The Mapit GIS Story
What started as a weekend project to measure land on a phone has grown into a cross-platform GIS ecosystem trusted by surveyors, foresters, geologists, and engineers across the world. This is the story of how Mapit GIS came to be - and where it's going next.
More Than a Decade in the Field
Every piece of software has an origin story. Some start in garages, others in boardrooms. Mapit GIS started in a field - quite literally. The need was simple: measure an area on a phone, export the result, and get back to work. No desktop GIS required. No subscriptions. No complexity.
That idea became MapPad in 2013. Over the next decade, it evolved through four distinct product generations - each one shaped by the same principle: build what field professionals actually need, and get out of their way.
MapPad
A straightforward Android app for measuring area and distance using GPS or map taps. Supported 9 base maps from OpenStreetMap, Bing, and Google. Exported to KML, GPX, CSV, and DXF. Simple, effective, and built for people who work outdoors.
Mapit Pro
MapPad's user base grew beyond hobbyists. Surveyors and land professionals needed more: custom WMS overlays, professional GNSS receiver support, attribute forms for structured data collection, and layer-based project management. Mapit Pro answered that call.
Mapit GIS Ltd.
What had been a solo developer effort became an official company, incorporated in Scotland. The mission crystallised: make professional-grade GIS accessible to anyone with a phone and a job to do in the field.
Mapit Spatial
A ground-up rebuild centred on the OGC GeoPackage standard. Instead of proprietary internal storage, every project became a standards-compliant SQLite database that could be opened directly in QGIS or any OGC-compatible desktop GIS - no conversion needed. Added PostgreSQL export, Google Drive sync, WMTS support, and barcode scanning for asset management.
Mapit NTRIP Client
A dedicated companion app for real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning. Built on the open-source RTKLIB engine, it turned any compatible GNSS receiver into a centimetre-accurate surveying instrument via NTRIP corrections. Supported connections over USB, Bluetooth, TCP/IP, and NTRIP casters - delivering professional-grade accuracy without professional-grade price tags.
Mapit GIS 3.0
Every lesson from every previous app - distilled into a single, unified platform. A complete UI rebuild on Android using Jetpack Compose. A native iOS app written from scratch in Swift and SwiftUI. NTRIP client functionality built directly into the app. Cloud sync, team collaboration, and QGIS plugin integration on the roadmap. One app. Two platforms. No compromises.
The MapPad Years: 2013-2015
MapPad launched on Android in March 2013 as a measurement tool. Tap a few points on a map, get an area and perimeter. Use your phone's GPS to walk a boundary. Export the result as KML and email it to a colleague. That was the entire feature set - and for a lot of users, it was exactly enough.
What made MapPad stick was how well it worked offline. Base maps could be cached. GPS worked without a data connection. In rural areas with patchy signal - which is most of where land surveying happens - this mattered more than any feature list.
The app grew to support nine different base map providers, multiple coordinate systems including UTM and British National Grid, and a range of export formats that let users move data into whatever desktop tool they preferred. Over time, MapPad was downloaded more than 770,000 times - a number that, for a niche mapping app, demonstrated just how underserved this market was.
Mapit Pro: When Users Outgrew Simplicity
By 2015, the feedback was clear. Users weren't just measuring fields - they were conducting professional surveys, cataloguing assets, and managing spatial data in ways that MapPad was never designed for. They needed layers. They needed attribute forms. They needed to connect their own WMS services and work with external GNSS receivers for centimetre-level accuracy.
Mapit Pro was the response. It wasn't just MapPad with more features bolted on - it was a rethinking of what a mobile GIS data collector should be. Custom survey forms allowed structured data entry in the field. Layer management gave professionals a way to organise complex projects. External GNSS support opened the door to high-accuracy workflows that had previously required equipment costing tens of thousands.
The user base shifted. Where MapPad had attracted hobbyists and farmers, Mapit Pro brought in forestry companies, road construction firms, geological survey teams, and solar energy installers. The app was finding its professional identity.
