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Maps · head to head

IndoorAtlas vs Lonboard

IndoorAtlas logo

IndoorAtlas

Maps

Indoor positioning and navigation solutions using the Earth's magnetic field, WiFi, and Bluetooth beacons

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Lonboard logo

Lonboard

Maps

Python map rendering in Jupyter that skips GeoJSON and moves millions of features without choking

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: IndoorAtlas requires labor-intensive fingerprinting process, walking every corridor to build magnetic map for each venue; Lonboard it is a notebook visualisation library, not a mapping application, so there is no editing, no layout, no map export for print and no sharing beyond distributing the notebook or an HTML file
  • They diverge on capability: IndoorAtlas covers Core Functionality, Lonboard covers GeoArrow binary transfer.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which IndoorAtlas and Lonboard actually diverge.

Attributes where IndoorAtlas and Lonboard differ
AttributeIndoorAtlasLonboard
Pricing modelfreemiumOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsiOS, Android, WebLinux, macOS, Windows
Founded2012Unknown

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 IndoorAtlas

  • Core Functionality
  • User Interface

Only in Lonboard

  • GeoArrow binary transfer
  • GeoPandas input
  • deck.gl layers
  • Jupyter widget
  • Large dataset handling
  • Styling by attribute
  • Open source licence

What people use each for

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

IndoorAtlas

  • Routing customers to deals in large retail spacesnot Lonboard
  • Guiding visitors through shopping centers and airportsnot Lonboard
  • Optimizing workplace space with movement analyticsnot Lonboard
  • Tracking dwell times and visitor movement patternsnot Lonboard

Lonboard

  • An analyst exploring a national road or parcel dataset in a notebook where pydeck or ipyleaflet becomes unusable at that sizenot IndoorAtlas
  • A researcher publishing a reproducible analysis where the visualisation must run from the same script as the processingnot IndoorAtlas
  • A data scientist joining spatial data to model outputs in pandas and needing to see the result immediately without exporting to a GISnot IndoorAtlas
  • A team building an internal analysis pipeline on GeoParquet that wants rendering without a serialisation step in the middlenot IndoorAtlas

Where each one falls short

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

IndoorAtlas

  • Requires labor-intensive fingerprinting process, walking every corridor to build magnetic map for each venue
  • Magnetic signatures degrade over time, requiring periodic re-fingerprinting as the environment changes
  • Magnetic interference from external sources and devices disrupts positioning accuracy
  • Positioning inconsistent across different smartphone models due to magnetometer heterogeneity
  • High cost to deploy and maintain, with expensive implementation for wide-scale adaptation

Lonboard

  • It is a notebook visualisation library, not a mapping application, so there is no editing, no layout, no map export for print and no sharing beyond distributing the notebook or an HTML file
  • Maintenance sits with Development Seed as an open source side output of a consultancy, so roadmap priorities follow client projects and there is no support contract to buy
  • Layer coverage is a subset of deck.gl, so an analyst needing a less common layer type has to drop to pydeck or write JavaScript rather than staying in Python
  • It expects data already in GeoPandas or Arrow form, which means the performance benefit depends on the rest of your pipeline being Arrow-friendly; reading a large Shapefile is still the slow step
  • Rendering happens in the browser, so very large datasets are ultimately limited by the client machine's memory and GPU rather than by the server, and a laptop will still fail on data a workstation handles

Pricing, plan by plan

IndoorAtlas

Free
  • TrialFree
    • 1 venue
    • 10 end-users
    • 14 days data retention
  • Develop Lite$59/month
    • 1 venue
    • 20 end-users
    • 30 days data retention
  • Develop$400/month
    • unlimited venues
    • 50 end-users
    • 1 hour monthly support
  • Pro$349/month per venue
    • unlimited venues and end-users
    • supports up to 10,000 m² per venue
    • basic technical support

Lonboard

Free
  • LonboardFree
    • Open source, no licence fee
    • No usage limits
    • Installed from PyPI or conda

Which should you pick?

Choose IndoorAtlas if

  • You need core functionality.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want user interface.
IndoorAtlas review

Choose Lonboard if

  • You need geoarrow binary transfer.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want geopandas input.
Lonboard review

Questions people ask

Is IndoorAtlas or Lonboard better?
Neither clearly leads. IndoorAtlas starts at Free and Lonboard at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, IndoorAtlas or Lonboard?
IndoorAtlas starts at Free and Lonboard at Free.
Does IndoorAtlas or Lonboard run on more platforms?
IndoorAtlas runs on iOS, Android, Web. Lonboard runs on Linux, macOS, Windows.
Can I use IndoorAtlas for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is IndoorAtlas best used for?
IndoorAtlas is most often used for routing customers to deals in large retail spaces, guiding visitors through shopping centers and airports, optimizing workplace space with movement analytics, tracking dwell times and visitor movement patterns. Of those, routing customers to deals in large retail spaces and guiding visitors through shopping centers and airports are not what Lonboard is typically brought in for.
What can IndoorAtlas do that Lonboard cannot?
IndoorAtlas covers Core Functionality, User Interface. Lonboard covers GeoArrow binary transfer, GeoPandas input, deck.gl layers, Jupyter widget.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

IndoorAtlas: How does IndoorAtlas determine positioning without beacons or hardware?

IndoorAtlas uses patented geomagnetic fusion technology that maps the Earth's magnetic field patterns inside buildings through a process called magnetic fingerprinting. The technology combines magnetometer data with other sensors like WiFi and Bluetooth for robust positioning.

Source
Lonboard: Why not just use pydeck?

pydeck serialises geometry to GeoJSON to reach the browser. Lonboard uses a binary GeoArrow pipeline, which is the reason it handles far larger datasets in the same notebook.

IndoorAtlas: What is the initial setup process for IndoorAtlas?

Setup requires fingerprinting the venue by systematically walking through all corridors and spaces to build a magnetic map. The platform then identifies problematic areas through red (conflicting data), blue (insufficient coverage), and path orientation errors that require correction before the map is production-ready.

Source
Lonboard: Who maintains it?

Development Seed, a geospatial engineering consultancy, as an open source project. There is no commercial support offering.

IndoorAtlas: What are IndoorAtlas's pricing plans?

IndoorAtlas offers production subscriptions starting at 349 euros per month per venue, with a development plan at 400 euros per month. A free tier is available for developers to start building.

Source
Lonboard: Does it work outside Jupyter?

It is built as a Jupyter widget. Exporting to standalone HTML is possible, but the intended environment is a notebook.

IndoorAtlas: How accurate is IndoorAtlas positioning?

IndoorAtlas claims industry-leading accuracy down to 50 centimeters using its 6-layer sensor fusion core across diverse environments, though accuracy varies based on building magnetic patterns and requires careful calibration.

Source
Lonboard: Is it free for commercial use?

Yes, it is open source with no licence fee.

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