Softwr

Maps · head to head

SW Maps vs TomTom Developer Portal

SW Maps logo

SW Maps

Maps

Free Android GIS data collector that pairs with external RTK GNSS receivers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
T

TomTom Developer Portal

Maps

TomTom provides mapping and traffic APIs, SDKs, and data products for developers

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only SW Maps has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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.; TomTom Developer Portal default rate limits on self-serve plans are modest at approximately 5 requests per second; higher limits require contracts
  • They diverge on capability: SW Maps covers Custom feature layers, TomTom Developer Portal covers Core Functionality.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which SW Maps and TomTom Developer Portal actually diverge.

Attributes where SW Maps and TomTom Developer Portal differ
AttributeSW MapsTomTom Developer Portal
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feefreemium
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsAndroidWeb, iOS, Android

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 SW Maps

  • Custom feature layers
  • External GNSS support
  • Offline basemaps
  • Geospatial PDF layers
  • Vector import
  • Photo and media capture
  • Export formats
  • NTRIP client

Only in TomTom Developer Portal

  • Core Functionality
  • User Interface

What people use each for

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

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 TomTom Developer Portal
  • A survey team pairing a low-cost RTK receiver with Android tablets to collect centimetre-accurate attributed features without buying field software seatsnot TomTom Developer Portal
  • A university field course teaching GNSS data collection where every student needs the tool on their own devicenot TomTom Developer Portal
  • 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 TomTom Developer Portal

TomTom Developer Portal

No use cases recorded yet. See the TomTom Developer Portal review.

Where each one falls short

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

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.

TomTom Developer Portal

  • Default rate limits on self-serve plans are modest at approximately 5 requests per second; higher limits require contracts
  • Limited POI rich media compared to Google Places; no reviews, photos, or user-generated content
  • Smaller developer community with fewer tutorials and Stack Overflow answers than Google or Mapbox
  • No official Flutter SDK; developers must use third-party plugins for Flutter integration
  • Maps SDK for Web v6 deprecated as of February 2026 with migration required to newer SDK

Pricing, plan by plan

SW Maps

Free
  • SW MapsFree
    • All features included
    • External RTK GNSS support
    • Unlimited layers and exports

TomTom Developer Portal

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the TomTom Developer Portal review.

Which should you pick?

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.
SW Maps review

Choose TomTom Developer Portal if

  • You need core functionality.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want user interface.
TomTom Developer Portal review

Questions people ask

Is SW Maps or TomTom Developer Portal better?
Neither clearly leads. SW Maps starts at Free and TomTom Developer Portal at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, SW Maps or TomTom Developer Portal?
SW Maps has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for SW Maps and On request for TomTom Developer Portal.
Does SW Maps or TomTom Developer Portal run on more platforms?
SW Maps runs on Android. TomTom Developer Portal runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use SW Maps for free?
Yes. SW Maps has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. TomTom Developer Portal starts at On request.
What is SW Maps best used for?
SW Maps is most often used for an ngo or municipal utility mapping water points, pipe networks or road assets on a budget that cannot absorb per-user gis subscriptions, a survey team pairing a low-cost rtk receiver with android tablets to collect centimetre-accurate attributed features without buying field software seats, a university field course teaching gnss data collection where every student needs the tool on their own device, 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 job. Of those, an ngo or municipal utility mapping water points, pipe networks or road assets on a budget that cannot absorb per-user gis subscriptions and a survey team pairing a low-cost rtk receiver with android tablets to collect centimetre-accurate attributed features without buying field software seats are not what TomTom Developer Portal is typically brought in for.
What can SW Maps do that TomTom Developer Portal cannot?
SW Maps covers Custom feature layers, External GNSS support, Offline basemaps, Geospatial PDF layers. TomTom Developer Portal covers Core Functionality, User Interface.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

TomTom Developer Portal: Does TomTom Developer Portal have a free tier?

Yes. TomTom offers a freemium plan with 50,000 tile requests plus 2,500 non-tile requests daily at no cost with no credit card required, and commercial use is permitted.

Source
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.

TomTom Developer Portal: What APIs does TomTom provide?

TomTom provides REST APIs for Maps (display raster or vector maps), Navigation (routing and turn-by-turn), Places (geocoding and POI search), and Traffic (real-time flow and incidents), plus JavaScript SDK and mobile SDKs.

Source
SW Maps: Is there an iOS version?

No. Android only.

TomTom Developer Portal: What JavaScript SDKs are available?

TomTom provides Maps SDK for JavaScript with TypeScript support, a Services library as a wrapper for REST APIs, and mobile integration through NativeScript WebView for iOS and Android.

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.

Share

Related pages

More on SW Maps

More on TomTom Developer Portal

Keep looking

Other head to heads