ViaPlot vs Google My Maps: Which Is Right for You?

Google My Maps has been around since 2007 and is the tool most people reach for when they want to add a few pins to a map. It's free, it's familiar, and it works. So why would you use anything else?

The short answer: Google My Maps is a data layer tool. ViaPlot is a storytelling tool. The right choice depends on what you're trying to do.

When Google My Maps wins

Google My Maps is a great fit if you:

Need to share a simple list of locations (restaurant recommendations, delivery stops, event venues)
Are already deep in the Google ecosystem and want seamless Drive integration
Need a basic tool that your whole team already knows how to use
Are plotting data for internal logistics — not publishing it for a public audience

For purely operational use cases — "here are the 12 stops on our bus route" — My Maps does the job with zero learning curve.

When ViaPlot wins

ViaPlot is purpose-built for narrative map content. It pulls ahead when you:

Want rich per-location content

Each pin on a ViaPlot map can hold a full article's worth of content — headings, formatted text, multiple photos, embedded videos. Google My Maps gives you a title, a description field, and one photo.

If your stops have stories behind them, the single-photo limit in My Maps becomes frustrating fast.

Need the map to feel like a destination, not a data dump

ViaPlot maps have a polished, full-screen presentation layer that's designed to be shared publicly. The viewer experience is intentional: one stop at a time, media-first, with smooth transitions.

Google My Maps renders in an iframe that looks exactly like Google Maps — which is fine for data, but doesn't make anyone stop and read.

Want to embed cleanly

Both platforms offer embed codes. ViaPlot's embed is a clean, responsive iframe with no Google branding or sidebar UI bleeding into your page. It looks like a native part of your website.

Are building a content strategy around maps

ViaPlot maps are SEO-friendly, shareable, and embeddable on Medium, Substack, or your own site. They're designed to be discovered and shared — not just accessed via a shared Drive link.

Feature comparison at a glance

| Feature | ViaPlot | Google My Maps | |---|---|---| | Rich text per location | Yes | Limited | | Photos per stop | Multiple | 1 | | Video per stop | Yes | No | | Custom map styles | Yes | Limited | | Public embeds | Clean iframe | Branded iframe | | Real-time collaboration | Yes (Pro/Teams) | Yes (Google accounts) | | SEO / public discoverability | Yes | No | | Mobile editing | Yes | Yes | | Offline access | No | Partial | | Price | Free tier available | Free |

The honest verdict

If you need a quick, functional map to share internally — use Google My Maps. It's the right tool for that job.

If you're creating content for a public audience — a travel blog, a tour guide, a journalism piece, a historical walkthrough — ViaPlot gives you the tools to tell that story properly.

Try ViaPlot free →