Fleet Management · head to head
NexTraq vs SW Maps
NexTraq
Fleet Management
US small-fleet telematics now absorbed into Michelin Connected Fleet
- From
- On request
- Free plan
- No
SW Maps
Maps
Free Android GIS data collector that pairs with external RTK GNSS receivers
- From
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
The short version
- Only SW Maps has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: 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.; 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: NexTraq covers Vehicle tracking, 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 NexTraq and SW Maps actually diverge.
Identical on both: 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 NexTraq
- Vehicle tracking
- Hours of service
- Fuel and idling reporting
- Maintenance scheduling
- Job dispatch
- Driver scorecards
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.
NexTraq
- A North American trades or field service fleet that wants tracking, dispatch and ELD compliance from one mid-market vendornot SW Maps
- An operator already buying Michelin tyres and fleet services that can negotiate telematics into a wider commercial agreementnot SW Maps
- A fleet replacing an ageing tracking system that values an owner with a large corporate balance sheet over a venture-funded challengernot SW Maps
- A distribution business needing straightforward fuel and idling reporting to justify a driver behaviour programmenot 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 NexTraq
- A survey team pairing a low-cost RTK receiver with Android tablets to collect centimetre-accurate attributed features without buying field software seatsnot NexTraq
- A university field course teaching GNSS data collection where every student needs the tool on their own devicenot NexTraq
- 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 NexTraq
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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.
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
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
SW Maps
Free- SW MapsFree
- All features included
- External RTK GNSS support
- Unlimited layers and exports
Which should you pick?
Choose NexTraq if
- You need vehicle tracking.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want hours of service.
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 NexTraq or SW Maps better?
- Neither clearly leads. NexTraq starts at On request and SW Maps at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, NexTraq or SW Maps?
- SW Maps has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for NexTraq and Free for SW Maps.
- Does NexTraq or SW Maps run on more platforms?
- NexTraq runs on Web, iOS, Android. SW Maps runs on Android.
- Can I use SW Maps for free?
- Yes. SW Maps has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. NexTraq starts at On request.
- What is NexTraq best used for?
- NexTraq is most often used for a north american trades or field service fleet that wants tracking, dispatch and eld compliance from one mid-market vendor, an operator already buying michelin tyres and fleet services that can negotiate telematics into a wider commercial agreement, a fleet replacing an ageing tracking system that values an owner with a large corporate balance sheet over a venture-funded challenger, a distribution business needing straightforward fuel and idling reporting to justify a driver behaviour programme. Of those, a north american trades or field service fleet that wants tracking, dispatch and eld compliance from one mid-market vendor and an operator already buying michelin tyres and fleet services that can negotiate telematics into a wider commercial agreement are not what SW Maps is typically brought in for.
- What can NexTraq do that SW Maps cannot?
- NexTraq covers Vehicle tracking, Hours of service, Fuel and idling reporting, Maintenance scheduling. SW Maps covers Custom feature layers, External GNSS support, Offline basemaps, Geospatial PDF layers.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
SW Maps: Is there an iOS version?
No. Android only.
SW Maps: Who maintains it?
Softwel, an engineering consultancy in Kathmandu, Nepal, which built it for its own infrastructure projects.
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.
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