The Google My Maps alternative built for real storytelling
Google My Maps is great for quick pins. ViaPlot is built for when you want to tell the whole story — photos, video, rich text, and a shareable link that doesn't hand your audience to Google. Plus, you can import your existing Google My Maps instantly.
What is Google My Maps?
Google My Maps is a free tool from Google that lets you create custom maps by dropping pins, drawing shapes, and adding photos or text to each marker. It's been around since 2007 and is tightly integrated with the broader Google ecosystem — sharing via Drive, viewing in Google Maps on mobile, and signing in with your Google account.
What it does well
It's genuinely frictionless for quick one-off maps: no sign-up beyond a Google account, solid geocoding, and everyone you share with already has a way to view it. For simple pin-drop maps shared privately, it covers the basics well.
Why people look for alternatives
- Limited to plain text descriptions and single photos per pin — no video, audio, or rich text
- No proper embed code; sharing means linking to Google, not your own site
- Collaboration is all-or-nothing: share the whole map or nothing
- Your data lives in Google's ecosystem — no export to standard formats like GeoJSON
- Styling is minimal: three icon shapes, a handful of colours, no custom markers
- No analytics, no SEO metadata, no multi-language support
Google My Maps vs. ViaPlot
A straight feature-by-feature comparison — no spin.
| Feature | Google My Maps | ViaPlot |
|---|---|---|
| Import from Google My Maps | One-click import | |
| Rich text per pin (headings, lists, links) | ||
| Photo galleries per pin | 1 photo | Unlimited |
| Video uploads + HLS streaming | ||
| Audio files | ||
| Custom embed code (iframe) | ||
| Public SEO page for your map | ||
| Collaborator roles (Admin / Editor / Viewer) | ||
| Multi-language map content | ||
| Custom marker icons & colours | 3 shapes, 8 colours | Fully custom |
| POI grouping / categories | Layers only | |
| Map analytics (views, referrers) | ||
| EU data hosting / GDPR | ||
| Export your data | KML only | GeoJSON (coming) |
| Free tier |
Ready to try a modern alternative?
ViaPlot is launching soon. Join the waitlist to get early access and locked-in pricing.