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Maps · head to head

Atlas.co vs Transit

Atlas.co logo

Atlas.co

Maps

Browser-based collaborative GIS with published per-seat pricing and a free tier

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Transit logo

Transit

Maps

Public transit trip planning and real-time arrivals for buses, trains and shared bikes and scooters

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Atlas.co analytical depth is a long way short of a mature GIS: there is no serious raster analysis, network analysis, topology editing or geodetic control, so complex work still goes back to QGIS or ArcGIS.; Transit coverage depends entirely on whether the local transit agency publishes a real-time feed, so quality swings sharply between well-funded metro systems and smaller regional operators.
  • They diverge on capability: Atlas.co covers Browser GIS, Transit covers Real-time arrivals.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Atlas.co and Transit actually diverge.

Attributes where Atlas.co and Transit differ
AttributeAtlas.coTransit
Pricing modelPer user per monthFree to riders; revenue from agency data and fare-payment transaction fees
PlatformsWebiOS, Android, Web

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 Atlas.co

  • Browser GIS
  • Workflow builder
  • Geocoding
  • Collaboration
  • Data import
  • Cheap viewer seats
  • Export and embed
  • AI credits

Only in Transit

  • Real-time arrivals
  • Multi-modal trip planning
  • Service alerts
  • In-app fare payment
  • Offline schedules
  • GO transit and micromobility layers

What people use each for

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

Atlas.co

  • A renewables developer screening sites against constraint layers who needs an answer this afternoon and has no GIS analyst availablenot Transit
  • A planning or property team that mainly needs colleagues to view and comment on maps, where $7 viewer seats replace expensive read-only GIS licencesnot Transit
  • A consultancy producing client-facing maps and embeds without maintaining desktop GIS installs across a distributed teamnot Transit
  • An analyst with an address spreadsheet who needs geocoding, buffering and a shareable map without learning a desktop GISnot Transit

Transit

  • A commuter in a city with a well-maintained GTFS-realtime feed wanting live bus and train arrivalsnot Atlas.co
  • A rider comparing a transit trip against a bike share or scooter leg for the last milenot Atlas.co
  • A visitor needing offline-capable static schedules in a city with patchy data coveragenot Atlas.co
  • Someone wanting to buy a transit fare inside the same app used to plan the trip, in supported citiesnot Atlas.co

Where each one falls short

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

Atlas.co

  • Analytical depth is a long way short of a mature GIS: there is no serious raster analysis, network analysis, topology editing or geodetic control, so complex work still goes back to QGIS or ArcGIS.
  • Geocoding and workflow runs are metered per tier, and a single large address batch can exhaust a month’s Pro allowance in one afternoon, forcing an upgrade for a one-off job.
  • The company is at pre-seed stage with roughly $2m raised and a small team, so buyers embedding it in a business process carry meaningful continuity risk.
  • Annual billing is required to get the advertised prices, which removes the flexibility that would otherwise make a young vendor a low-risk trial.
  • There is no offline or field capability at all, so any organisation whose spatial work includes data collection needs a second tool alongside it.

Transit

  • Coverage depends entirely on whether the local transit agency publishes a real-time feed, so quality swings sharply between well-funded metro systems and smaller regional operators.
  • The company earns its revenue by selling agencies a paid analytics product built from rider trip data, which means the free app functions partly as a data-collection layer for a business customer, not only as a public service.
  • In-app fare payment is only available in a limited set of cities, so the headline feature is not something most riders can actually use.
  • Static schedule fallback in low-data cities is only as accurate as the agency last published, and service changes can go unreflected for weeks.
  • The app has no offline routing without a cached area, so it is not reliable for navigation in areas with poor mobile signal.

Pricing, plan by plan

Atlas.co

Free
  • StarterFree
    • 3 projects
    • 3 editors
    • 1 GB storage
  • Pro$23/month
    • 10 projects
    • 10 GB storage
    • 10,000 geocoding runs
  • Team$72/month
    • Unlimited projects
    • Viewer seats at $7 per month
    • 25,000 geocoding runs
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Unlimited storage and workflows
    • 100,000 geocoding runs
    • White-labelled embeds

Transit

Free
  • Rider appFree
    • Real-time arrivals and trip planning
    • No ads shown to riders
    • In-app fare purchase where supported

Which should you pick?

Choose Atlas.co if

  • You need browser gis.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want workflow builder.
Atlas.co review

Choose Transit if

  • You need real-time arrivals.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want multi-modal trip planning.
Transit review

Questions people ask

Is Atlas.co or Transit better?
Neither clearly leads. Atlas.co starts at Free and Transit at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Atlas.co or Transit?
Atlas.co starts at Free and Transit at Free.
Does Atlas.co or Transit run on more platforms?
Atlas.co runs on Web. Transit runs on iOS, Android, Web.
Can I use Atlas.co for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Atlas.co best used for?
Atlas.co is most often used for a renewables developer screening sites against constraint layers who needs an answer this afternoon and has no gis analyst available, a planning or property team that mainly needs colleagues to view and comment on maps, where $7 viewer seats replace expensive read-only gis licences, a consultancy producing client-facing maps and embeds without maintaining desktop gis installs across a distributed team, an analyst with an address spreadsheet who needs geocoding, buffering and a shareable map without learning a desktop gis. Of those, a renewables developer screening sites against constraint layers who needs an answer this afternoon and has no gis analyst available and a planning or property team that mainly needs colleagues to view and comment on maps, where $7 viewer seats replace expensive read-only gis licences are not what Transit is typically brought in for.
What can Atlas.co do that Transit cannot?
Atlas.co covers Browser GIS, Workflow builder, Geocoding, Collaboration. Transit covers Real-time arrivals, Multi-modal trip planning, Service alerts, In-app fare payment.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Atlas.co: How much does Atlas.co cost?

Starter is free, Pro is $23 per user per month and Team is $72 per editor per month with viewers at $7, all billed annually. Enterprise is quoted.

Transit: Does Transit cost anything to use?

No. The rider app is free with no subscription and no ads; the company earns money separately by selling agencies a paid data and communication platform.

Atlas.co: Can it replace ArcGIS or QGIS?

For visualisation, light analysis and sharing, often yes. For raster, network or geodetic work, no.

Transit: Does it work in every city?

No. Coverage depends on whether the local transit agency publishes a GTFS or GTFS-realtime feed; some smaller markets have static schedules only.

Atlas.co: What is the viewer seat?

A read-only seat at $7 per month on the Team plan, intended for stakeholders who consume maps rather than build them.

Transit: Can I buy a bus or train ticket in the app?

Only in cities where the local agency has integrated fare payment; elsewhere you still need the agency app or a physical ticket.

Atlas.co: Where is the company based?

Oslo, Norway. It was founded in 2021 and has raised around $2m in pre-seed funding.

Atlas.co: Is there a free tier?

Yes, Starter gives three projects, three editors and 1 GB of storage with metered geocoding and workflow runs.

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