Author: Stewart Berry
19 January 2024
Territory mapping software has become an invaluable tool for businesses. But with the sheer number of territory mapmaking platforms now available, it can be difficult to find the best one to suit your needs. Here I have compiled a comparative and comprehensive assessment of the market.
Each of these platforms provides unique capabilities, ranging from basic mapping to complex territory analysis and data visualization. However, it’s important to understand the pros and cons of each application. Before deciding on which one to use, you should evaluate which features are offered, the pricing, and any advantages or disadvantages. The best sales territory mapping software also provides:
To help you make an informed choice, I’ve compiled a list of the top 25 free and paid territory tools for 2024, along with their positives and negatives. This breakdown of available software provides information to make sure you are selecting the right tool for your specific use case and can be used alongside the customer review assessment.
Territory mapping is a crucial aspect of sales management, offering numerous benefits. These include improved sales efficiency, optimized resource allocation, and enhanced customer targeting. Among the top 25 mapping applications for sales territory mapping, Maptitude stands out as the best choice. Maptitude is a complete package for sales, marketing, and business development professionals.
Maptitude provides a comprehensive suite of tools, data, and demographics designed specifically for sales territory mapping. Its powerful capabilities enable businesses to visualize and manage their sales districts with precision. Maptitude offers advanced optimization and visualization tools such as those for automatically balancing hierarchies (e.g., territories, districts, and regions) and for handling overlapping territories. These features empower users to identify opportunities and make data-driven decisions.
The maps created are attractive and professional. While you have an unlimited ability to customize the graphics and layers, the maps are immediately presentation ready, providing compelling stories based on your sales data.
With robust routing and territory alignment, Maptitude ensures efficient sales operations. Its user-friendly and wizard-driven interface further enhances usability, making it a top choice for businesses in need of a reliable sales territory mapping solution.
Interested in trying Maptitude? Maptitude offers a free, no risk, 1-month trial (no credit card required!), so you can start mapping now.
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“We use Maptitude extensively for running complex Territory Alignment scenarios. The depth of the product, its total utility and functionality is immense. Import-Export capability with Excel is seamless. It is easy to work with and Maptitude support is second to none. My complements to the Maptitude team: They have created a solid product and it is one of the best software investments we have made as an organization.”
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“Maptitude is helping our organization plan our field service territories and control our travel and response time.”
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Google Maps, the widely used map service, can also be utilized for basic territory creation. On the plus side, it offers an intuitive interface and extensive geographic data. However, it lacks much of the sophistication found in dedicated sales territory mapping software. Instead, it provides a free and accessible option for businesses with the most basic mapping requirements. It also has an extensive API that other entries on this top 25 list leverage to support their competing online tools.
Functionality includes that for drawing lines and shapes, for example. You can save your work to Google My Maps and upload and download your files in the KML/KMZ file format. Not having the ability to track demographics as you manage your boundaries, coupled with simple map shading, may rule Google Maps out of consideration for many managers. If you outgrow Google Maps, Maptitude is a great option to upgrade to, allowing you to import your KML files directly into a new territory layer.
Google Earth, although primarily known as a virtual globe and aerial imagery platform, can also be utilized for basic territory mapping. KML/KMZ file support allows the import and export of data, and you can visualize your information in 3D and over satellite photos. The platform is also extensible via the Google Earth Engine API.
It offers an uncomplicated interface and access to extensive background data, allowing businesses to visualize territories in unusual ways. While it may serve as a starting point, businesses with more advanced needs may well be disappointed. Google Earth focuses on visualizing geographic data, and lacks common territory tools, which can limit meaningful insights. If you hit the limits of Google Earth, consider importing your KML files directly into Maptitude territories using a step-by-step wizard.
Mapbox is a platform that provides a range of tools and APIs for developers to build custom applications, including sales territory mapping solutions. It is programmatic and scalable for businesses with more specialized requirements. There are various plugins and datasets available such as Boundaries, that you can build your custom tools on using the GeoJSON file format.
There are many MapBox powered services that you can partner with. But the learning curve for programmatically utilizing Mapbox yourself may be steep for some users, while there are additional costs involved in contracting with third parties to do the development work for you.
Esri is a large company that offers a suite of tools for sales territory mapping. Esri ArcGIS provides advanced spatial analysis and allows users to create and manage territories, perform complex analyses, and visualize sales data. ArcGIS is a complete geographical information system (GIS), with additional paid add-ons for those wishing to perform business analysis. The tools range from those for environmental analysis, utilities, and 3D landscapes, to those for network planning and creation.
The Esri ecosystem is deep and wide, providing something for everyone. But the platform's licensing costs, and complexity, may be a barrier for businesses without a dedicated geo-team, or for those with limited geo-technical resources.
Mapline offers basic sales territory mapping. It allows users to import and visualize tabular data, create territories, and perform basic analysis. The software supports a variety of political and postal boundaries as building blocks for sales regions.
