Best 4 orienteering map software options for clubs in 2026

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 4 November 2026.

Quick Answer: Featured Cartography Software in 2026

1. Gratic — Vector cartography editor running in a browser tab with nothing to install or license.
2. OCAD — Desktop vector mapping suite with built-in LiDAR analysis and course planning modules.
3. OpenOrienteering Mapper — Open-source map drafting toolset supporting standard symbol palettes and geodata formats.
4. Purple Pen — Free visual course setting software designed for overprinting on vector and raster maps.
5. EasyMaps — Web-based orienteering map editor and marketplace for drawing and course publishing.
6. Condes — Graphical course planning environment supporting multi-discipline orienteering formats and event files.
7. ArcGIS Online — Web-based geographic information system supporting spatial data hosting and cloud analytics.
8. Felt — Collaborative mapping platform supporting multi-format spatial uploads and vector rendering.

Comparison at a Glance

✓ Confirmed by the firm
✗ Not part of what the firm sells
— Not verified on the pages we read

1. Gratic

Gratic provides a vector cartography editor for orienteering and terrain maps that runs directly inside an active browser tab.

Overview

Gratic operates as a vector cartography editor for orienteering and terrain maps. The system allows surveyors and club cartographers to work on map files directly within a browser tab without local software installation. To access projects, surveyors sign in with an email address to receive an email sign-in code. The platform runs across Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Key Features

Gratic automates the ingestion of baseline cartographic layers by querying connected repositories. It structures elevation data tile by tile and pulls vector features directly from open national mapping service APIs. Supported national survey endpoints include the land survey in Finland, PDOK in the Netherlands, IGN in France, and the national cadastre in Cyprus, while querying OpenStreetMap vector data worldwide. Height values stream directly into the workspace when a user outlines a survey boundary, computing contours and terrain breaklines on the client side without external digital elevation files.

The vector engine renders international standards such as ISOM 2017-2 for forest and ISSprOM 2019-2 for sprints. The drawing tools use spline interpolation to produce continuous curves across nodes, managing line weights and dot patterns to conform to standard competition specifications. Mappers can import scanned paper sheets, georeference them across anchor points, and export files that open in OCAD. For shared club projects, the editor supports simultaneous multi-user drawing using active object-locking.

Pros

• Connects directly to national mapping service vector feeds and streams elevation data tile by tile.
• Features built-in ISOM and ISSprOM symbols directly inside the document window.
• Supports multi-user drawing within the same document using active object-locking.
• Exports files that open in OCAD for interoperability with external desktop suites.

Cons

• Gratic is not designed for general-purpose municipal GIS departments or municipal infrastructure planning.
• Gratic excludes commercial navigation map development.

Best for

Gratic is best for sports cartography, terrain navigation, and orienteering course production.

2. OCAD

OCAD delivers a comprehensive desktop vector mapping environment designed for professional cartographic production, terrain data analysis, and integrated course planning.

Overview

OCAD is professional vector-based mapping software developed in Switzerland for creating, editing, and publishing maps. The software has been continuously developed since 1989. As of November 2026, the company operates with 6 employees in Baar, Switzerland, supporting 2,436 clubs and organizations across 71 countries.

Key Features

OCAD includes advanced tools to analyze terrain and vegetation with LiDAR and DEM data. Mappers can process point clouds, generate contours, and perform slope analysis within its desktop environment. Its Database Manager allows organizations to manage geodata connections across complex vector drawings.

For field mapping, the OCAD App brings digital field mapping to mobile devices, connecting mobile surveying in the terrain with desktop map production. In addition to base map cartography, OCAD incorporates dedicated course planning capabilities, including a built-in Route Analyzer that accounts for relief and runnability. Its Canvas function allows planners to combine different scales and layout files within a single course-setting project file.

Pros

• Advanced integrated processing modules for LiDAR point clouds and digital elevation models.
• Mobile field application that syncs survey data with desktop cartographic files.
• Built-in course setting modules featuring route and runnability analysis.
• Proven deployment history across clubs and organizations globally.

3. OpenOrienteering Mapper

OpenOrienteering Mapper is an open-source desktop program developed to provide cartographers with free tools for drawing orienteering maps.

Overview

OpenOrienteering Mapper is developed as part of the OpenOrienteering project, which builds a collection of tools to assist with orienteering map creation and event organization. The software functions as a dedicated desktop alternative for drawing sports maps according to international mapping standards.

Key Features

OpenOrienteering Mapper contains symbol palettes aligned with standard international orienteering map specifications. It incorporates extended raster file format support via GDAL, enabling users to load georeferenced aerial imagery, historical basemaps, and JPEG2000 raster files.

The software exports finished vector cartography directly to PDF vector files for local printing or commercial production. It also includes functions to export KMZ files for visualization in digital globe software. For basic competition workflows, it supports simple course export as IOF XML.

Pros

• Direct support for official international orienteering cartography symbol sets.
• Extended raster geodata handling through GDAL integration.
• Vector output generation via direct PDF export.

Cons

• On commercial web and navigation map developers, OCAD spells this out in more detail.
• On course setting, Condes and EasyMaps spell this out in more detail.

