Maps · head to head
Fused vs SW Maps
Fused
Maps
Serverless Python for geospatial: write a UDF, get a map tile endpoint and an HTTP API
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
SW Maps
Maps
Free Android GIS data collector that pairs with external RTK GNSS receivers
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Fused the price steps are brutal: $20 to $200 to $2,000 a month with no intermediate tier, so a two-person team that outgrows Starter faces a tenfold increase for what is often a modest capacity gap.; SW Maps android only. There is no iOS version and no sign of one, which rules it out for organisations that issue iPhones and iPads to field staff.
- They diverge on capability: Fused covers User defined functions, SW Maps covers Custom feature layers.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Fused and SW Maps actually diverge.
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 Fused
- User defined functions
- Instant tile endpoints
- HTTP API
- Caching
- Workbench
- Data stack connectors
- Public UDF catalogue
- Local execution
Only in SW Maps
- Custom feature layers
- External GNSS support
- Offline basemaps
- Geospatial PDF layers
- Vector import
- Photo and media capture
- Export formats
- NTRIP client
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Fused
- A data team that wants to publish a dynamic layer computed from a large Parquet dataset without standing up and operating a tile servernot SW Maps
- An analyst prototyping against Overture, Sentinel or Census data who needs a working map in an afternoon rather than a data engineering ticketnot SW Maps
- An application that needs a geospatial computation exposed as an HTTP endpoint, where the alternative is a container, a queue and an on-call rotanot SW Maps
- A consultancy delivering an interactive constraint or suitability map to a client, computed live from source data rather than pre-baked into static tilesnot SW Maps
SW Maps
- An NGO or municipal utility mapping water points, pipe networks or road assets on a budget that cannot absorb per-user GIS subscriptionsnot Fused
- A survey team pairing a low-cost RTK receiver with Android tablets to collect centimetre-accurate attributed features without buying field software seatsnot Fused
- A university field course teaching GNSS data collection where every student needs the tool on their own devicenot Fused
- A consultant doing a one-off asset inventory who needs shapefile or GeoPackage output and does not want to start an annual subscription for a three-week jobnot Fused
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Fused
- The price steps are brutal: $20 to $200 to $2,000 a month with no intermediate tier, so a two-person team that outgrows Starter faces a tenfold increase for what is often a modest capacity gap.
- Published tiers do not state the actual compute, storage or request allowances, so the only way to know whether $200 covers your workload is to run it and find out.
- Fused is at pre-seed stage with a small team, and putting a customer-facing map behind a startup’s serverless platform is a continuity risk that a procurement review will flag.
- It is Python-only and assumes competence with cloud-native geospatial formats; there is no path for an analyst who works in a desktop GIS and not in code.
- Serverless execution means cold starts and per-tile latency on uncached views, so a first load of a heavy UDF over a wide area is noticeably slower than a pre-rendered tile set.
SW Maps
- Android only. There is no iOS version and no sign of one, which rules it out for organisations that issue iPhones and iPads to field staff.
- There is no back end: no user management, no central project sync, no audit trail. Data lives on the device until someone exports it, and a lost tablet is lost data.
- No commercial support contract exists, so an organisation with a compliance requirement for vendor support cannot use it for regulated work regardless of technical fit.
- It is maintained by a small consultancy as a side product of its own project work, so the roadmap follows Softwel’s needs and a feature you depend on may never be prioritised.
- Form logic is basic compared with dedicated survey platforms: no meaningful skip logic, validation or multi-user assignment, so complex questionnaires quickly outgrow it.
Pricing, plan by plan
Fused
Free- FreeFree
- Workbench access
- AI assistant
- Local UDF runs
- Starter$20/month
- Secrets management
- Higher compute limits
- Office hours support
- Developer$200/month
- Dedicated jobs
- GitHub integration
- Expanded compute, storage and AI token allowance
- Professional$2000/month
- Team collaboration
- Dedicated training
- Substantially increased usage limits
SW Maps
Free- SW MapsFree
- All features included
- External RTK GNSS support
- Unlimited layers and exports
Which should you pick?
Choose Fused if
- You need user defined functions.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Linux, macOS, Windows.
- You also want instant tile endpoints.
Choose SW Maps if
- You need custom feature layers.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Android.
- You also want external gnss support.
Questions people ask
- Is Fused or SW Maps better?
- Neither clearly leads. Fused starts at Free and SW Maps at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Fused or SW Maps?
- Fused starts at Free and SW Maps at Free.
