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Maps · head to head

Felt vs Google Maps Platform

Felt logo

Felt

Maps

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Google Maps Platform logo

Google Maps Platform

Maps

Comprehensive set of APIs and SDKs that allow developers to embed Google

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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; Google Maps Platform free allowances are per service rather than pooled, at 10,000 events a month for dynamic maps, geocoding and autocomplete
  • They diverge on capability: Felt covers Real-time collaboration, Google Maps Platform covers Core Functionality.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Felt and Google Maps Platform actually diverge.

Attributes where Felt and Google Maps Platform differ
AttributeFeltGoogle Maps Platform
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb
FoundedUnknown2005

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Felt

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

Only in Google Maps Platform

  • Core Functionality
  • User Interface

What people use each for

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

Felt

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

Google Maps Platform

  • Embedding dynamic maps, Street View and photorealistic 3D tiles in an applicationnot Felt
  • Route computation, navigation and fleet route optimisationnot Felt
  • Geocoding, place autocomplete and address validationnot Felt
  • Environmental data including weather, solar, air quality and pollennot Felt
  • Geospatial analytics through Earth Enginenot Felt

Where each one falls short

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

Google Maps Platform

  • Free allowances are per service rather than pooled, at 10,000 events a month for dynamic maps, geocoding and autocomplete
  • Dynamic Maps cost $7.00 per 1,000 calls at the entry tier
  • Geocoding and the Directions API both cost $5.00 per 1,000 calls at the entry tier
  • Pricing is tiered by volume, so the effective unit price depends on total monthly usage and is hard to predict in advance
  • Billing is usage based with no flat plan, so a traffic spike is a cost spike

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Google Maps Platform

Free
  • Starter$100/month
    • 50,000 monthly calls
    • Dynamic Maps
    • Geocoding
  • Essentials$275/month
    • 100,000 monthly calls
    • Dynamic Maps
    • Geocoding
  • Pro$1200/month
    • 250,000 monthly calls
    • All Essentials features
    • Address Validation Pro
  • Enterprise$null/month
    • Custom monthly call allowances
    • Maximum flexibility
    • Extensive customization

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Google Maps Platform if

  • You need core functionality.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want user interface.
Google Maps Platform review

Questions people ask

Is Felt or Google Maps Platform better?
Neither clearly leads. Felt starts at Free and Google Maps Platform at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Felt or Google Maps Platform?
Felt starts at Free and Google Maps Platform at Free.
Does Felt or Google Maps Platform run on more platforms?
Felt runs on Web, iOS, Android. Google Maps Platform runs on Web.
Can I use Felt for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Felt best used for?
Felt is most often used for an environmental consultancy that needs a client to view and comment on survey results without installing gis software, a utility field crew collecting asset condition offline and syncing to the same map the office is looking at, a planning department sharing a proposal map with the public where the viewer count is unpredictable and viewer seats would be uncosted, a team of analysts who each hold data in different formats and want one map assembled in an afternoon rather than a week. Of those, an environmental consultancy that needs a client to view and comment on survey results without installing gis software and a utility field crew collecting asset condition offline and syncing to the same map the office is looking at are not what Google Maps Platform is typically brought in for.
What can Felt do that Google Maps Platform cannot?
Felt covers Real-time collaboration, Drag and drop data, Unlimited viewers, Field app with offline support. Google Maps Platform covers Core Functionality, User Interface.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Felt: What does Felt cost?

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

Google Maps Platform: How much does Google Maps Platform cost?

Google Maps Platform offers subscription plans starting at $100/month for the Starter plan (50,000 calls), $275/month for Essentials (100,000 calls), and $1,200/month for Pro (250,000 calls). Enterprise pricing is custom.

Source
Felt: Can I pay monthly?

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

Google Maps Platform: Is there a free tier for Google Maps Platform?

Yes, Google Maps Platform provides a free tier with 10,000 calls per SKU monthly for Essentials and Pro products, plus automatic volume discounts starting at 20% for usage exceeding 100K monthly requests.

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.

Google Maps Platform: What API products are included in each Google Maps tier?

Starter includes Dynamic Maps and Geocoding. Essentials adds Autocomplete, Geolocation, Place Details, Time Zone, Routes, Air Quality, Solar API, and Weather. Pro adds Address Validation, Places Aggregate API, Nearby Search Pro, Text Search Pro, Immersive Maps, Aerial View, Elevation, Route Optimization, and Pollen.

Source
Felt: Is there a nonprofit discount?

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

Google Maps Platform: Do new Google Maps Platform customers get any trial credits?

Yes, new customers receive $300 in trial credit toward their Google Maps Platform usage.

Source
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