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Maps · head to head

Felt vs Mapzen

Felt logo

Felt

Maps

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Mapzen logo

Mapzen

Maps

Mapzen was an open-source mapping platform that provided geocoding, routing, and map rendering services

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Felt has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; Mapzen no pricing information published on main product page describing services and features
  • They diverge on capability: Felt covers Real-time collaboration, Mapzen covers Core Functionality.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Felt and Mapzen actually diverge.

Attributes where Felt and Mapzen differ
AttributeFeltMapzen
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelquotefreemium
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb

Identical on both: 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 Mapzen

  • 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 Mapzen
  • A utility field crew collecting asset condition offline and syncing to the same map the office is looking atnot Mapzen
  • A planning department sharing a proposal map with the public where the viewer count is unpredictable and viewer seats would be uncostednot Mapzen
  • A team of analysts who each hold data in different formats and want one map assembled in an afternoon rather than a weeknot Mapzen

Mapzen

  • Mapping platform with vector tiles and terrain datanot Felt
  • Search, routing, and navigation servicesnot 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

Mapzen

  • No pricing information published on main product page describing services and features
  • No clear indication of whether Mapzen is still actively maintained or in legacy status
  • No published tier structure or usage limits visible to potential customers

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

Mapzen

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Mapzen review.

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 Mapzen if

  • You need core functionality.
  • You also want user interface.
Mapzen review

Questions people ask

Is Felt or Mapzen better?
Neither clearly leads. Felt starts at Free and Mapzen at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Felt or Mapzen?
Felt has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Felt and On request for Mapzen.
Does Felt or Mapzen run on more platforms?
Felt runs on Web, iOS, Android. Mapzen runs on Web.
Can I use Felt for free?
Yes. Felt has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Mapzen starts at On request.
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 Mapzen is typically brought in for.
What can Felt do that Mapzen cannot?
Felt covers Real-time collaboration, Drag and drop data, Unlimited viewers, Field app with offline support. Mapzen 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.

Mapzen: What is Mapzen's pricing model for mapping and routing services?

Mapzen does not publish pricing information on its main website. The platform describes various services including map display, search, turn-by-turn navigation, routing (isochrone, map matching, optimized routes), and data products (vector tiles, terrain tiles, elevation data), but no cost details are disclosed.

Source
Felt: Can I pay monthly?

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

Mapzen: What data products does Mapzen offer?

Mapzen offers vector tiles, terrain tiles, and elevation data products. Specific pricing for accessing these data products is not published on the website. Interested customers should contact Mapzen directly for commercial licensing information.

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.

Mapzen: Does Mapzen provide turn-by-turn navigation and routing services?

Yes, Mapzen includes turn-by-turn navigation and routing services including isochrone, map matching, and optimized routes functionality. Pricing and API rate limits for these services are not disclosed on the main website.

Source
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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