New: Ultimaps is now in ChatGPT and Claude →

Ultimaps vs Datawrapper for maps

Choose Datawrapper if

you publish charts and maps for a newsroom or a team, or need one of its 4,749 basemaps or your own uploaded boundaries. Its free plan publishes unlimited maps, and Pro costs US$21 per user a month, billed annually.

Choose Ultimaps if

you make maps rather than charts and want popups, click-through links and hand coloring next to your data, a map from a pasted table, with the color scale and legend built for you and every detail editable after, or maps straight from ChatGPT or Claude. You can also buy one clean SVG or high-resolution PNG without a subscription: a one-map pass costs €12.50 and lasts 24 hours.

Compared on by the Ultimaps team. Sources below.

Try Ultimaps free

When Ultimaps fits better than Datawrapper

One clean map, no subscription

Datawrapper's free plan exports PNG with its credit. SVG, PDF and files without the credit need Pro, at US$21 per user a month, billed annually. Ultimaps sells a 24-hour pass for one map at €12.50, with a clean high-resolution PNG, SVG and PDF.

Popup templates and click-through links

Datawrapper's published maps have tooltips that stick on click, zoom buttons and a legend that highlights on hover. Ultimaps maps add popups on click and click-through links to other pages, written as templates with your data columns and overridable for any single region or pin.

Labels where you put them

Datawrapper labels regions from a data column and lets you add places. A place label takes new text and one of four corner spots, labels that do not fit are left out, and only text annotations can be dragged. In Ultimaps you drag any label where you want it, rename it with a double-click, and resize or rotate it. A label moved completely outside its region gets a leader line. Crowded labels are listed for you to fix instead of hidden.

Bring an existing map with you

Upload a screenshot or a photo of a printed map and AI reads its legend, region colors and labelled pins into an editable map, which you review before it is applied. Free accounts get 20 AI requests a month.

Maps from ChatGPT or Claude

Ultimaps builds and runs its own MCP server. It is in ChatGPT's app directory, and you add it to Claude by URL, with no account or key needed to start. Datawrapper has no MCP server of its own, and its developer docs do not mention one. A community MCP server built on its API exists, and it needs your own Datawrapper API token.

Ultimaps vs Datawrapper, feature by feature

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

Ultimaps and Datawrapper compared feature by feature
FeatureUltimapsDatawrapper
Better on Ultimaps
SVG: One map without a subscriptionPartly. Vector SVG with the title, legend and labels kept. €12.50 for one map, or ProPartly. Pro and up[1]
Interactive maps: Popups and click-through linksYes. Tooltips, popups, click-through links, zoom and an interactive legendYes. Tooltips that stick on click, zoom buttons, legend hover highlight[2]
Region labelsYes. Names, values or both. Drag, rename, resize or rotate any label right on the map. Crowded labels are listed for you to fix instead of hiddenPartly. From a data column or places you add. A place label takes new text and one of four corner spots. Labels that do not fit are left out[3]
Maps from ChatGPT and ClaudeYes. Our own MCP server, free. In ChatGPT's app directory, added to Claude by URL, no account or key to startNo. Only a community server built on its API, which needs your Datawrapper API token[4]
Both do it
Free planYes. Unlimited maps saved to a free account, interactive maps with popups, publish and embed, PNG exportYes. Unlimited charts, maps and embeds and PNG export, with its credit. Team workspace[1]
Works without an accountYes. You can build and export without one. A free account saves and publishesYes. You can build without one. Sign up to publish[5]
Data importYes. CSV, TSV, Excel, Google Sheets, Notion or paste. AI from a prompt or a picture of a mapYes. CSV or Excel upload, paste, Google Sheets, a live external link[2]
Matching rows to regionsYes. Automatic, by region name or codeYes. Automatic, by name or ID (FIPS, ISO). Unmatched rows flagged[2]
Color scale from numbersYes. Suggested from the data. Gradient, steps or groups. Equal interval, quantile, Jenks, pretty or customYes. Gradient or steps: linear, quantile, rounded, Jenks or custom[6]
US countiesYes. All ~3,100 in one map, plus a county map for every stateYes. Several census vintages[7]
US ZIP codesYes. ZIP (Census ZCTA) maps for every state, DC, Puerto Rico, Guam and the US Virgin Islands, plus a national 3-digit map. No nationwide 5-digit mapYes. ZIP/ZCTA maps per state and a national 3-digit map. No nationwide 5-digit map[7]
PinsYes. From addresses (geocoded), coordinates or a fileYes. Locator and symbol maps with markers[8]
Text and arrows on the mapYes. Free text, rectangles, lines with arrowheads and callouts tied to regions, anywhere on the canvasYes. Text annotations with lines, arrows and circles, on choropleth and symbol maps[9]
Embed on a websiteYes. Iframe, and share links that turn into live maps in Notion, WordPress, Ghost and Substack. Free with a small "made with ultimaps.com" creditYes. Responsive embed, iframe and a WordPress oEmbed plugin, all free, with the Datawrapper credit[10]
Free exportsPartly. PNG at screen resolution, sharp for web pages and slides, with a small "made with ultimaps.com" credit. Print-size PNG (6×) with Pro or a one-map passPartly. PNG with the "Created with Datawrapper" credit[1]
PDF: Ultimaps PDFs hold an image of the mapPartly. High-resolution PDF (an image of the map, not vector), on Pro or the one-map passPartly. Pro and up[1]
Credit on free maps"made with ultimaps.com" on free PNGs and embeds. None on Pro or a one-map pass export"Created with Datawrapper" on free charts and maps[1]
Paid plans€12.50 ($14.90) for one map (24-hour pass), or Pro €49/month or €499/yearPro: US$21 per user a month, billed annually[1]
Where Datawrapper goes further
MapsYes. 250+ base maps, checked by hand and kept current: world, continents, most countries by state or province, every US state by county and by ZIP codeYes. 4,749 basemaps[7]
Your own boundariesNo. You cannot upload them. Custom maps made to order, from €49 per map with no subscriptionYes. Upload TopoJSON or GeoJSON under 2 MB[11]

