Comparison

Touch GIS vs SW Maps

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Touch GIS

This professional tool simplifies field data collection and mapping. It allows users to create and customize data forms, collect various data types offline, and export them to standard GIS formats. Professionals across diverse fields utilize it to enhance their fieldwork.

Highlights
  • Create Points, Lines, Polygons, Circles
  • Customizable attribute forms
  • Offline map tile saving
  • Export to industry standard formats
  • Attach photos to locations
  • Clinometer tool for orientation
  • Add custom base maps and overlays
Read full description

Touch GIS is the most intuitive professional field data collection and mapping tool. It's a super-powered field notebook enabling you to collect any kind of data, in any environment, online or offline, and transfer it easily to your preferred desktop GIS. We believe your data collection tools should amplify your capabilities, not limit them, which is why we focus on keeping your forms and attributes totally customizable in the field. Join thousands of professionals utilizing Touch GIS as their mobile GIS app to enhance their field work in geologic mapping, ecological mapping, civil engineering, mineral exploration and mining, natural resource management, landscape architecture, and more. FEATURES - Easily capture new Points, Lines, Polygons, and Circles in the field. - Quickly and accurately draw new lines and polygons with free draw mode and vertex snapping. - Adjust feature class attribute forms in the field at any time. - Get multiple perspectives by switching between basemaps in the field. - Download basemaps for offline use. - Export to many industry standard formats. - Snap, mark up, and attach photos to locations. - Measure planar and linear feature orientation using our clinometer tool with strike/dip, dip/dip direction, or trend/plunge formats. - Add custom base maps with WMS/WMTS. - Add raster images like Geospatial PDFS or GeoTiffs and other overlays to your map to see your location in context. - Add team members so your whole team has access. Supported file types: - Shapefiles - KML and KMZ - Geospatial PDF / GeoPDF - GeoPackage (GPKG) - GeoJSON - GPX - CSV - World File - Geotiff - JPG - PNG Customizable attribute types: - Description - Date & Time - Photos - List Of Values - Checkbox - Address - Number - Website - Phone Number - Attitude / Orientation for Geologic features Pre-loaded feature classes supporting many different use-cases: - Forestry - Geology - Real Estate - Stream Surveys - Water Infrastructure - Wetlands management - Create your own fully customizable data attribute forms, and update them in the field as needed. Terms of Service: https://www.touchgis.app/terms-of-service Privacy Policy: https://www.touchgis.app/privacy

About

SW Maps

This app allows users to collect, present, and share geographic information. It supports recording points, lines, polygons, and associated data like photos and audio. High-accuracy GPS surveys are possible with external receivers, and data can be shared in various standard formats.

Highlights
  • Collect points, lines, and polygons
  • Attach custom attributes (text, photo, audio, video)
  • High-accuracy GPS surveys with external receivers
  • Offline map support
  • Export data in multiple formats (Shapefile, GeoPackage, CSV)
  • Create and share project templates
Features
Read full description

SW Maps is a free GIS and mobile mapping app for collecting, presenting and sharing geographic information. Whether you are conducting a full scale GNSS survey with high precision instruments, need to collect large amount of location based data using nothing but your phone, or just need to view a few shapefiles with labels over a background map on the go, SW Maps has it all covered. Record points, lines, polygons and even photos and have them displayed over your choice of background map, and attach custom attribute data to any feature. Attribute types include text, numbers, an option from a predefined set of choices, photos, audio clips and videos. Conduct high accuracy GPS surveys using external RTK capable receivers over Bluetooth LE. Draw features on the map by adding markers, and measure distance and area. Reuse the layers and attributes of a previous project for another survey, or create templates and share them with other users. Share the collected data with other users as Geopackages, KMZ or shapefiles, or export them to your device storage. Also share and export recorded data as Spreadsheets or CSV files. All data is recorded and exported in the standard WGS84 Geographic coordinate system (EPSG:4326). Features -Online Base maps: Apple Maps or Open Street Map -Support for multiple mbtiles and KML overlays -Shapefile and Geopackage layers, with attribute categorized styling. View shapefiles in any coordinate system supported by the PROJ.4 library. -Add multiple online WMTS, TMS, XYZ or WMS layers and cache tiles for offline use. -Connect to external GPS receivers using Bluetooth for high accuracy surveying using RTK with built-in NTRIP client. Also record data from external receiver for post processing. -Define multiple number of feature layers, each with a set of custom attributes Feature Types: Point, Line, Polygon Attribute Types:Text, Numeric, Drop down Options, Photos, Audio, Video Save as Template for re-use or sharing -Record GPS tracks, with distance measurement -Label features based on attribute values. -Import feature layers from templates or existing projects. -Share or export collected data as KMZ (with embedded photographs) , shapefiles, GeoJSON, Geopackage (GPKG), XLS/ODS spreadsheets or csv files. -Share templates or projects with other users -Supports use of GTX geoid files. To use custom geoids, prepare a GTX file with offsets in meters from WGS84. This product is made in Nepal and is FREE (no Ads). If you find this useful, please let your friends know that you have used a product from Nepal. Spare sometime to visit this wonderful country and know the Nepali people.

Screenshots

Touch GIS4 screens
SW Maps4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SW Maps at none against Touch GIS's 2. Touch GIS's advantage is review sentiment (50% vs 30%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Touch GIS sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $29.99 per month. SW Maps asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Touch GIS holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 32 and 25 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Touch GIS's written reviews are positive against 30% of SW Maps's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Touch GIS ships an update every 3 weeks, SW Maps every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and August 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Touch GIS versus SW Maps: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTouch GISSW Maps
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (32 ratings) — better3.8 (25 ratings)
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews — better30.0% of reviews
Number of ratings32 — better25
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size79 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTouchGISAviyaan Tech

Customer experience

Touch GIS

All ratings32 ratings
Positive68.8%
Neutral9.4%
Negative21.9%
Written reviews30 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral13.3%
Negative36.7%

SW Maps

All ratings25 ratings
Positive60.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews20 reviews
Positive30.0%
Neutral35.0%
Negative35.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Touch GIS

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Subscription (Monthly)$29.991 Month
  • Pro License (Annual)$299.991 Year
None

SW Maps

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Touch GIS free?
Touch GIS is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SW Maps free?
SW Maps is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Touch GIS or SW Maps?
Touch GIS is rated higher. Touch GIS averages 4.0 out of 5 from 32 ratings, while SW Maps averages 3.8 from 25 ratings.
Do Touch GIS or SW Maps have ads?
Neither Touch GIS nor SW Maps shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Touch GIS or SW Maps?
Touch GIS ships an update every 3 weeks, and SW Maps every 2 months. Most recently, Touch GIS was updated on September 24, 2026 and SW Maps on August 8, 2026.

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