."
#69
Luxedo
4.0
(1)
"I would suggest Luxedo as it offers auto calibration and simple projector meshing."
#70
Google Maps
4.0
(1)
"For route planning (in no particular order) I use a combination of Google Maps, Kurviger, Basecamp, Roadtrippers, Campendium."
#71
Gaia
4.0
(1)
"I'll have to look at Gaia, I'm always looking to expand my toolset."
#72
Mapstore
4.0
(1)
"You can checkout mapstore... Its a free and open source webgis."
#73
DJI Phantom 4 Pro
4.0
(1)
"I have seen the Phantom 4 Pro used for mapping, its a bit more than the Mini, but you're going to get a solid platform."
#74
GIMP
4.0
(1)
"I build my maps in GIMP. There are tons of tutorials on how to draw maps in that program."
#75
GDF
4.0
(1)
"I use "GDF - GPS Direction Finder" on Android."
#76
Open Robotics
4.0
(1)
"The other one to check out is Cartographer. Originally developed by google and maintained by Open Robotics. It’s a very rich library."
#77
SigTrax
4.0
(1)
"SigTrax on Android does exactly what you want."
#78
Google Earth
4.0
(1)
"Google Earth, mymaps, are both free and easy."
#79
ArcGIS Online
4.0
(1)
"If you want a no code no developer solution then go with arcgis online."
#80
Literature and Latte
4.0
(1)
"Scapple from Literature and Latte costs $15 for a license and is available on Win & MacOS."
#81
Apple
4.0
(1)
"If you’re on Apple gear, Freeform. Comes free with your device."
#82
iGrafx
4.0
(1)
"We started using iGrafx recently which handles multi level, complicated process maps really well."
#84
QMapShack
4.0
(1)
"You could take a look at QMapShack, VikingGPS and GPXSee."
#85
Furkot
4.0
(1)
"Try Furkot."
#86
OrgPad
4.0
(1)
"OrgPad is my favorite concept map."
#87
Imperial Assault
3.0
(1)
"It has the tiles from the imperial assault board game that may be of use for making your own battle maps"
#88
Ubiquiti
3.0
(1)
"We used the Ubiqiti one. Worked OK."
#89
GIS
3.0
(1)
"GIS is the go to for mapping, but crazy expensive if you don’t have a university or professional affiliation."
#90
ConceptDraw
3.0
(1)
"Maybe something like http://www.conceptdraw.com/solution-park/computer-networks-layout-floor-plans"
#91
RealityCapture
3.0
(1)
"If you are just practicing Reality capture is free to people but not companies."
#92
CMap
3.0
(1)
"I use CMAP, but it doesn't meet your requirement list. It works for me."
#93
Scrite
3.0
(1)
"Scrite worked for me but it's more free floating index card style."
#94
Talker Maker Deluxe
2.0
(1)
"I tried it once, it keep crashing on me."
#95
ContextCapture
2.0
(1)
"Context Capture is super expensive but may be the best for higher detailed."
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