Maptide vs the alternatives.
Maptide's output is itself a Google My Maps file. This page compares building that map by hand vs designing it in Maptide first.
Swipe left to see the Maptide column
| Plain Google Maps | Hand-made event map | Maptide | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custom event overlay (your zones, routes, labels) | No | Yes | Yes |
| Save your location | Yes | No | Yes |
| See your live location | Yes | No | Yes |
| Updatable after you share it | Yes | No | Yes |
| Time and skill to make it look good | n/a | High | Low |
| Cost | Free | Free | Free (paid tiers remove the watermark) |
"Hand-made event map" means a screenshot, PDF, drawn graphic, or a basic pin-and-line map you build yourself - anything that isn't designed in Maptide.
Maptide vs other map tools
Swipe left to see the Maptide column
| Google My Maps (by hand) | Proxi | Scribble Maps | Maptide | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Output (what the viewer actually opens) | A Google My Maps link | Proxi's own hosted web map (link, embed code, QR code, or print) | Scribble Maps web map (link or embed), plus file exports including KML | A real Google My Maps link |
| Opens in the Google Maps app with blue-dot live location | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Viewers can save it to their own Google Maps | Yes | No - saved places live inside Proxi (Premium) | Only if you export KML and import it into My Maps yourself | Yes |
| Custom-designed overlay (styled zones, routes, icons) | Basic - pick icons and colors by hand | Yes - custom fonts, marker shapes, icons, and shapes | Yes - polygons, markers, text, and image overlays | Yes |
| Viewer needs no new app or account | Yes | Browser link, embed, or QR code (account requirements not published) | Browser link or embed (account requirements not published) | Yes |
| Embed on your own website | Yes | Yes | Yes | Only through Google My Maps' own embed option |
| Measuring and analysis tools (distance, area) | Yes | Not published | Yes - distance, area, and more | No |
| Price (lowest paid tier as published) | No price listed - needs a Google account | Free tier; Pro and Premium priced in an on-site calculator (7-day trial) | Free tier; Pro Basic $19/mo ($14/mo billed annually) | Free tier; Pro $14/mo or $140/yr |
Based on each tool's own website and pricing page as of October 2026.
Common questions
How is Maptide different from just building a map in Google My Maps?
Google My Maps gives you default pins and lines - no custom design layer, and making it look intentional takes real time and design skill. Maptide gives you the same real, live Google Map - save location, live location, updates after sharing - but with a custom-designed overlay you build in minutes, no design skill required.
Can't I just send a screenshot or a hand-made event map graphic instead?
You can design something that looks the way you want, but it's a dead image - no live location, no saving it, no updating it if plans change. Maptide keeps the real Google Maps underneath your design, so guests get the custom map and the app they already know how to use.
Wait, doesn't Maptide just create a Google My Maps too?
Yes - Maptide's output is itself a Google My Maps file. This page compares building that map by hand vs designing it in Maptide first, which takes minutes instead of hours and doesn't require design skills.
Comparing a specific tool? Maptide vs Proxi or Maptide vs Scribble Maps.