Mapline is a user-friendly option suitable for simple needs, supporting filtering by color, heat maps, and other standard ways to present data. Pricing has historically been about average for the market but is now only available as part of the sales process.
RealZips integrates with Salesforce, providing territory mapping within the CRM system. It offers tools for creating, visualizing, and managing territories based on a Google Maps background. RealZips allows businesses to manage and align territories within Salesforce, enhancing sales productivity and performance. There are various add-ons and demographic data products that are available.
While a useful Salesforce plugin that utilizes the attractive Google Maps UI, the software is limited primarily to Salesforce users, excluding businesses that use other CRM platforms. In addition, visual territory management appears limited to push-pin locations, rather than actual boundary maps, with templates for territories being sold at additional, and not insignificant, cost via RealDatasets.
eSpatial offers robust sales territory mapping, but at a notably higher price point than most other offerings. It provides an online interface and a range of tools for creating and managing territories, including hierarchies. eSpatial allows users to import and analyze location data, visualize sales territories, and optimize routes for efficient sales operations. It also offers reporting and analytics, enabling insights into sales performance and growth opportunities.
Unlike a product such as Maptitude, eSpatial offers functionality add-ons at additional cost, rather than providing a single integrated package. The functionality to support complex territory management is hard to make seamless and flexible in a web interface, where smooth navigation and workflow are important.
MapBusinessOnline offers tools for creating and managing territories, allowing users to assign sales territories based on various criteria. MapBusinessOnline also provides demographic data overlays, helping businesses gain an understanding of their target markets. It includes Esri map background tiles.
Simplicity is the focus of the software, but as a result it may lack options found in more robust applications and is limited to 3-tier territory hierarchies. However, it can still be useful for applications ranging from ZIP Code visualizations to sharing maps.
Spotio offers functions tailored specifically to field sales teams. It provides an interface that enables users to create and manage territories and push-pin customers. Spotio allows for real-time tracking of sales reps' locations and activities, providing insights into sales performance. The platform also integrates with CRM systems, streamlining data management.
The application may have a less extensive and simpler territory toolkit than other systems. The free-form approach to territory hierarchies may be overwhelming for users, lacking a clear-cut approach to the territory-district-region structure. Pushpin handling and responsiveness, especially when out in the field, have been pain-points for customers. But overall users appear happy with the ability to track and record sales leads and visits.
Scribble Maps allows users to draw and visualize territories on Google Maps. Scribble Maps is another simple and cost-effective option for those with specific needs, here being the ability to freehand draw on a map and share the results.
The clear and flexible nature of the offering, which are its bestselling points, means that data analysis and optimization are limited.
Unlike other applications that have limited support for alignments, or that integrate such features as part of a larger toolkit, Alignmix is designed specifically for sales territory management. It offers a range of features for visualizing, balancing, and optimizing sales territories. Alignmix allows users to import and analyze location data, create custom territories, and perform advanced analyses. Alignmix helps businesses optimize their sales territories but appears to only support 3 hierarchy levels and has limits on the number of territories that can be optimized.
Worthy of note is that the application is pricey versus the market. In addition, territories don’t exist in isolation. Most companies require additional features to better understand how to manage their sales reps and manager distributions, such as routing tools.
Xactly AlignStar focuses on providing territory management and alignment solutions for businesses. It supports creating, visualizing, and optimizing sales territories. Xactly AlignStar allows users to assign territories based on predefined rules and criteria, ensuring fairness and efficiency. The platform also provides analytics and reporting tools, enabling businesses to track sales performance.
This is a strong product offering and if there are any down sides to it, customer reviews point to an aging interface design, a steep learning curve, and a high cost for the enterprise edition that is required when plotting more than 50 territories.
Maptive provides a basic interface and standard features for creating and managing territories. Maptive allows users to import location data, draw freehand territories, and create territories from groups of boundaries. While it may not offer the same level of professional functionality as other mapping applications, Maptive is a great option for businesses with simpler territory mapping needs.
Analytical tools may be limited when compared to more specialized territory applications, seemingly lacking the ability to create hierarchies such as the territory-district-region relationship. Pricing is on the higher end of the scale, especially for small teams.
Geopointe integrates with Salesforce, providing territory mapping within the CRM system. It offers tools for managing territories integrated with Salesforce objects. The Salesforce integration necessitates familiarity with the operation and structure of the CRM, while the mapping side can be seen as simplistic when compared to other professional territory tools.
Geographic areas can be interactively selected or identified from lists “copy and pasted” into the tool. Geopointe supports users who need to analyze location data, optimize routes, and track sales performance within Salesforce. Pricing is tiered, with limits on the base package such as the number of territories that can be created.
MapInfo Pro is a venerable desktop mapping application, with its current parent company being Precisely. It has a territory toolkit under the unusual title of “redistricting”, a term normally reserved for pollical boundary management in the USA. MapInfo supports tools such as Voronoi diagrams and balancing of districts based on variables such as sales value.