Not stated means the tool’s own pages do not say, or we could not confirm it. Numbers in brackets link to the source.

Pricing: Ultimaps vs Datawrapper

Both have a free plan that publishes and embeds maps with a credit. Datawrapper charges per user, billed annually by default. Ultimaps Pro covers one user, monthly or yearly, or you pay once for a single map. Teams that need brand themes with their own fonts get them built by our team on the Ultimaps Custom plan.

Datawrapper plans
Datawrapper planPrice
FreeUS$0, unlimited charts, maps and embeds, PNG export[1]
Pro: Adds PDF and SVG export and removes the credit. Excludes VAT.US$21 per user a month, billed annually[1]
Business: Excludes VAT.US$39 per user a month, billed annually[1]
EnterpriseContact sales[1]

Ultimaps plans

Free

€0

Free forever

Make maps from your data and share them. No card, and no sign-up until you save or publish.

Open Studio

No sign-up or card needed

What’s included

Pro

: Save 15%

Billed monthly: €49. Billed yearly: €41.58/month

Billed €499 yearly

For professionals who publish maps often. Pays for itself from about 4 maps a month.

Get Pro

Cancel anytime

Everything in Free, plus

Custom

Custom

Tailored to your needs

For organizations that need maps in their own brand, a map we don't have or custom map behavior.

Talk to us

Custom maps from €49 per map

Everything in Pro, plus

Just one map? €12.50 per map

High-res PNG, SVG and PDF with no credit. The files are yours to use commercially, forever, and you can re-export that map for 24 hours.

Exporting 4 or more maps a month? Pro costs less.

Make your map

No card for Free · Cancel anytime, Pro runs to the end of your paid period · 30% off for non-profits

Visa, Mastercard, Amex, PayPal

The same data in both tools

One table, two tools: the 2025 unemployment rate in all 50 states and DC, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Download the CSV and try both yourself.

US map of the 2025 unemployment rate by state, shaded in seven orange-red classes with state labels, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
Unemployment rate by state, 2025, made in Ultimaps from 51 rows. Data: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (annual averages) (Public domain).
Open this map in Studio Download the data (CSV)

In Ultimaps

  1. Open Studio, start a United States map and open Import Data.
  2. Paste the two columns (state and rate) or upload the CSV. All 51 rows match by state name.
  3. Ultimaps suggests a stepped color scale with round class edges and builds the legend. Switch to quantile, Jenks or custom breaks if you like.
  4. Add a tooltip or popup template that shows the rate, then publish the map and embed it.

In Datawrapper

  1. Start a choropleth map and pick a US states basemap.
  2. Paste or upload the table. Datawrapper matches state names or codes to the basemap and flags rows it cannot match.
  3. Choose a gradient or steps, and a step type such as quantile or natural breaks (Jenks).
  4. Publish to get the embed code, or download a PNG. SVG and PDF need Pro.

Datawrapper’s own guide: How to create a choropleth map

Switching from Datawrapper

Your Datawrapper data moves as it is: Ultimaps reads the same spreadsheet.

  1. Open the spreadsheet you used in Datawrapper.
  2. In Ultimaps Studio, start the matching base map (US states, US counties, a state's ZIP codes, a country) and import the file or paste the table.
  3. Pick the column that colors the map. The other columns stay available for tooltips and popups.
  4. To match a chart you already published, set the palette and breaks by hand, or upload a screenshot of it with Upload Image.

Where Datawrapper is still ahead

  • Thousands of basemaps (4,749 entries across 285 countries and regional sets, many in several versions), including US census vintages and many election-district and municipal maps.
  • Your own boundaries: upload TopoJSON or GeoJSON under 2 MB. Ultimaps has no upload. We make custom maps to order, from €49 per map with no subscription.
  • Charts and tables in the same tool, and map types Ultimaps does not have: spike and arrow symbol maps, cartograms and hexagon maps.
  • A lower price per seat for teams: Pro is US$21 per user a month, billed annually. Ultimaps Pro is €499 a year for one user.
  • A free team workspace that the whole team edits in.

