Author:
Stewart Berry
Maps are invaluable as an intuitive data visualization. When customization is needed, drawing tools are essential for helping communicate the business data contained in your maps.
Drawing tools allow you to directly edit your maps. You may need to add a legend with a north arrow, draw pointers with text to identify important sites, add a title, manually add pushpins, show lengths and areas, edit circles/radii, or make any other number of stylistic changes.
But which application has the strongest toolset for map customization? Continue reading to explore our meticulously curated list of the ten best map drawing software solutions. Uncover the distinctive features of each tool to make an informed decision that aligns perfectly with your business needs.
Looking for reliable map drawing software to meet your needs in 2024? You've come to the right place! In this blog post, we'll present the top ten map drawing applications. Keep reading to discover the best options, with Maptitude taking the number one spot!
Maptitude is the best professional map drawing software for 2024. Maptitude lets you embellish your maps by adding text, symbols, lines, circles, rectangles, images, and other graphics. There is almost no limit to the customizations you can make. You can, for example, use legends and any number of drawing items to enhance a map so that it communicates more effectively and looks more attractive.
Maptitude allows you to customize any element of the map in addition to providing an extensive drawing toolkit. You can control map labels, change map layer styles, design thematics, perform geospatial analysis, and more.
Maptitude empowers you to create visually compelling maps whether on the desktop or on any device or operating system when using the Cloud-based Maptitude Online.
Learn how to use online map drawing tools or download Maptitude for sophisticated map editing.
QGIS is GIS Software, is free, and provides tools for map drawing, and for creating, editing, and customizing maps. It offers a variety of symbology options, allowing users to visually enhance their maps.
QGIS supports a wide range of plugins, making it customizable for various spatial analysis tasks. It also has a user community, for questions on how to use this opensource tool. It is primarily used by GIS professionals.
Google Earth Pro is also free and allows users to draw and customize paths, shapes, and placemarks directly on the globe. It's a user-friendly tool for creating interactive maps with personalized annotations.
Google Earth Pro allows users to import and visualize data alongside Google's vast satellite imagery. It serves as a valuable tool for creating presentations and visualizations.
Scribble Maps is a free online mapping tool that's popular with students, business professionals, and even the military. It lets you add text, shapes, images, and highlights to maps, and customize their style.
However, the free version has some limitations. You can't access all the advanced tools or security features, and your maps are publicly accessible. Plus, there are ads.
ArcGIS Pro provides map drawing capabilities, supporting cartography and layout design. Users can create maps incorporating various elements such as legends, scale bars, and annotations.
ArcGIS Pro integrates with the broader ArcGIS ecosystem, allowing users to leverage additional tools, datasets, and services and is mainly used by GIS professionals.
While known for its geospatial analysis capabilities, GRASS GIS also offers map drawing tools. Users can produce publication-quality maps by customizing colors, styles, and layouts.
As an open-source platform, GRASS GIS offers a suite of modules for advanced geospatial modeling, making it a robust choice for research and academic applications.
MapChart is a free online tool for creating simple custom maps. It's perfect for students, hobbyists, and anyone else on a budget.
MapChart's specialty is regional and country maps, but you can also use it to create maps of any region or country in the world. It's easy to use, even if you're new to mapmaking. You can color code countries and states, add patterns, create legends, and hide certain countries and states. You can also save your maps to work on later or download them to share.
MapChart isn't as powerful as some other mapping software, but it's a great option for simple projects. MapChart also contains ads.
Carto supports map drawing, allowing map creators to design dynamic online maps. It provides tools for customizing styles and adding informative elements. It also integrates with “draw” tools from Leaflet.
Carto's cloud-based platform facilitates map creation and analysis, with the ability to customize the functionality, look, and feel of the interface. It's suitable for businesses that want to develop a location intelligence solution on the Carto platform.
MapInfo Professional is designed as a GIS, allowing users to make thematic maps and customize visual elements. It has a suite of drawing tools in the Annotation Toolbar, as well as geographic editing tools.
MapInfo Professional can create thematic maps and supports spatial SQL queries, enabling map makers to perform complex spatial analysis directly within the application.
Global Mapper enables users to create, edit, and annotate maps. It supports many file formats, making it versatile for data import.
Global Mapper's interface makes it another choice for geospatial professionals. It also offers scripting capabilities for automating repetitive tasks.
Each of these map drawing platforms offers unique capabilities and features that can be used to help organizations customize and personalize their visualizations. However, as shown in the rankings above, Maptitude is the perfect choice for businesses seeking to generate impactful maps that can boost their bottom line.
For those seeking a comprehensive map drawing solution, Maptitude stands out with intuitive tools for freehand drawing as well as for map style and layer customization. With all these great tools, at an unbeatable price point, there's no better map drawing software around.
Learn more about Maptitude to see how you and your team can benefit from mapping software!
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