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Maps · head to head

CARTO vs Felt

CARTO logo

CARTO

Maps

Location Intelligence Platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Felt logo

Felt

Maps

Collaborative browser mapping with a free non-commercial tier and annual-only paid contracts

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Felt has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: CARTO no prices are published; the committed tiers are all quote-only; Felt felt publishes no prices for Professional or Enterprise, so buyers cannot compare against ArcGIS Online or QGIS with hosting without entering a sales process
  • They diverge on capability: CARTO covers Spatial Analysis, Felt covers Real-time collaboration.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CARTO and Felt actually diverge.

Attributes where CARTO and Felt differ
AttributeCARTOFelt
Starting priceOn requestFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android
Founded2012Unknown

Identical on both: pricing model (quote), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Maps).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in CARTO

  • Spatial Analysis
  • Interactive Maps
  • Data Observatory
  • Workflows
  • APIs
  • Snowflake
  • BigQuery
  • PostgreSQL

Only in Felt

  • Real-time collaboration
  • Drag and drop data
  • Unlimited viewers
  • Field app with offline support
  • Dashboards
  • Live cloud sources
  • API and SDK

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

CARTO

  • Spatial analysis over data already in a cloud warehousenot Felt
  • Building interactive maps and location dashboardsnot Felt
  • Geocoding and routing through location data servicesnot Felt
  • Site selection and territory planningnot Felt
  • Self-hosted geospatial analytics for regulated environmentsnot Felt

Felt

  • An environmental consultancy that needs a client to view and comment on survey results without installing GIS softwarenot CARTO
  • A utility field crew collecting asset condition offline and syncing to the same map the office is looking atnot CARTO
  • A planning department sharing a proposal map with the public where the viewer count is unpredictable and viewer seats would be uncostednot CARTO
  • A team of analysts who each hold data in different formats and want one map assembled in an afternoon rather than a weeknot CARTO

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

CARTO

  • No prices are published; the committed tiers are all quote-only
  • Metered on four separate axes: workflow runs, map loads, API calls and location data service operations
  • API access and tokens are limited on pay-as-you-go and unlimited only from the Strategic tier
  • Self-hosting is available on Enterprise and included only on the Custom tier
  • The 14 day trial explicitly forbids production use

Felt

  • Felt publishes no prices for Professional or Enterprise, so buyers cannot compare against ArcGIS Online or QGIS with hosting without entering a sales process
  • Paid tiers are annual contract only with no monthly option, which excludes consultancies that need a tool for a single short engagement and forces them to the free non-commercial tier they are not licensed to use for client work
  • The API, JavaScript SDK and live warehouse connections are enterprise-only, so a mid-sized team that wants programmatic access has to buy the top tier rather than pay for one capability
  • Analytical depth is limited: there is no meaningful geoprocessing, topology checking or model building, so Felt sits beside a real GIS rather than replacing one
  • The Professional tier caps data processing at 25 GB a month and map views at 100,000 a month, which are easy to exceed with raster imagery or a public-facing map, and the overage terms are not published either

Pricing, plan by plan

CARTO

On request
  • Pay As You Go$null/mo
    • Metered, capped location data services
    • Limited API access and tokens
    • Standard support
  • Enterprise$null/mo
    • Limited location data services with quota
    • Limited API access and tokens
    • Standard or Premium support
  • Strategic$null/mo
    • Unlimited API access and tokens
    • Premium or Elite support
    • Custom branding
  • Custom$null/mo
    • Up to unlimited location data services
    • Unlimited API access and tokens
    • Elite support

Felt

Free
  • PersonalFree
    • Free forever for non-commercial mapping
    • Map creation, upload and sharing
    • Not licensed for commercial use
  • Professional$undefined/year
    • 10 full-access seats with unlimited viewers
    • 25 GB of data processing per month
    • 100,000 map views per month
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Live cloud sources including Postgres, Snowflake, BigQuery, Databricks and S3
    • REST API and JavaScript SDK
    • AI features

Which should you pick?

Choose CARTO if

  • You need spatial analysis.
  • You also want interactive maps.
CARTO review

Choose Felt if

  • You need real-time collaboration.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want drag and drop data.
Felt review

Questions people ask

Is CARTO or Felt better?
Neither clearly leads. CARTO starts at On request and Felt at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CARTO or Felt?
Felt has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for CARTO and Free for Felt.
Does CARTO or Felt run on more platforms?
CARTO runs on Web. Felt runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Felt for free?
Yes. Felt has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. CARTO starts at On request.
What is CARTO best used for?
CARTO is most often used for spatial analysis over data already in a cloud warehouse, building interactive maps and location dashboards, geocoding and routing through location data services, site selection and territory planning. Of those, spatial analysis over data already in a cloud warehouse and building interactive maps and location dashboards are not what Felt is typically brought in for.
What can CARTO do that Felt cannot?
CARTO covers Spatial Analysis, Interactive Maps, Data Observatory, Workflows. Felt covers Real-time collaboration, Drag and drop data, Unlimited viewers, Field app with offline support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CARTO: What CARTO pricing tiers are available?

CARTO offers Pay As You Go (monthly, consumption-based), Enterprise (annual commitment with limited quotas), Strategic (annual with unlimited API access), and Custom (annual with full services for large enterprises). Enterprise and higher require contacting sales.

Source
Felt: What does Felt cost?

Felt does not publish prices for Professional or Enterprise. Personal is free but licensed for non-commercial use only.

CARTO: Does CARTO have a free version?

CARTO does not advertise a free tier. The Pay As You Go plan requires monthly payments based on consumption with capped services.

Source
Felt: Can I pay monthly?

No. Paid plans are annual contracts. There is a 7 day trial of Professional.

CARTO: What is included in the CARTO Strategic plan?

Strategic tier includes unlimited API access and tokens, premium or elite support, custom branding, audit logs, and usage metrics. It requires an annual commitment and custom pricing quote.

Source
Felt: Do viewers cost anything?

No. Viewer access is unlimited on the paid plans, which is the main reason organisations with large map audiences choose it.

Felt: Is there a nonprofit discount?

Yes, 30 per cent for verified United States nonprofits, and free access for verified students and classrooms.

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