MapInfo Pro is a powerful option for businesses with advanced mapping needs. MapInfo provides for importing and analyzing location data and performing complex spatial analyses. The software may have a steeper learning curve and require more technical expertise than other products that have explicit tools for sales management.
Carto is a mapping platform that offers a range of tools for spatial analysis and data visualization. It provides an API for creating, managing, and analyzing territories, and can be set up with dashboard style interfaces. There is a nice library of various plugins for specific tasks and for operations such as linking to a particular CRM.
Carto's scalability makes it suitable for businesses with the technical expertise and technology stack to deploy it. The platform's technical requirements can be relatively high, making it less accessible for some organizations, especially those without programming skills.
QGIS (Quantum GIS) is an open-source desktop software that offers spatial analysis, including area mapping. It provides tools for working with polygonal vector layers and features. It is first and foremost a geographical information system (GIS). QGIS is a cost-effective option suitable for businesses with advanced GIS and geospatial data technical capabilities. While free, and with extensive capabilities, the additional costs incurred to repurpose the product for commercial needs should be considered.
The software's interface may be harder to use than those of commercial products and initial data collection and startup time is likely to be longer than out-of-the-box or online solutions. There are open source and commercial plugins for QGIS that support various aspects of the boundary alignment process, with varying levels of support and complexity.
Anaplan is first and foremost a sales performance management application. A map view does not appear to be the primary element in how Anaplan manages territories. However, it has a variety of apps that add functionality to the platform, providing dynamic territory modeling and advanced analytics, as well as scenario “what if” simulation.
There may be a high learning curve due to the platform's sophistication and potential challenges in the lack of an intuitive map driven interface.
GeoMetrx focuses on providing sales and franchise territory mapping solutions. It emphasizes online ZIP Code mapping and reporting of demographics for the USA. GeoMetrx provides census and market reports, enabling businesses to gain insights into their target markets.
The organization appears to be a geospatial consulting group, that partners with others such as MapBusinessOnline to provide their mapping platform.
Yellowfin is a business intelligence (BI) platform that also offers mapping. It provides tools for a wide variety of BI operations including analyzing sales performance. With its integrated reporting and analytics, Yellowfin allows businesses to gain insights into their operations and make data-driven decisions.
The software does not explicitly focus on mapping, rather featuring it as an additional tool in a larger toolset. Yellowfin version 7.1 touted new location analytics functionality, and they currently emphasize Yellowfin’s own built-in mapping capability and the ability to use Google Maps API as part of a broader data visualization feature set.
ZeeMaps allows users to create territories by drawing shapes on the map or by grouping highlighted regions. It is another entry level application that uses Google Maps as the map background. You can import point location data from a variety of formats including Excel, Google Spreadsheets, KMZ, and CSV. You can also perform basic analyses such as route planning and data aggregations.
The software's features and settings are a good fit for organizations that are leveraging sales territory tools in basic ways. Because of this, the toolset is more limited than in more substantial mapping applications.
Badger Maps is a mobile mapping and routing application specifically designed for field sales teams. It provides tools for visualizing and optimizing sales, managing routes, and tracking customer visits, and offers integration with CRM systems.
Apart from issues related to some users finding that the mobile application's performance and reliability can vary depending on network connectivity, the tool does not appear to have any explicit territory boundary mapping capabilities. The functionality appears to be focused on push-pin mapping and routing related tasks and, so while a good product, its rank reflects this.
BatchGeo is a web application for importing location data and creating sales maps. It is highly focused on pin-mapping (or "geocoding") of lists of locations or addresses. It offers simple analysis tools and charting and does not have explicit territory tools. In fact, it does not appear to support boundary mapping of customer data at all. BatchGeo is a straightforward choice for low-level and point-based mapping. The maps and navigation buttons are reassuringly familiar, being based on Google Maps.
Mapme enables users to create and share custom maps. It offers an intuitive interface and storytelling features, coupled with the ability to add sophisticated items such as 3D buildings. Territory visualizations appear to be possible using Mapme, although they do not seem to be a major focus for its clients.
The software's functionality is minimal for data-driven sales management. Limited numbers of point locations that can be mapped and there is a focus on styles rather than information. The graphics and presentation are professional and attractive, but the price is actually on the higher side.
As shown in the rankings above, Maptitude is the perfect choice for businesses seeking to generate impactful maps that can boost their bottom line.
There are many advantages to using Maptitude to align your territories, whether for business development and management in healthcare, banking, retail, franchising, field sales, marketing, or for any other geographic-based analysis.
Maptitude lowers the burden required for territory optimization and for managing ongoing territory alignments. While many factors go into a territory plan business model, Maptitude ensures that you maximize use of your time and are easily able to explain your findings to others.
Learn more about Maptitude to see how you and your team can benefit from mapping software!
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