- Fantasy map makers compared
- Ten fantasy map makers for worldbuilders
- Which map maker fits your table
- Selling a map of someone else's world changes the rules
- World generator, map editor or battle map tool?
- Six questions to ask before you start drawing
- Signs your map is trying to do too much
- My plain advice on making a fantasy map
- Frequently asked questions
A fantasy map maker helps you draw or generate a world, a kingdom, a city or a dungeon for a novel or a tabletop game. Some generate whole worlds in the browser, some are painted map editors and some build battle maps for virtual tabletops. Ten options follow in no particular order.
Every campaign and every fantasy novel hits the same moment: players or readers ask where things are. A rough sketch on squared paper works for a while, then you want something people can explore.
The ten tools below cover world generators, painted map editors, city generators and battle map software. They're listed alphabetically and in no particular order, and every description comes from the vendor's own website or store listing, read this week. If your players also game on the go, my list of free offline RPG games for two players is a fun side trip.
Fantasy map makers compared
I checked the free plan column on each tool's own website or store listing, as of Oct 2026. Yes means the page says the tool, or a plan, account or version of it, is free. Trial only means a time-limited trial. Not stated means the pages I read named neither, even where there's a button inviting you to try it, so check the vendor's page before you sign up.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlas | Fantasy map generator app for Android | Generating maps on a phone | Not stated |
| Azgaar's Fantasy Map Generator | Browser-based world map generator | Whole worlds with layers and styles | Not stated |
| Campaign Cartographer | Desktop map-making software | Detailed maps with add-on symbol sets | Not stated |
| Dungeon Alchemist | AI-assisted tabletop map app | 3D-looking battle maps in seconds | Not stated |
| Dungeon Scrawl | Free online dungeon map maker | Quick old-school dungeon layouts | Yes |
| Dungeondraft | Desktop battle map editor | Battle maps for virtual tabletops | Not stated |
| Inkarnate | Online fantasy map editor | Painted world and region maps | Yes |
| Medieval Fantasy City Generator | Random city map generator | A city layout in one click | Yes |
| Wonderdraft | Desktop world map software | World maps with no subscription | Not stated |
| World Anvil | Worldbuilding platform with interactive maps | Turning a map into a clickable world | Not stated |
Ten fantasy map makers for worldbuilders
Atlas
Best for: Android users who want an app that generates terrain and labels for maps to use in RPG and D&D sessions.
Azgaar's Fantasy Map Generator
Best for: Worldbuilders who want to generate a full world map in the browser, then change layers and styles and export it.
Campaign Cartographer
Best for: Experienced mapmakers who want desktop software with add-ons, symbol sets and monthly annuals for detailed campaign maps.
Dungeon Alchemist
Best for: Busy dungeon masters who want to draw a room and let the software fill it with themed detail for tabletop RPGs.
Dungeon Scrawl
Best for: Players who want to sketch a dungeon in the browser with no download or sign-up, then export for a virtual tabletop.
Dungeondraft
Best for: Game masters who want detailed battle maps with a built-in cave generator and exports for popular virtual tabletops.
Inkarnate
Best for: Writers and players who want hand-painted style world and region maps in the browser, starting on the free version.
Medieval Fantasy City Generator
Best for: Hosts of a weekly campaign who need a random medieval city layout of a chosen size in seconds for the next session.
Wonderdraft
Best for: Authors who want offline, DRM-free software for painted world maps with no subscription and no extra commercial licence.
World Anvil
Best for: Worldbuilders who want to upload a map from any maker and link its cities and dungeons to articles readers can explore.
Which map maker fits your table
- A whole world generated for you: Azgaar's Fantasy Map Generator.
- A painted world or region map: Inkarnate or Wonderdraft.
- Quick dungeon sketches: Dungeon Scrawl.
- Battle maps for a virtual tabletop: Dungeon Alchemist or Dungeondraft.
- A random city in one click: Medieval Fantasy City Generator.
- Detailed desktop cartography: Campaign Cartographer.
- Maps on an Android phone: Atlas.
- A clickable world linked to lore: World Anvil.
Selling a map of someone else's world changes the rules
Wizards of the Coast, which owns Dungeons and Dragons, publishes a Fan Content Policy that lets fans use its intellectual property to make fan content shared with the community for free. The policy is blunt about what free means: you can't require payments for it.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
Plenty of map makers draw towns from published settings and then put them up for sale on a print shop or a membership page. A map of your own homebrew world is yours to sell. A map of an official setting is fan content, so share it for free, and check the commercial licence of the tool you used before you sell anything at all.
World generator, map editor or battle map tool?
A world generator creates continents, rivers and kingdoms in seconds, which is a great starting point when you don't know what your world looks like yet.
A map editor lets you paint coastlines, mountains and forests yourself. It takes longer, and the result feels hand-made and readable.
A battle map tool works at room scale, with walls, doors and furniture, ready to drop into a virtual tabletop for the next session.
Six questions to ask before you start drawing
- Is this a world, a region, a city or a single room?
- Will players see it, or only you?
- Do you need a grid for combat?
- Will you print it or show it on a screen?
- Is the setting yours or someone else's?
- Does the tool's licence allow commercial use?
Signs your map is trying to do too much
- Every label is tiny. Split it into regions.
- Rivers run uphill. Water flows to the sea.
- Nothing is mysterious. Leave blank spaces.
- Players can't find the party. Mark where they are.
Do you make fantasy map tools? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on making a fantasy map
Draw the map your players need tonight, not the whole world. Start with the town they're in and the two places they've heard rumours about, then grow outwards as the story does. It keeps you prepping the parts that will get used.
Stuck on what's out there in the blank spaces? My fantasy writing prompts are a quick way to fill a map with places worth visiting.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest fantasy map maker for beginners?
A world generator is the easiest start, because it builds a full map in seconds that you can then edit.
Can I make a D&D map for free?
Yes. Several browser tools make dungeon and battle maps with no download, and some have free versions.
Can I sell maps I make?
Maps of your own world usually, if the tool's licence allows commercial use. Maps of official settings fall under fan content rules.
Do I need a grid on my map?
Only for combat. World and region maps read better without one.
Can I use a fantasy map in a virtual tabletop?
Yes. Battle map tools export images or files built for popular virtual tabletops.
What size should a fantasy world map be?
Big enough to print or zoom without blurring, so export at a high resolution even if you'll mostly use it on screen.
