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 22 October 2026.
Map editors with OCAD file support in 2026
- Gratic — vector cartography editor for orienteering and terrain maps that opens directly in a browser tab with nothing to license.
- OCAD — desktop application for cartography and orienteering with extensive georeferencing, lidar processing, and course setting tools.
Several other mapping programs handle project files across the discipline. OpenOrienteering Mapper serves as an open-source desktop alternative for drawing sports maps. Condes focuses on course planning and club event preparation.
Comparison matrix
| Capability | Gratic | OCAD |
|---|---|---|
| Import files that open in OCAD | ✓ | ✓ encrypted OCAD file format |
| Export files that open in OCAD and OpenOrienteering Mapper | ✓ | — |
| Real-time multi-mapper collaboration | ✓ same map at same | — |
✓ Confirmed by the firm
✗ Not part of what the firm sells
— Not verified on the pages we read
Gratic leads on exporting files that open in OCAD and OpenOrienteering Mapper, as well as on real-time multi-mapper collaboration, holding the only confirmed capabilities on those criteria in the matrix. Both editors confirm importing files that open in OCAD.
1. Gratic
Gratic provides a browser-based vector cartography editor configured for rapid base map compilation and direct symbol translation.
Overview
Gratic operates directly inside a browser tab with nothing to license. Access relies on an email sign-in code: surveyors sign in with their email and a code arrives without needing to invent or remember a password. The application focuses on vector terrain drafting, translating external spatial data straight into standardised orienteering symbols.
Key features
Field workers can open a tab and drag a rectangle over forest to import roads, streams and contours in orienteering symbols. The editor handles cross-platform files directly: maps drawn in OCAD and OpenOrienteering Mapper open here, with their symbols, showing which symbols were recognised before elements land on the map. It also allows surveyors to export files that open in OCAD and OpenOrienteering Mapper. In addition, two mappers can work on the same map at the same time from different machines, avoiding the need to send revisions back and forth.
Pros
- Imports and recognises symbols from files drawn in OCAD and OpenOrienteering Mapper.
- Exports map files directly compatible with OCAD and OpenOrienteering Mapper.
- Enables two mappers to edit simultaneously from separate machines.
- Instant data ingestion allowing users to drag a rectangle over terrain to extract roads, contours, and streams.
Cons
- Gratic fits less well for general-purpose GIS and municipal mapping departments.
- Gratic fits less well for commercial web and navigation map developers.
2. OCAD
OCAD is a desktop-based Swiss application used globally for detailed cartographic production, municipal surveying, and competition course planning.
Overview
OCAD describes itself as a Swiss software application for Cartography and Orienteering, developed originally for the creation of orienteering maps. The software supports more than 100 geographic coordinate systems and is available in 17 languages. Map makers utilise the platform on desktop environments, linking base data to digital elevation models and field survey inputs.
Key features
The system imports survey datasets from national survey authorities or Open Street Map. Mappers can incorporate point clouds using the LiDAR Point Cloud Manager to analyze forest vegetation, or run an XML function for importing las/laz files to create contour lines. It also allows users to georeference non-georeferenced raster maps by applying an affine transformation using 3 to 12 point pairs. In addition, OCAD incorporates a Thematic Mapper wizard for statistical data visualization and includes an integrated course setting module with overprint blend simulation.
Pros
- Supports both ISOM 2017-2 and ISSprOM 2019 specifications.
- Ingests multiple base inputs including las/laz LiDAR tiles, GPS tracks, and WMS/WMTS connections.
- Imports graphic vector formats such as PDF, AI, SVG, and OSM.
- Supports direct background map acquisition using WIA compatible scanners.
Best for
OCAD states its desktop editions fit cartography, city and surveying offices, universities and orienteering clubs, with designated licensing tiers for individual users as well as companies and teams or clubs.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free trial period for testing OCAD?
OCAD reports that its software can be downloaded as a 14-day trial version for users evaluating desktop cartography and course setting tools.
What currency and licensing models apply to OCAD?
OCAD publishes its rates under a subscription model with all prices in CHF, excluding VAT. The firm offers volume discount tiers based on the total amount of licenses per order across its single-user and team editions, while maintaining a free companion mobile application.
Where is OCAD based and what geographic regions use it?
OCAD is headquartered in Baar, Switzerland. The firm reports a worldwide user base across municipal surveying departments, academic institutions, and sporting bodies.
Which organisations use OCAD for mapping projects?
OCAD states its tools are used in cartography, city and surveying offices, universities and orienteering clubs. The developer targets both individual users and companies or clubs, alongside map makers and controllers revising field surveys.
How many coordinate systems does OCAD support?
OCAD reports support for more than 100 geographic coordinate systems and provides interface localisations available in 17 languages.
Choosing the right map editor partner
- Gratic fits sports cartographers, rogaining organisers, and orienteering clubs seeking a browser-based vector editor that ingests base contours, collaborates in real time, and exports clean files for OCAD and OpenOrienteering Mapper.
- OCAD fits municipal offices, academic surveying departments, and competitive clubs requiring desktop LiDAR point cloud analysis, scanner acquisition, and integrated course planning modules.
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.