4. Purple Pen

Purple Pen is a dedicated course setting tool designed to plan orienteering courses visually over existing vector or raster map files.

Overview

Purple Pen is free course setting software for orienteering created to streamline course planning for clubs and event organizers. Version 4 runs natively on Windows, Mac, or Linux without emulation.

Key Features

Purple Pen allows course planners to design courses visually directly on any OCAD map, OpenOrienteering Map, PDF map, or bitmap map. It supports OCAD file versions 6 through 12, as well as common raster formats including JPG, PNG, TIFF, GIF, and BMP. Planners can lay out controls, track courses, and generate standard international control descriptions without modifying the underlying base map vector data.

The tool calculates the length of each course automatically. For event production, organizers can print maps with course overprints directly, create PDF files for a print shop, or export course maps back into OCAD or OpenOrienteering Mapper for final output. It also exports course data in IOF standard XML format (version 2 or version 3) for electronic punching software and downloads control locations to mobile GPS devices.

Pros

• Native cross-platform execution on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
• Direct visual course planning over OCAD, OpenOrienteering Mapper, and PDF basemaps.
• Automated course length calculation and IOF XML data export.

Cons

• On commercial web and navigation map developers, OCAD spells this out in more detail.

5. EasyMaps

EasyMaps provides an integrated web-based mapping editor and club marketplace focused on drawing and distributing orienteering maps.

Overview

EasyMaps functions as a marketplace and toolset for orienteering maps. Operating directly in the web browser, the application requires no local installation and no per-computer licences. Users sign in with their email address to receive a one-time code.

Key Features

EasyMaps features an in-browser map editor that allows users to draw to international mapping standards (ISOM/ISSprOM) with native B-spline curves, standard symbols, and defined map scales. The toolset is designed so clubs can draw maps, plan courses, and sell finished products directly through the browser.

In addition to map drafting, the platform provides marketplace infrastructure for digital and physical map delivery, currently distributing maps from clubs across Sweden via digital downloads or mail delivery.

Pros

• Browser-based vector editor requiring no local client installation.
• Native B-spline curve drafting adhering to ISOM and ISSprOM standards.
• Integrated club marketplace for distributing digital and printed maps.

Cons

• On operating systems, ArcGIS Online and Felt spell this out in more detail.
• On commercial web and navigation map developers, OCAD spells this out in more detail.

Best for

EasyMaps is best for schools, companies, and families buying finished maps from clubs, as well as clubs drawing, setting courses on, and selling maps.

6. Condes

Condes is a specialized course planning software package designed for comprehensive event preparation across various orienteering disciplines.

Overview

Condes provides an intuitive graphical editor to draw courses directly on the map. The platform acts as a dedicated event management tool for competition planners, with more than 100,000 maps printed with Condes every year.

Key Features

Condes stores all course planning data for an event inside a Condes event file (WCD file). It supports base maps from OCAD 2018 and earlier, including OCAD layout layers. Planners can design complex formats such as relays, score events, and random-order courses.

The system supports distinct competition disciplines including Foot-O, Ski-O, MTB-O, and Trail-O. Planners can print courses and maps directly to color printers or export them to graphic formats for offset printing. It also exports data to event administration and punch checking systems via IOF standard XML or CSV formats.

Pros

• Dedicated features for Foot-O, Ski-O, MTB-O, and Trail-O disciplines.
• Direct support for OCAD map files and complex relay course dispersion.
• Established platform printing over 100,000 competition maps annually.

Cons

• On commercial web and navigation map developers, OCAD spells this out in more detail.

7. ArcGIS Online

ArcGIS Online is an enterprise web-based mapping and GIS platform created by Esri for hosting, analyzing, and sharing spatial data across organizations.

Overview

ArcGIS Online is built by Esri, which has operated in geospatial analytics since 1969. The platform functions as enterprise cloud infrastructure to connect and visualize spatial data through location intelligence.

Key Features

ArcGIS Online supports modern 64-bit web browsers with WebGL enabled. It allows organizations to connect to cloud data warehouses such as Snowflake, BigQuery, Databricks, Microsoft Azure, Autodesk, and AWS. It meets organizational compliance standards with FedRAMP Moderate and ISO 27001 certifications.

Users can host point cloud scene layers for LiDAR data and create hosted elevation layers to visualize terrain, analyze elevation values, and generate elevation profiles. For data collection, it pairs with the ArcGIS Field Maps mobile application.

Pros

• Large-scale spatial data hosting for LiDAR point clouds and digital elevation models.
• Cloud data warehouse integrations including BigQuery, Snowflake, and Azure.
• Enterprise security compliance including FedRAMP Moderate and ISO 27001.

Cons

• On LiDAR and DEM processing, Gratic and OCAD spell this out in more detail.

Fees

ArcGIS Online provides a free trial for 21 days. Subscriptions include credits, which function as currency used for storage, spatial analytics, and accessing premium data.

8. Felt

Felt is a collaborative browser-based mapping platform designed for team data visualization, spatial file sharing, and web-based GIS workflows.

