Scribble Maps

Scribble Maps suits people who need to build maps from location data, analyze them, and share or embed the result. It is particularly useful for collaborative projects and web apps that need a map-selection workflow, though the free tier is tightly capped and encrypted maps lose several conveniences.

Overview

This mobile-ready web platform combines map authoring with data import, annotation, analysis, and sharing. It accepts place-related spreadsheets and geodata in CSV, GeoJSON, and KML, and lets multiple users work on a map simultaneously. That makes it a practical fit for teams assembling maps from their own data; someone who only needs a simple static map may not benefit from its broader toolkit.

The free account allows five lifetime map saves, and deleting a map does not restore a slot. Free products do not include a commercial license, while paid products do. Users retain copyright in submitted content, but public maps may be indexed and licensed to third parties, including AI companies; unlisted maps are excluded from those arrangements. Those terms make map visibility and intended use important choices, not afterthoughts.

Key features

Drawing and analysis

Markers, lines, circles, donut polygons, and drive-time polygons support different ways to annotate locations and define areas. Data filters and heat maps help surface patterns in location data, while measurement and route optimization add analytical functions. This breadth is valuable when a map needs to explain or support a decision, rather than simply show where places are.

Sharing, encryption, and app integration

Maps can be shared or embedded in a webpage through an iframe, and simultaneous editing supports group work. The Connect Map Picker extends the platform into other web apps, returning user map data in formats including GeoJSON, KML, CSV, GPX, DXF, and Shapefile. Developers building map-enabled workflows have a more specific reason to choose Scribble Maps than users who only need to publish a finished map.

Encrypted maps use AES-256 with PBKDF2, with encryption and decryption happening on the user's computer rather than on Scribble Maps servers. That gives the user control over the encryption password, but also makes it essential to keep it safe: Scribble Maps cannot recover a forgotten password. Encrypted maps do not support server-generated images, exports to the listed file formats, or autosave, so this mode is a poor fit for workflows that depend on those functions.

The Google Sheets live data connector is available on Pro Business and requires latitude and longitude, not addresses alone. It is therefore a better match for teams whose spreadsheet data is already geocoded than for those expecting address-only sheets to feed directly into live maps.

Pricing

Scribble Maps is freemium, with a seven-day trial and a published starting figure of $14/mo (annual). The specific annual and monthly plan prices below show their billing terms; paid subscriptions renew automatically.

Plan	Price	Included limits and terms
Free	free	Five lifetime map saves, one user, and 450×450px images. Deleting a saved map does not return a save slot; free products have no commercial license.
Pro Basic — monthly	$19 a month; billed $19/month	Auto-renewing; 500 geocodes/month, 2,500×2,500px images, and 1,500 Google map views/month.
Pro Basic — annual	$168 a year; billed $168/year	Auto-renewing; 500 geocodes/month, 2,500×2,500px images, and 1,500 Google map views/month.
Pro Business — monthly	$100 a month; billed $100/month	Auto-renewing; 5,000 geocodes/month, 11,000×11,000px images, and 5,000 Google map views/month.
Pro Business — annual	$1,080 a year; billed $1080/year	Auto-renewing; 5,000 geocodes/month, 11,000×11,000px images, and 5,000 Google map views/month.

Pro Basic is the sensible paid step for an individual who needs a commercial license and higher image and usage limits but not the Google Sheets connector. Pro Business is for heavier usage or teams that need that connector; it raises monthly geocode and Google map-view allowances and image dimensions, and includes complimentary training and onboarding. Pro customers receive email support with a stated 24-hour response. Free is suitable for a brief evaluation or a small noncommercial map task, but five lifetime saves make it unsuitable as a continuing workspace.

Platforms

Scribble Maps is available on the web and on Android and iOS, with API access for software integrations. Custom branding and private access are supported, and embeds use iframes. Its listed viewer limit is 1,500 viewers/month, a consideration for public-facing embeds with recurring traffic.

Who it's for

Choose Scribble Maps if you need to combine imported geodata with custom drawing and analysis, work on maps with others, or feed map data into a web app. It can also suit organizations publishing embedded maps that need private access or custom branding. Look elsewhere if you need a generous no-cost map library, if an address-only Google Sheets feed is central to the workflow, or if encrypted maps must retain autosave and export support.

Pros and cons

• Pro: CSV, GeoJSON, and KML import plus varied drawing and analysis tools support maps built from real datasets, not only manual annotations.
• Pro: Simultaneous editing, iframe embeds, and the Connect Map Picker cover collaboration and integration needs in one platform.
• Pro: Client-side encryption keeps the password off Scribble Maps servers.
• Con: Five lifetime saves on the free account, with no slot restored after deletion, limits meaningful ongoing use.
• Con: Encryption disables autosave, server-generated images, and listed-format exports, and a lost password is unrecoverable.
• Con: Free products lack a commercial license, and public maps may be indexed and licensed to third parties.

Alternatives

Felt is worth considering for personal use when unlimited maps and sharing matter more than uploading your own data files; its free Personal plan does not allow those uploads and is personal-use only.

Mapotic is another free map-building option, with a Map Builder FREE plan that allows 100 places and includes custom fields, data layers, filters, ratings, and comments; ads may appear.

MapTiler Cloud fits testing, personal, or non-commercial projects that need cloud storage and API requests within its free tier, which includes 5 GB storage, 5k sessions/month, 100k API requests/month, and 100 uploads/month.

Datawrapper is a candidate when charts, maps, or tables for web publishing and embedding are the priority, with PNG downloads and attribution on its free plan.

MapHub may suit a web-only project with modest map contents: its free plan sets limits of 100 items and 100 kB GeoJSON per map, plus 12 images and 2 custom icons.

BatchGeo is an alternative for maps with large marker sets; its Pro plan supports 100,000 markers per map, password protection, 10 users, Street View integration, and PDF, PNG, and KML export at $99 a month.

CARTO is an alternative to consider for a paid, enterprise-oriented mapping option, with cloud and SaaS or self-hosted deployment.

Maptive is another option to compare for mapping software.

For broader comparisons, browse Interactive Map Software, Map Creation Software, and Sales Mapping Software.

Verdict

Scribble Maps is a strong choice for teams and developers who need editable, data-driven maps with analysis tools, collaboration, and web-app integration. Its main advantage is bringing those jobs together in one mobile-ready platform; its main reasons to look elsewhere are the free account's five-save lifetime ceiling and the functional tradeoffs imposed by encryption. Choose a paid plan when commercial use or sustained map work matters, and match the tier to your geocode, image, and Google map-view needs.