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SW Maps vs What3words

SW Maps logo

SW Maps

Maps

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
What3words logo

What3words

Maps

What3words has divided the world into 3m squares and given each one

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.; What3words the free API plan includes no coordinate conversion, only AutoSuggest, and is rate limited to 5 requests per second
  • They diverge on capability: SW Maps covers Custom feature layers, What3words 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 What3words actually diverge.

Attributes where SW Maps and What3words differ
AttributeSW MapsWhat3words
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feefreemium
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsAndroidWeb

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 What3words

  • 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 What3words
  • A survey team pairing a low-cost RTK receiver with Android tablets to collect centimetre-accurate attributed features without buying field software seatsnot What3words
  • A university field course teaching GNSS data collection where every student needs the tool on their own devicenot What3words
  • 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 What3words

What3words

  • Referring to a 3 metre square location with three wordsnot SW Maps
  • Adding location entry to a delivery or dispatch appnot SW Maps
  • Converting between coordinates and what3words addresses via APInot SW Maps

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.

What3words

  • The free API plan includes no coordinate conversion, only AutoSuggest, and is rate limited to 5 requests per second
  • Converting to and from what3words addresses starts on the Basic plan at $9.99 per month for 1,000 conversions
  • Priority and developer support require the Standard plan at $45 per month
  • 24/7 phone support requires the Plus plan at $125 per month
  • Custom invoicing and annual payment require the Premium plan at $300 per month
  • Overage pricing is not published; the page states only that a fair usage policy applies
  • The three word address scheme is proprietary and licensed rather than open data

Pricing, plan by plan

SW Maps

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

What3words

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the What3words 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 What3words if

  • You need core functionality.
  • You also want user interface.
What3words review

Questions people ask

Is SW Maps or What3words better?
Neither clearly leads. SW Maps starts at Free and What3words at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, SW Maps or What3words?
SW Maps has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for SW Maps and On request for What3words.
Does SW Maps or What3words run on more platforms?
SW Maps runs on Android. What3words runs on Web.
Can I use SW Maps for free?
Yes. SW Maps has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. What3words 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 What3words is typically brought in for.
What can SW Maps do that What3words cannot?
SW Maps covers Custom feature layers, External GNSS support, Offline basemaps, Geospatial PDF layers. What3words 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.

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.

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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