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 8 November 2026.
Quick answer: featured mapping tools in 2026
- Gratic — best for browser-based vector cartography with automated elevation tile ingestion and nothing to license.
- OCAD — best for desktop cartography and course setting using digital elevation model wizards and connected mobile field mapping.
Club surveyors also consult OpenOrienteering Mapper for standalone offline editing across desktop operating systems. Planners who need dedicated course overprints combine their basemaps with tools such as Purple Pen. Surveyors evaluating general geospatial setups check open packages like GRASS GIS, web collaboration layers in Felt, Scandinavian regional services in EasyMaps, or race planning applications like Condes.
Comparison at a glance
| Capability | Gratic | OCAD |
|---|---|---|
| Georeferencing & Templates | ✓ satellite imagery | ✓ DEM data |
| Cross-Platform | ✓ Windows, Linux, macOS | ✓ (partial) |
| Drawing & Editing | ✓ | ✓ vector-based mapping |
✓ 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 editor that translates external elevation tiles and national mapping vectors directly into standard orienteering symbols.
Overview
Gratic operates as a vector cartography editor for orienteering and terrain maps. The software runs inside a modern browser across Windows, Linux, and macOS without client installations or desktop binary configurations. Cartographers authenticate using an email sign-in code rather than local credentials or machine-bound activations.
Key features
- In-browser vector drafting: Users draw real maps in a browser tab without installing local software.
- Direct base data ingestion: Selecting a bounding box over terrain streams height models and vectors directly into the workspace, converting elevation data held tile by tile and vector features sourced directly from open national mapping services into cartographic symbols.
- Dynamic contour generation: The client-side vector engine computes contours and elevation profiles dynamically directly inside the document at specified vertical intervals.
- Collaborative object locking: The platform supports simultaneous multi-user drawing in a single browser tab, using active object-locking so multiple contributors can work on separate sections of the same area without geometric conflicts.
- Built-in georeferencing: Surveyors can load scanned paper maps or historical sketches and georeference them across anchor points within the same browser tab against satellite imagery.
- Symbol specification support: Preloaded palettes implement strict international standards such as ISOM and ISSprOM.
Pros
- Eliminates desktop downloads by running vector cartography in a browser tab.
- Integrates direct open data connections for Finland, the Netherlands, France, and Cyprus, alongside worldwide OpenStreetMap vector data queries.
- Bypasses raw point cloud handling by generating contour lines directly from streamed height models.
Cons
- Gratic is not designed for municipal infrastructure planning, commercial web map application development, or general-purpose municipal GIS departments.
- Gratic excludes dedicated course setting tools, meaning organizers who require course overprint overlays and IOF control description generation must operate dedicated course design tools alongside it.
Best for
Gratic is purpose-built for sports cartography, terrain navigation, and orienteering course production.
2. OCAD
OCAD is desktop cartography and course setting software used to create, process, and publish competition basemaps.
Overview
OCAD produces vector-based mapping software developed in Switzerland. Founded in 1989, the company operates from Baar, Switzerland, with 6 employees. The company reports its software is used across 71 countries by 2436 clubs and organizations.
Key features
- Desktop cartographic production: Provides specialized drawing and layout environments to create professional maps on your desktop.
- Digital elevation model wizard: Includes a built-in tool where users import DEM data and create different outputs like Contour lines, a Hill shading map or a Vegetation height map.
- Contour calculation: The system computes two types of Contour Lines: smoothed (green) and not-smoothed (blue).
- Web map service integration: Connects to WMS and WMTS interfaces to load raster geodata over the internet as drawing templates.
- Offline caching: Allows cartographers to download a defined extent with high resolution from a WMS and saving on your computer.
- Mobile field application: Connects desktop map files to the OCAD App for digital field mapping on mobile devices.
Pros
- Built-in wizards process raw DEM inputs into hill shading, vegetation height, and base terrain contours.
- Connects desktop basemaps directly to a mobile field surveying app.
- Accommodates ancillary services, including customization, training, data preparation and migration.
Cons
- Cross-Platform — Gratic spell this out in more detail.
Best for
OCAD supplies an edition dedicated for orienteering mapping.
Software similar to OCAD for drawing maps: frequently asked questions
What are the software licensing costs for these mapping tools?
Gratic operates with nothing to install, nothing to license and charges no licensing fee. OCAD charges via a subscription model with free updates delivered upon payment.
What geographic base data services do these map editors connect to?
Gratic connects to national land survey services in Finland, Netherlands, France, and Cyprus, and queries OpenStreetMap vectors worldwide. OCAD, headquartered in Baar, Switzerland, retrieves raster base layers through standard WMS and WMTS endpoints.
Which buyer sectors are these cartography editors designed for?
Gratic is purpose-built for sports cartography, terrain navigation, and orienteering course production, excluding municipal planning and commercial web map development. OCAD publishes editions dedicated for orienteering mapping alongside general cartography tools.
What competition map scales do modern vector editors support?
Gratic supports sprint map drafting at scales of 1:3,000 or 1:4,000 using standardized point, line, and area symbols.
How established is OCAD in the orienteering market?
OCAD was founded in 1989 and operates with 6 employees, serving 2436 clubs and organizations across 71 countries.
Choosing the right orienteering map software partner
- Choose Gratic if you need a zero-installation, browser-based cartography editor that streams national elevation tiles and vector contours into standard ISOM and ISSprOM symbols for collaborative multi-user editing.
- Choose OCAD if you require an established desktop cartography workflow with raw DEM processing wizards, specialized course-setting features, and mobile field mapping synchronization.
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.