Comparison
MapCrafter compared with MapChart
Both tools offer ready-made regional boundaries. MapChart specialises in colouring regions by hand and includes historical and fantasy maps. MapCrafter also imports point, line and polygon data and styles it on street-level vector basemaps. The right choice depends on whether you want manual colouring or a map driven by your own geometry.
MapChart pricing
Free core tools · optional Plus
Verified 2026-10-20 from www.mapchart.net/about.html
Across 8 criteria
2 MapCrafter·1 MapChart·5 even
Counted from the table below, not asserted
What MapChart is
An editor for colouring ready-made world, national, subdivision, historical and fantasy maps, with editable legends and image downloads.
The short version. Choose MapChart for manual region colouring, patterns, historical maps or fantasy map sets.
Feature by feature
8 criteria across data import, rendering, analysis, sharing and price. The Edge column is our own reading and is meant to be contested — 1 rows go to MapChart.
| Criterion | MapCrafter | MapChart | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data and editing | |||
| Ready-made regions | 275 boundary datasets, including world countries, national subdivisions, US counties and congressional districts. Coverage varies by source. | 100+ map sets, including historical and fantasy maps | |
| Manual colouring and patterns | Layer-wide styling and attribute-driven colours; no click-to-paint region editor | Click-to-colour regions, patterns and editable legends | |
| Spreadsheet input | Coordinates, WKT or GeoJSON geometry; addresses can be geocoded | Excel import on selected maps, plus spreadsheet integrations | |
| Custom GIS geometry | KML, KMZ, GPX, GeoJSON, TopoJSON and zipped Shapefile | The standard editor works with its supplied map sets | |
| Rendering | |||
| Points and paths | Bubbles, pins, heatmaps, recorded tracks and imported line networks | Focuses on colouring map regions | |
| Basemap context | Ten vector themes with roads and place labels | Editable regional outlines and backgrounds | |
| Export | |||
| Downloads | PNG and GeoJSON; no SVG export | High-resolution map images | |
| Price | |||
| Current access | Current editor is free; paid subscriptions are planned | Free core tools and optional MapChart Plus | |
MapChart details read from www.mapchart.net/about.html on 2026-10-20. The main map-making tools are free. MapChart Plus adds account-based map saving, favourite colours and an ad-free experience. Check MapChart for current Plus pricing.
Where MapChart is the better choice
Manual regional illustrations
Click-to-colour editing, patterns and an adjustable legend suit maps whose colours are chosen by hand.
Historical and fantasy maps
MapChart includes these specialised sets. MapCrafter’s built-in catalogue covers present-day geographic snapshots.
Where MapCrafter is the better choice
Import your own geometry
Read Excel (.xlsx/.xlsm), CSV/TSV, KML, KMZ, GPX, GeoJSON, TopoJSON or zipped Shapefile, with geometry and attributes kept together.
Style the data on vector basemaps
Choose from 16 basemaps, colour by a column, scale symbols and line widths, or apply a heatmap to point data.
Export geometry as well as an image
The current editor includes PNG at 1×, 2× and 3× and GeoJSON export. Required third-party attribution still applies.
The longer answer
MapChart offers more than 100 map sets and tools for patterns, legends and region isolation. It also supports Excel imports on selected maps, so describing it as unable to read spreadsheet data would be inaccurate.
MapCrafter includes 275 boundary datasets, including world countries, national subdivisions, US counties and congressional districts. Coverage varies by source. Add one through “Add a region map” in the studio, or import a boundary file of your own. These are versioned snapshots, and some small territories have a single outer boundary rather than internal subdivisions.
MapCrafter’s studio does not automatically join a separate region-value spreadsheet to a boundary layer. To colour regions by your own values, import polygons that already carry those attributes. For point data, coordinate columns or an explicit address lookup provide the locations.
MapChart vs MapCrafter: common questions
- Does MapCrafter only include world countries and US states?
- No. It now includes 275 boundary datasets, including world countries, national subdivisions, US counties and congressional districts. Coverage varies by source. This does not mean every local administrative level is available.
- Can I paint individual regions as I can in MapChart?
- Not in the current studio. Use attribute-driven colours or a single layer colour. MapChart is the more direct choice for manual painting and patterns.
- Can both tools use a spreadsheet?
- Yes, in different ways. MapChart supports Excel imports on selected maps. MapCrafter reads coordinates or geometry from a spreadsheet and offers address geocoding; it does not automatically join a separate value table to built-in boundaries.
Still deciding? Try it with your own file.
The free tier includes every import format, all 16 basemap choices, share links and both PNG and GeoJSON export. No card, and nothing to install.
Also see: MapCrafter compared with maps.co
Last checked 2026-10-20. Competitor details were read from their own sites on the date shown and may have changed since.