For a map you embed on a website, uMap and Datawrapper's Free plan are the strongest free options; for print, QGIS is free, open-source desktop software built for large-format print maps. Watch the limits: ZeeMaps freezes free maps after 100 map views.
"Free map maker" covers three different jobs. A pin map for your website, a map you print or drop into a report, and a data map that colours regions by numbers. A tool that's great at one is often useless at another, and the free plans cut off in very different places. So this list is sorted by what you're making, and each limit is according to the tool's own pricing or help page, as of Nov 2026.
Maps you embed on a website
This first job has a name: web mapping, which means using, creating and distributing maps on the World Wide Web.
uMap
uMap, an OpenStreetMap project hosted by OpenStreetMap France, lets you create maps with OpenStreetMap layers and embed them in your site. You add markers, lines and polygons, set colours and icons, batch-import data in formats like GeoJSON, GPX, KML and OSM, and choose the licence for your data. It's open source. Limit: its home page doesn't state any usage caps.
Felt
Felt's Free plan is described as free forever, with 3 seats and 25 viewers. It covers creating and annotating maps, real-time collaboration, and sharing publicly with comments, up to 10k views a month. Limit: embeds, exports and uploading your own data are listed under the Team plan, not Free. Felt also notes that viewers are free on every plan, and that when a trial ends the workspace moves to Free unless you pick a paid plan.
ZeeMaps
ZeeMaps offers a free Trial tier with up to 5 maps, unlimited points per map and 2 multi-point routes. Limit: this is the one to read twice. The pricing page says maps not owned by an active paid subscription will be frozen after 100 map views. Fine for a test, risky for anything public.
Leaflet (for people who code)
Leaflet is an open-source JavaScript library for interactive maps, weighing about 40 KB, and its site says it powers maps on millions of websites. Leaflet 2.0 is in beta. Limit: it's a library, not a point-and-click tool, so you'll need a developer and a tile source.
Maps you print or put in a report
QGIS
QGIS is free and open source, licensed under GNU GPLv2+, and runs on Windows, Mac and Linux. Its layout designer produces high-quality, large-format print maps, and it can build atlases and reports that combine maps with tables. It's also a full analysis tool, with automated workflows you build visually. Limit: no plan limits at all, but it's desktop GIS software, so expect a learning curve.
Scribble Maps
Scribble Maps has a Free plan for hobbyists that it lists as free forever, with no credit card needed. It gives you five maps, its drawing tools and sharing with friends, so it's quick for a hand-drawn route or area map. Limit: free image export is 450x450px. The high-resolution, print-ready downloads its home page mentions start on Pro Basic, which exports at 2500x2500px.
Data maps: colour by numbers
Datawrapper
Datawrapper's Free plan, in its own words, lets you create, publish, embed and export visualisations as PNGs without limits. It explains the generous plan by saying many users find it through workshops, university classes or embedded charts they see online. Limit: the free side of its API has caps, with create operations included up to 500 a month and publish operations up to 1,000 a month, after which credit-based billing starts.
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Flourish
Flourish's Free plan is pitched for learning and exploring, with unlimited projects, the full range of chart and map templates, privacy for unpublished projects, and public publishing and embedding with attribution. Limit: image and SVG export aren't in Free; they're listed under the Presenter tier that comes with a Canva Business or Enterprise plan, along with embedding without Flourish attribution.
All the limits in one place
| Tool | Best output | Free-plan limit stated |
|---|---|---|
| uMap | Web embed | None stated |
| Felt | Shared web map | 3 seats, 25 viewers, 10k views a month; no embeds or exports |
| ZeeMaps | Web map | 5 maps; frozen after 100 map views |
| Leaflet | Custom web map | Open-source code library |
| QGIS | Print and analysis | None: free and open source |
| Scribble Maps | Quick drawn map | 5 maps; 450x450px image export |
| Datawrapper | Data map | Unlimited embeds and PNG export |
| Flourish | Data story | Public only, with attribution; no image export |
Which one I'd start with
If you want a pin map on your site today, start with uMap. If your map is really a chart, say sales by region, Datawrapper's Free plan is the most generous on this list and the PNG export means it works in reports too. For a printed map that needs to look professional, QGIS is free and has no ceiling, but give yourself an afternoon to learn it. Turning numbers into visuals is the same skill whether it's a map or a graphic, and this guide on turning data into an infographic covers the thinking. It's also worth reading how data makes you a better blogger before you decide what your map needs to show.
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Quick answers
What's the best free map maker for a website?
uMap lets you create maps with OpenStreetMap layers and embed them in your site, and Datawrapper's Free plan lets you publish and embed maps without limits.
Is QGIS free?
Yes. QGIS is free and open source, licensed under GNU GPLv2+, and runs on Windows, Mac and Linux.
Does ZeeMaps have a free plan?
ZeeMaps has a free Trial tier, but its pricing page says maps without an active paid subscription are frozen after 100 map views.
Can I export maps for free in Flourish?
Flourish's Free plan includes public publishing and embedding with attribution; image and SVG export are listed under its Presenter tier.
