Comparison

GIS Lite 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

GIS Lite

This app allows users to view and collect spatial data on their mobile devices. It supports various file formats, enables field data collection with photo attachments, and offers note-taking capabilities directly on maps. Offline access and extensive projection support make it ideal for field work.

Highlights
  • Load and view DXF, KML, Shapefiles, GeoTiff
  • Collect field data with photo attachments
  • Freehand/pencil notes over maps
  • Export georeferenced TIFFs
  • Offline data access
  • Support for over 3000 projections
  • Apple Pencil support for object selection
Read full description

GIS Lite. Use your iPad and iPhone to open DXF, KML, Shapefiles, GeoTiff, WorldFiles and more. Collect data on the field, attach photos and share pdf item reports. Take freehand / pencil notes over maps and export georeferenced tiff. Features that support property view available. New updates will gradually add features that will transform your device to a complete GIS station. GIS Lite is a professional mobile GIS solution that enables users to load and view heir own data over a background of map service imagery. Open of various vector data formats is supported. Below a list of current support types. ** For formats that use support files (eg dbf for shapefiles), files must be in the dedicated iCloud/GIS_Lite folder, so that access is provided to the application. Raster Files * #GeoTiff GIS Lite can open and render your GeoTiff files directly on the map. #WoldFiles** Open PNG, JPG or TIFF file using the corresponding world file (pgw,jpw,tfw). Just specify the projection used. Vector Files #DXF files .dxf Select your file to open from local or iCloud storage. You will need to select data projection. Layers and styles will be loaded. #KML / KMZ files .kml / .kmz #ESRI Shapefiles .shp Select .zip file that contains .shp, .dbf, .prj files Or Select your .shp file to open from local or iCloud storage. If you want a full load (.dbf attributes and .prj file), the files must be copied in iCloud application folder (GIS_Lite). If not, you can still view your data. In that case, only geometry will be loaded and you will have to define projection. Rendering of geometry primitives is currently available (points / lines / polygons) Parsing engine is continuously updated so stay updated for more features. Create datasets by collecting data on the field. Capture on field photos and attach to polygon / line / point record. Version 1.6 introduces Apple Pencil usage for enhanced object selection. Your spatial data is stored on the iPhone, so there’s no need for an Internet connection to see your data – great for field work. We also support over 3000 projections, so no need for re-projection. Change Basemap among apple map / satellite / hybrid and more. This application is optimised to provide • High parse and render speed • Zoom to extend • Zoom to selection • Select objects on map • Display attributes • Highlight selection items • Extensive projection list • GPS position • Export and share selected objects Some basic GIS background is assumed to be able to use the application (projections, layers, etc) *Images loaded are currently restricted to 2 MegaPixel size for performance reasons.

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

GIS Lite4 screens
SW Maps4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: SW Maps at 3.8 against GIS Lite's 1.0. SW Maps also leads on ratings volume (25 vs 1). GIS Lite's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (50% vs 30%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SW Maps holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SW Maps has 25 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of GIS Lite's written reviews are positive against 30% of SW Maps's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

GIS Lite ships an update every 6 days, SW Maps every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
GIS Lite versus SW Maps: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGIS LiteSW Maps
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.0 (1 ratings)3.8 (25 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews — better30.0% of reviews
Number of ratings125 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperIoannis SofosAviyaan Tech

Customer experience

GIS Lite

Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

SW Maps

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

In-app purchases

None

GIS Lite

No in-app purchases

None

SW Maps

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is GIS Lite free?
GIS Lite is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SW Maps free?
SW Maps is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, GIS Lite or SW Maps?
SW Maps is rated higher. GIS Lite averages 1.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while SW Maps averages 3.8 from 25 ratings.
Do GIS Lite or SW Maps have ads?
Neither GIS Lite nor SW Maps shows ads.
Which is updated more often, GIS Lite or SW Maps?
GIS Lite ships an update every 6 days, and SW Maps every 2 months. Most recently, GIS Lite was updated on October 21, 2026 and SW Maps on October 23, 2026.

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