- Does Fused or SW Maps run on more platforms?
- Fused runs on Web, Linux, macOS, Windows. SW Maps runs on Android.
- Can I use Fused for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Fused best used for?
- Fused is most often used for a data team that wants to publish a dynamic layer computed from a large parquet dataset without standing up and operating a tile server, an analyst prototyping against overture, sentinel or census data who needs a working map in an afternoon rather than a data engineering ticket, an application that needs a geospatial computation exposed as an http endpoint, where the alternative is a container, a queue and an on-call rota, a consultancy delivering an interactive constraint or suitability map to a client, computed live from source data rather than pre-baked into static tiles. Of those, a data team that wants to publish a dynamic layer computed from a large parquet dataset without standing up and operating a tile server and an analyst prototyping against overture, sentinel or census data who needs a working map in an afternoon rather than a data engineering ticket are not what SW Maps is typically brought in for.
- What can Fused do that SW Maps cannot?
- Fused covers User defined functions, Instant tile endpoints, HTTP API, Caching. SW Maps covers Custom feature layers, External GNSS support, Offline basemaps, Geospatial PDF layers.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Fused: What does Fused actually give me?
A Python function becomes a map tile endpoint and an HTTP API on managed infrastructure, with caching, without you running a server.
SW Maps: Is SW Maps really free?
Yes. It is free with no advertising and no paid tier. There is no subscription and no feature paywall.
Fused: How much does it cost?
Free, then $20, $200 and $2,000 per month for Starter, Developer and Professional. Usage allowances are not itemised publicly.
SW Maps: Does it support RTK receivers?
Yes, over Bluetooth or USB serial, with NTRIP correction support, antenna height and per-point fix quality recording.
Fused: Can I run UDFs locally?
Yes, through the Python SDK, which is how most development is done before deploying.
SW Maps: Is there an iOS version?
No. Android only.
Fused: Does it replace PostGIS or BigQuery?
No. It reads from them. Fused is the compute and serving layer, not the store.
SW Maps: Who maintains it?
Softwel, an engineering consultancy in Kathmandu, Nepal, which built it for its own infrastructure projects.
Fused: Is it a mature company?
No. It is a small pre-seed San Francisco company. The technology is real; the vendor risk is real too.
SW Maps: Can we get support?
Not contractually. There is no commercial support agreement, which is the main reason organisations with compliance obligations choose a paid alternative.
Related pages
Other head to heads
- Fused vs Kepler.gl
- Fused vs CARTO
- Fused vs deck.gl
- Fused vs Cesium ion
- Fused vs Lonboard
- Fused vs Global Mapper
- Fused vs Agisoft Metashape
- Fused vs Atlas.co
- Fused vs Correlator3D
- Fused vs Foursquare Spatial Studio
- Fused vs HERE Technologies
- Fused vs QGIS
- Fused vs Emlid Studio
- Fused vs ArcGIS Field Maps
- Fused vs Geographic Calculator
- Fused vs ArcGIS Survey123
- Fused vs Leica Infinity
- Fused vs onX Maps
- Fused vs Felt
- Fused vs IndoorAtlas
- Fused vs Mapbox
- Fused vs Google Maps Platform
- Fused vs Gaia GPS
- Fused vs GraphHopper
- Fused vs GRASS GIS
- Fused vs HERE WeGo
- Fused vs Esri ArcGIS
- SW Maps vs Kepler.gl
- SW Maps vs CARTO
- SW Maps vs deck.gl
- SW Maps vs Cesium ion
- SW Maps vs Lonboard
- SW Maps vs Global Mapper
- SW Maps vs Agisoft Metashape
- SW Maps vs Atlas.co
- SW Maps vs Correlator3D
- SW Maps vs Foursquare Spatial Studio
- SW Maps vs HERE Technologies
- SW Maps vs QGIS
- SW Maps vs Emlid Studio
- SW Maps vs ArcGIS Field Maps
- SW Maps vs Geographic Calculator
- SW Maps vs ArcGIS Survey123
- SW Maps vs Leica Infinity
- SW Maps vs onX Maps
- SW Maps vs Felt
- SW Maps vs IndoorAtlas
- SW Maps vs Mapbox
- SW Maps vs Google Maps Platform
- SW Maps vs Gaia GPS
- SW Maps vs GraphHopper
- SW Maps vs GRASS GIS
- SW Maps vs HERE WeGo
- SW Maps vs Esri ArcGIS