Mapit Spatial: Betting on Open Standards
In 2019, a pivotal decision was made: rebuild the data layer around OGC GeoPackage. This wasn't a minor format change - it was a philosophical commitment. GeoPackage is an open, standards-based format built on SQLite. A file collected in the field could be plugged directly into QGIS, ArcGIS, or any OGC-compliant tool without conversion, translation, or data loss.
Mapit Spatial shipped 28 releases in its first two years. Each one pushed the boundaries: WMTS support for high-resolution imagery services, PostgreSQL export for enterprise database workflows, Google Drive integration for cloud backup, and barcode scanning for asset inventories. The pace was relentless.
But the real impact was more subtle. By choosing GeoPackage, Mapit committed to interoperability. A survey collected on an Android phone in a Scottish forest could be opened on a laptop in a Brazilian office five minutes later - with geometry, attributes, and styling all intact. No vendor lock-in. No format wars. Just data that flows.
Mapit NTRIP Client: The Precision Problem
Surveying isn't just about where you collect data - it's about how accurately. Standard phone GPS gives you 3-5 metres of accuracy. For a farm boundary, that might be fine. For a construction site, it's useless.
RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) positioning solves this by using correction data from a nearby base station, delivered via the NTRIP protocol. The result: centimetre-level accuracy from a receiver that fits in your pocket.
The Mapit NTRIP Client, built on the battle-tested open-source RTKLIB engine, brought this capability to Android. Connect a compatible GNSS receiver via USB or Bluetooth, configure an NTRIP caster for correction data, and watch the solution converge from FLOAT to FIX - the moment your position locks to centimetre precision.
This was released as a standalone app because the processing requirements are significant and the configuration is specialised. But separation created friction: users had to switch between apps, manage two connections, and keep both in sync. The solution was obvious - and it's now happening.
Mapit GIS 3.0: Everything, Unified
In January 2026, we announced Mapit GIS 3.0 - a complete ground-up rebuild of the Android app using Jetpack Compose. In February, we launched on iOS with a native Swift application. These weren't incremental updates. They represented the convergence of everything we'd learned across four product generations.
What's different this time:
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One app, not four. The functionality of MapPad, Mapit Pro, Mapit Spatial, and the NTRIP Client is being consolidated into a single application. NTRIP client capabilities are being integrated directly - no more switching between apps for RTK corrections.
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Two platforms, same data. The iOS and Android apps share the identical GeoPackage schema. Collect data on an iPhone, open it on an Android tablet, edit it in QGIS. The file is the same.
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Built for the field. Glass-styled navigation designed for one-handed use. Large touch targets for gloved fingers. High-contrast overlays for direct sunlight. Every design decision optimised for the people who use this app standing in mud, not sitting at a desk.
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Cloud on the horizon. We're building cloud infrastructure for project sync, team collaboration, and web-based GeoPackage management. A QGIS plugin will connect desktop workflows to field data collection. The goal is a complete ecosystem - from field to cloud to desktop and back.
What Stayed the Same
Across four products and thirteen years, some things never changed:
Offline-first. Every version of every app works without a data connection. Cloud features are additive, never required. When you're in a remote forest or an underground tunnel, the app works.
Open standards. From KML exports in MapPad to GeoPackage-native storage in Mapit GIS, we've consistently chosen open formats over proprietary lock-in. Your data is yours.
Field-tested, not lab-designed. Features come from real feedback from real users doing real work. The barcode scanner exists because an arborist needed it. PostgreSQL export exists because a utilities company asked for it. RTK integration exists because surveyors demanded it.
The Road Ahead
Mapit GIS started as one person writing code to solve a problem in a field. Today it's a platform spanning iOS, Android, cloud services, coordinate transformation tools, and desktop GIS integration - and we're just getting started.
The next chapters include:
- Built-in NTRIP client for both Android and iOS, eliminating the need for a separate app
- Mapit GIS Cloud for project sync, team management, and web-based data viewing
- QGIS plugin for seamless desktop-to-field workflows
- High-accuracy coordinate transformations via transform.mapitgis.com
From a measurement tool in 2013 to an enterprise GIS platform in 2026 - the journey has been long, but the foundation has never been stronger.
If you've been with us since the MapPad days, thank you. If you're discovering Mapit GIS for the first time, welcome.