Overview

Felt operates as a collaborative mapping platform. As of November 2026, the company reports $35M raised from investors to build web-based GIS tools. It maintains SOC 2 Type 2 and GDPR compliance.

Key Features

Felt allows users to upload spatial files up to 100 GB each, including Shapefiles, GeoJSON, GeoPackages, KML, File Geodatabases, and GeoTIFFs. Users can connect databases and cloud buckets, stream full-resolution raster imagery, or geocode uploaded address spreadsheets. Its Felt AI feature enables users to query data and create maps using plain language prompts.

The platform supports sharing maps via web links that open without requiring account creation. Teams can build dashboard elements such as charts and filters without code, or deploy mobile field applications for on-site data collection.

Pros

• Browser-based collaboration with link sharing that opens without mandatory viewer logins.
• Large spatial file uploads supporting datasets up to 100 GB.
• Plain-language querying and automated dashboard elements.

Cons

• When map views run out on paid plans, public visitors see an over-limit page.
• On LiDAR and DEM processing, Gratic and OCAD spell this out in more detail.

Fees

Felt offers a Free plan at $0 per month with 3 seats and 25 viewers. The Team plan is $199 per month billed yearly or $249 billed monthly for 3 seats. The Business plan is $599 per month billed yearly or $749 billed monthly for 5 seats and 100 viewers. Enterprise plans start from $1,250 per month billed yearly for 10 seats and unlimited viewers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does orienteering map and course setting software cost?

Gratic is free to use with nothing to install or license. Purple Pen is published as free course setting software, and EasyMaps lets users get started for free. Felt offers a Free plan at $0 per month, a Team plan at $199 per month billed yearly, and a Business plan at $599 per month billed yearly. ArcGIS Online uses consumption-based credits as a currency included with subscriptions.

Is there a free trial period for enterprise GIS tools?

ArcGIS Online provides a free trial for 21 days.

Which operating systems run these mapping programs?

Gratic runs inside standard browser tabs across Windows, macOS, and Linux. Purple Pen version 4 runs natively on Windows, Mac, or Linux without emulation. ArcGIS Online supports WebGL-enabled, 64-bit browsers.

What geographic data connections do these platforms support?

Gratic connects to public spatial APIs from national mapping agencies in Finland, the Netherlands, France, and Cyprus, and queries OpenStreetMap vector data worldwide. EasyMaps hosts and distributes maps from clubs across Sweden.

Which tools handle course planning alongside base cartography?

OCAD includes a built-in course setting module with a Route Analyzer. Purple Pen specializes entirely in visual course design on OCAD, OpenOrienteering Mapper, or PDF maps. Condes provides specialized course design tools supporting Foot-O, Ski-O, MTB-O, and Trail-O. Gratic excludes course setting and IOF control description generation, focusing strictly on vector map drafting.

What file size limits apply to uploaded spatial datasets?

Felt accepts spatial files up to 100 GB each, supporting Shapefiles, GeoJSON, GeoPackages, KML, File Geodatabases, and GeoTIFFs.

Choosing the right orienteering map partner

• Choose Gratic if you need a zero-install vector editor that streams elevation tiles and open national mapping data directly into standard IOF symbols.
• Choose OCAD if you require an all-in-one desktop environment for LiDAR processing, advanced vegetation analysis, and integrated route planning.
• Choose OpenOrienteering Mapper if your club requires an open-source desktop drafting tool with GDAL raster georeferencing and vector PDF export.
• Choose Purple Pen if you need dedicated, free visual course setting software to overlay on existing OCAD or PDF maps.
• Choose EasyMaps if you want an in-browser map drafting tool integrated with a commercial distribution marketplace for club maps.
• Choose Condes if you organize major multi-discipline events requiring relay dispersion systems and print-ready course overprints.
• Choose ArcGIS Online if your organization requires enterprise cloud spatial data hosting with strict ISO and FedRAMP security auditing.
• Choose Felt if you need team-based browser GIS collaboration with support for large 100 GB spatial file uploads.

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.

Sources

1. OCAD: software for Cartography and Orienteering, www.ocad.com/de/team, www.ocad.com/de/payment-methods, OCAD Products

2. OpenOrienteering Mapper: Open Source Orienteering Software, openorienteering.org/about.html, openorienteering.org/news/2020/mapper-v0.9.3-released, openorienteering.org/news/2020/mapper-v0.9.2-released, Mapper 0.9.6 released, openorienteering.org/news/2021/mapper-v0.9.5-released

3. Purple Pen: Purple Pen official website

4. EasyMaps: Draw, sell and buy orienteering maps, easymaps.app/favicon.svg

5. Condes: software for course planning, About Condes, Condes 9 works as a Condes 10 license, Condes History, Condes Features

6. ArcGIS Online: GIS Software for Mapping and Spatial Analytics, About Esri, Web GIS Mapping Software, 2026 Esri Infrastructure Management & GIS Conference: Oct 27-29 in Palm Springs, CA

7. Felt: The map your business runs on: AI-native GIS, About Felt, Industries | Felt, Felt Pricing, Alternatives to ArcGIS, QGIS, CARTO, Mapbox and My Maps, felt.com/blog