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Maps · head to head

Felt vs OpenLayers

Felt logo

Felt

Maps

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
OpenLayers logo

OpenLayers

Maps

High-performance, feature-packed JavaScript library for creating interactive maps on the web with

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; OpenLayers no commercial support included; community-driven library
  • They diverge on capability: Felt covers Real-time collaboration, OpenLayers covers Core Functionality.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Felt and OpenLayers actually diverge.

Attributes where Felt and OpenLayers differ
AttributeFeltOpenLayers
Pricing modelquoteopen-source
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb

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 OpenLayers

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

OpenLayers

  • Embedding interactive maps showing store locations on retail websitesnot Felt
  • Visualizing GPS tracking data for delivery routes on web dashboardsnot Felt
  • Creating choropleth maps displaying regional sales performancenot Felt
  • Building mapping interfaces for real estate property searchesnot 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

OpenLayers

  • No commercial support included; community-driven library

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

OpenLayers

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the OpenLayers 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 OpenLayers if

  • You need core functionality.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want user interface.
OpenLayers review

Questions people ask

Is Felt or OpenLayers better?
Neither clearly leads. Felt starts at Free and OpenLayers at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Felt or OpenLayers?
Felt starts at Free and OpenLayers at Free.
Does Felt or OpenLayers run on more platforms?
Felt runs on Web, iOS, Android. OpenLayers 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 OpenLayers is typically brought in for.
What can Felt do that OpenLayers cannot?
Felt covers Real-time collaboration, Drag and drop data, Unlimited viewers, Field app with offline support. OpenLayers 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.

OpenLayers: How much does OpenLayers cost?

OpenLayers is completely free, open source JavaScript library released under the 2-clause BSD License (FreeBSD License) with no cost for use, modification, or distribution.

Source
Felt: Can I pay monthly?

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

OpenLayers: What license does OpenLayers use?

OpenLayers is released under the 2-clause BSD License (also known as the FreeBSD License), allowing free use, modification, and distribution.

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.

OpenLayers: Can I use OpenLayers commercially?

Yes, OpenLayers is free to use commercially without any licensing fees. The open source license permits commercial use without restriction.

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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