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 9 November 2026.
Quick Answer: Featured Cartography Tools for 2026
- Gratic provides a browser-based vector cartography editor for orienteering and terrain maps with nothing to install or license.
- OpenOrienteering Mapper provides open-source desktop cartography software for map drawing and event organisation across desktop platforms.
Firms such as Felt, OCAD, EasyMaps, Purple Pen, ArcGIS Pro, and Condes provide cartographic, course planning, or GIS tools across related mapping workflows.
Comparison matrix
| Capability | Gratic | OpenOrienteering Mapper |
|---|---|---|
| Browser-based execution vs. desktop installation | ✓ browser tab | — |
| Web browser access | ✓ browser tab | — |
| Symbol editor | ✓ | ✓ create new symbols |
✓ Confirmed by the firm
✗ Not part of what the firm sells
— Not verified on the pages we read
Gratic leads on Browser-based execution vs. desktop installation and Web browser access as the only confirmed platform for these criteria in the matrix. Both platforms confirm symbol editor capabilities.
1. Gratic
Gratic is a vector cartography editor that operates in a web browser tab for orienteering and terrain mapping.
Overview
Gratic allows users to draw real maps directly in a browser tab. Access to the editor uses email authentication where a sign-in code arrives without creating a password. The application imports files that open in OCAD, and it handles base map generation by importing elevation tile by tile and vector data from national mapping services. When a user drags a rectangle over forest terrain, the platform delivers roads, streams, and contours directly in standard orienteering symbols.
Approach and Key Features
Gratic features an integrated symbol editor that lets users modify map symbols without leaving the active map tab. Symbol updates apply across instances in the file. The tool focuses on automated ingestion of open vector datasets and elevation tiles, rendering standard orienteering map features directly in the workspace.
Pros
- Ingests elevation tiles tile by tile and vector data from national mapping services (source).
- Generates roads, streams, and contours in orienteering symbols upon selecting an area (source).
- Supports opening files compatible with OCAD (source).
- Symbol editing occurs directly in the browser tab alongside the map (source).
Cons
- Gratic fits less well for general-purpose GIS and municipal mapping departments (source).
- Gratic fits less well for commercial web and navigation map developers (source).
- Gratic operates with nothing to install.
2. OpenOrienteering Mapper
OpenOrienteering Mapper is an open-source mapping program for creating orienteering maps across desktop operating systems.
Overview
OpenOrienteering Mapper develops tools that support the creation of orienteering maps and the organisation of orienteering events. The software runs across Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems. The program provides production capabilities for map drawing and exports vector files in PDF, KMZ, and IOF XML formats.
Approach and Key Features
It includes hardware position support for NMEA sources on Linux and macOS. The program contains a symbol dock widget displaying symbols in a grid, an interactive symbol editor for creating and modifying symbols with real-time length and orientation previews, symbol set replacement dialogs, and HTML reporting tools for symbol sets and colours.
Pros
- Imports template data across raster, vector, geospatial PDF, GPX tracks, and OCD map files (source).
- Contains a dedicated symbol editor with preview functions and HTML symbol set reporting (source).
- Operates across Linux, Windows, macOS, and Android platforms (source).
Best for
OpenOrienteering Mapper states it has been used to produce maps for classical orienteering, MTBO and radio orienteering races.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the software licensing fees for these mapping tools?
Gratic operates with nothing to license. OpenOrienteering Mapper provides a free download of its software and source code without requiring personal data.
What orienteering map types does OpenOrienteering Mapper support?
OpenOrienteering Mapper reports that it has been used to produce maps for classical orienteering, mountain bike orienteering (MTBO), and radio orienteering races.
Choosing the right cartography partner
- Gratic fits cartographers who need browser-based vector cartography with direct ingestion of national mapping service data and elevation tiles in a browser tab.
- OpenOrienteering Mapper fits cartographers who require an open-source desktop application supporting template overlays, GPS inputs, and classical, MTBO, or radio orienteering map production.
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.