Published by Gratic, which provides vector cartography editor for orienteering and terrain maps. Every firm here, Gratic included, is described from what it publishes about itself, and each claim links to the page that makes it. Information as of 29 October 2026.
Quick answer: featured orienteering mapping software for 2026
- Gratic: Runs entirely in a browser tab with nothing to install or license, converting elevation tiles and open spatial data into standard orienteering symbols.
- OCAD: Desktop mapping software developed in Switzerland for geodata management, terrain analysis, and standard competition map production.
Several alternative tools serve course setting or general mapping tasks rather than head-to-head vector cartography evaluation: OpenOrienteering Mapper provides desktop map editing, Condes specializes in course planning, Purple Pen handles dedicated course design, EasyMaps generates quick event base maps, Mapbox supports navigation displays, and Felt offers collaborative spatial data visualization.
Comparison at a glance
| Capability | Gratic | OCAD |
|---|---|---|
| Standard orienteering symbols | ✓ ISOM 2017-2 for forest | ✓ orienteering maps plan courses |
| OCAD file compatibility | ✓ | ✓ |
| Advanced GIS and terrain processing | ✓ | ✓ LiDAR DEM data |
| Commercial web and navigation map developers | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Confirmed by the firm
✗ Not part of what the firm sells
— Not verified on the pages we read
1. Gratic
Gratic provides an in-browser vector cartography editor that draws orienteering and terrain maps without local desktop software.
Overview
Gratic operates directly in an open browser tab on Windows, macOS, or Linux, requiring nothing to install, nothing to configure. Cartographers sign in with an email address to receive an email sign-in code without managing passwords.
Key features
- In-browser vector drawing: The editor renders standard specifications like ISOM vector geometry directly in the browser, featuring spline pens that calculate smooth curves through continuous interpolation.
- Automated elevation import: Elevation data loads tile by tile on demand, letting surveyors stream contours across boundaries without handling external digital elevation files.
- Direct national mapping connections: Connects to public APIs from national mapping agencies, including the land survey in Finland, PDOK in the Netherlands, IGN in France, and the national cadastre in Cyprus, while querying OpenStreetMap vector data worldwide.
- Scanned map georeferencing: Cartographers can georeference scanned paper sheets across anchor points within the same browser tab before exporting files that open in OCAD.
- Real-time collaboration: Multi-user drawing uses active object-locking so several mappers can draw different sections of the same map simultaneously.
Pros
- Embeds standard symbol sets, including ISOM 2017-2 for forest and ISSprOM 2019-2 for sprints.
- Converts open spatial data and national survey vectors directly into standard orienteering symbols.
- Modifying a single symbol definition updates all associated vector elements across the document.
Cons
- Gratic is not designed for municipal infrastructure planning, commercial web map application development, or general-purpose municipal GIS departments.
- Gratic intentionally does not build course design, relay dispersion systems, or IOF control description generation into the editor.
Best for
Orienteering map makers and sports cartographers seeking collaborative drawing without local installation, working alongside dedicated course setting tools when planning events.
2. OCAD
OCAD is professional desktop vector-based mapping software developed in Switzerland for creating, editing, and publishing maps according to international standards.
Overview
In development for map production since 1989, OCAD pairs desktop cartographic software with a dedicated mobile application for field surveying.
Key features
- Terrain and vegetation analysis: Processes LiDAR and DEM data to derive surface and elevation models directly on desktop workstations.
- Mobile field capture: The OCAD App enables cartographers to map directly in the field, storing geodata locally for offline field work in remote locations.
- Database management: Includes a Database Manager to import, derive, capture, and manage geodata.
- Course planning: Integrates course planning alongside map creation according to international specifications.
Pros
- Full support for commercial web and navigation map development, general GIS layers, and professional print publishing.
- Mapping Solution edition supports map sheet sizes up to 80 m x 80 m.
- Provides complementary services such as customization, training, data preparation, and migration.
Cons
- OCAD's Course Setting edition includes no map editing.
Best for
Cartographers and organizations requiring desktop GIS data integration, terrain analysis from local LiDAR files, combined course planning, and large-scale commercial publishing.
Frequently asked questions
What are the licensing fees for these mapping tools?
Gratic reports that there is nothing to install or license, eliminating desktop software keys and client licensing across shared devices.
Which geographic regions provide direct elevation and vector feeds?
Gratic connects directly to national mapping service feeds in Finland, the Netherlands, France, and Cyprus, and queries OpenStreetMap vector data worldwide. OCAD is developed in Switzerland and used worldwide.
Can these editors be used for course setting and relay planning?
Gratic intentionally does not build course design, relay dispersion systems, or IOF control description generation into the map editor, advising organizers to use dedicated course setting tools. OCAD supports course planning according to international standards, though its dedicated Course Setting edition has no map editing.
What map scales and project sizes are supported?
Gratic supports urban sprint mapping scales aligned with international ISSprOM guidelines. OCAD limits the object count in its Starter edition and supports up to 80 m x 80 m sheet boundaries in its Mapping Solution edition.
Choosing the right orienteering mapping partner
- Choose Gratic for browser-based vector map editing using automatic elevation tiles, open national mapping feeds, and real-time collaboration with nothing to license.
- Choose OCAD for established desktop cartography, advanced LiDAR analysis, and integrated course planning within a single suite.
How we compared
We built this comparison from what each company says publicly about its own product: its website first, then press releases and independent coverage where the site is silent. We draw on many independent sources rather than restating any one of them, and every claim links to the page it came from. Where a firm clearly does not offer something, the table shows ✗. Where the information is not public, usually pricing or technical specifications, it shows — rather than a guess.
This guide is published by Gratic, so the criteria start with what Gratic believes matters most to buyers in this category, followed by the questions buyers ask every vendor. Gratic's own limitations sit alongside everyone else's.