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Maps · head to head

Kepler.gl vs NexTraq

Kepler.gl logo

Kepler.gl

Maps

Powerful open-source geospatial analysis tool for large-scale datasets, enabling beautiful data visualizations without coding

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
NexTraq logo

NexTraq

Fleet Management

US small-fleet telematics now absorbed into Michelin Connected Fleet

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Kepler.gl kepler.gl is a free open source library with no vendor-sold edition; confirmed by the absence of any App Store, marketplace or G-Cloud listing, support is limited to community GitHub issues rather than a purchased SLA.; NexTraq the NexTraq brand has been absorbed into Michelin Connected Fleet, so the product name, the account team and eventually the platform underneath you are all subject to a consolidation plan you have no say in.
  • They diverge on capability: Kepler.gl covers Core Functionality, NexTraq covers Vehicle tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kepler.gl and NexTraq actually diverge.

Attributes where Kepler.gl and NexTraq differ
AttributeKepler.glNexTraq
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryMapsFleet Management

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Kepler.gl

  • Core Functionality
  • User Interface

Only in NexTraq

  • Vehicle tracking
  • Hours of service
  • Fuel and idling reporting
  • Maintenance scheduling
  • Job dispatch
  • Driver scorecards

What people use each for

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

Kepler.gl

No use cases recorded yet. See the Kepler.gl review.

NexTraq

  • A North American trades or field service fleet that wants tracking, dispatch and ELD compliance from one mid-market vendornot Kepler.gl
  • An operator already buying Michelin tyres and fleet services that can negotiate telematics into a wider commercial agreementnot Kepler.gl
  • A fleet replacing an ageing tracking system that values an owner with a large corporate balance sheet over a venture-funded challengernot Kepler.gl
  • A distribution business needing straightforward fuel and idling reporting to justify a driver behaviour programmenot Kepler.gl

Where each one falls short

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

Kepler.gl

  • Kepler.gl is a free open source library with no vendor-sold edition; confirmed by the absence of any App Store, marketplace or G-Cloud listing, support is limited to community GitHub issues rather than a purchased SLA.

NexTraq

  • The NexTraq brand has been absorbed into Michelin Connected Fleet, so the product name, the account team and eventually the platform underneath you are all subject to a consolidation plan you have no say in.
  • Michelin is merging three separately engineered telematics products, which historically means feature freezes on the older platforms and a migration that existing customers pay for in disruption rather than cash.
  • The feature set is mid-market and unexceptional, so it rarely wins a technical evaluation against Geotab or Samsara on capability alone.
  • Contracts bundle hardware into multi-year terms, so a fleet that shrinks or is acquired continues paying for devices, and early exit triggers hardware recovery costs.
  • The integration ecosystem is small and the API is not a selling point, so connecting telematics data to job costing or payroll usually means custom work or scheduled file exports.

Pricing, plan by plan

Kepler.gl

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Kepler.gl review.

NexTraq

On request
  • NexTraq$undefined/year
    • Per vehicle subscription with hardware bundled into the term
    • Multi-year agreements are standard
    • ELD and dispatch modules priced as tiers

Which should you pick?

Choose Kepler.gl if

  • You need core functionality.
  • You also want user interface.
Kepler.gl review

Choose NexTraq if

  • You need vehicle tracking.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want hours of service.
NexTraq review

Questions people ask

Is Kepler.gl or NexTraq better?
Neither clearly leads. Kepler.gl starts at On request and NexTraq at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kepler.gl or NexTraq?
Kepler.gl starts at On request and NexTraq at On request.
Does Kepler.gl or NexTraq run on more platforms?
Kepler.gl runs on Web. NexTraq runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What can Kepler.gl do that NexTraq cannot?
Kepler.gl covers Core Functionality, User Interface. NexTraq covers Vehicle tracking, Hours of service, Fuel and idling reporting, Maintenance scheduling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

NexTraq: Is NexTraq still a separate company?

No. Michelin bought it in 2017 and has folded it into Michelin Connected Fleet, together with Masternaut in Europe and Sascar in Brazil.

NexTraq: Will my NexTraq system be migrated to a different platform?

Assume so, eventually. Ask directly what the migration timetable is, what happens to historical data, and who bears the cost of re-fitting or re-configuring devices.

NexTraq: Does buying Michelin tyres get me a better telematics price?

It is worth testing. The commercial logic of the acquisition is bundling vehicle services, and that is where discounting is most likely to be available.

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