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Maps · head to head

Felt vs QGIS

Felt logo

Felt

Maps

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Q

QGIS

Maps

Free, open-source desktop GIS application that supports viewing, editing, and analysis of

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; QGIS requires technical knowledge to use effectively for advanced GIS analysis
  • They diverge on capability: Felt covers Real-time collaboration, QGIS covers Core Functionality.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Felt and QGIS actually diverge.

Attributes where Felt and QGIS differ
AttributeFeltQGIS
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelquotefreemium
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWindows, macOS, Linux

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 QGIS

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

QGIS

  • Creating thematic maps showing population density by regionnot Felt
  • Digitizing building footprints from satellite imagery for urban planningnot Felt
  • Analyzing proximity of retail stores to competitor locationsnot Felt
  • Performing spatial analysis of wildlife habitat suitabilitynot 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

QGIS

  • Requires technical knowledge to use effectively for advanced GIS analysis
  • Desktop application does not include built-in web publishing capabilities

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

QGIS

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the QGIS 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 QGIS if

  • You need core functionality.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want user interface.
QGIS review

Questions people ask

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

QGIS: Is QGIS free and open source?

Yes. QGIS is free and open-source software, licensed under the GNU General Public License, available for download and modification by anyone.

Source
Felt: Can I pay monthly?

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

QGIS: What operating systems does QGIS support?

QGIS runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, with installers available for each platform.

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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