Ultimaps vs Datawrapper: questions

Ultimaps fits when the map itself is the product. It colors regions from a spreadsheet like Datawrapper does, matching rows by name or code and suggesting a color scale. Its strengths are specific to maps: popups on click, click-through links to other pages, hand coloring with the Bucket Fill tool next to your data, and AI import from a picture of a map. You can buy one clean map for €12.50 instead of a subscription. Datawrapper is the stronger choice for newsrooms and teams that publish charts and tables as well as maps, or need one of its 4,749 basemaps or their own uploaded boundaries. Its free plan publishes unlimited maps with a credit, and Pro costs US$21 per user a month, billed annually.

Yes. Datawrapper's free plan lets you create, publish and embed unlimited charts, maps and tables, with unlimited views, a shared team workspace and PNG downloads. Free charts and maps keep a "Created with Datawrapper" line, and you can publish them in commercial work. You can build a map without signing in, but publishing needs an account. PDF and SVG export and removing the credit need Pro at US$21 per user a month, billed annually, or Business at US$39. Ultimaps is free in the same way for building, saving, publishing and embedding, with PNG exports at screen resolution that carry a small "made with ultimaps.com" credit. Clean high-resolution PNG, SVG and PDF files need Ultimaps Pro (€49 a month or €499 a year) or a €12.50 pass for one map.

Yes. Datawrapper has US county basemaps in several census vintages, ZIP code (ZCTA) maps for each state, regional ZIP maps and a national 3-digit ZIP map. It has no nationwide 5-digit ZIP map, and it says ZIP shapes approximate the real postal areas. Ultimaps covers the same ground: all ~3,100 US counties in one map, a county map for every state, ZIP code maps for every state, DC, Puerto Rico, Guam and the US Virgin Islands, and a national 3-digit ZIP map, with no nationwide 5-digit map either. Ultimaps ZIP maps are built from Census ZCTAs, which approximate USPS ZIP codes. For county and ZIP maps the two are even on coverage, so pick on the rest: Ultimaps adds popups for each county or ZIP and a one-map file, Datawrapper adds charts.

The steps are close. In Datawrapper you start a choropleth map, pick a basemap, paste or upload your table, and Datawrapper matches the region names or codes. You then choose a gradient or steps, with a step type such as linear, quantile, rounded, natural breaks (Jenks) or custom. In Ultimaps you pick a base map in Studio, open Import Data and paste the table or upload a CSV, Excel file, Google Sheet or Notion export. Ultimaps matches rows to regions and suggests the color scale with round class edges, which you can switch to equal interval, quantile, Jenks or custom breaks, as a gradient, steps or groups. Both then publish an interactive map you embed with an iframe. Datawrapper adds charts and tables in the same tool. Ultimaps adds popups and click-through links.

On paid plans. Datawrapper's free plan downloads PNG only, and PDF and SVG come with Pro (US$21 per user a month, billed annually) and higher plans, which also remove the "Created with Datawrapper" credit. If you need a vector file for one report or one print job, that means a subscription. Ultimaps sells a 24-hour pass for one map at €12.50 ($14.90 in US dollars): for 24 hours you can edit and export that map as a vector SVG, a PDF and a high-resolution PNG at 6 times the canvas size, with no credit. Files you download in that window stay clean. Ultimaps Pro at €49 a month or €499 a year does the same for every map.

In Ultimaps, yes. A published map can show a tooltip on hover and either a popup or a click-through link on click, for regions and pins set separately. The content is a template that pulls in your data columns, such as the region name and its value, written in an editor with a live preview, and you can override it for any single region. Links open in a new tab and work from the keyboard. On desktop, a small cue tells visitors what a click will do. Datawrapper's published choropleth and symbol maps have tooltips that stick on click, zoom buttons and a legend that highlights matching regions, and its locator maps show markers with tooltips. Both embed with an iframe.

More comparisons

Ultimaps vs Flourish

Animated data stories and 3D globes, or map files, built-in county and ZIP maps and public prices.

Ultimaps vs MapChart

Hand coloring and free 10,000 px exports, or data import, pins and maps you embed.

MapChart alternatives

Nine map makers for people who outgrew hand coloring, each with its free plan, price and best use.

Sources

  1. [1]www.datawrapper.de/pricing, checked November 6, 2026
  2. [2]www.datawrapper.de/academy/how-to-create-a-choropleth-map, checked November 6, 2026
  3. [3]www.datawrapper.de/academy/how-to-add-map-labels, checked November 8, 2026
  4. [4]www.datawrapper.de/developer/, checked November 8, 2026
  5. [5]www.datawrapper.de/academy/how-to-create-your-first-datawrapper-chart, checked November 6, 2026
  6. [6]www.datawrapper.de/academy/how-to-customize-stepped-color-scales, checked November 6, 2026
  7. [7]api.datawrapper.de/v3/basemaps, checked November 6, 2026
  8. [8]www.datawrapper.de/maps, checked November 6, 2026
  9. [9]www.datawrapper.de/academy/how-to-create-text-annotations, checked November 8, 2026
  10. [10]www.datawrapper.de/academy/how-to-embed-charts, checked November 6, 2026
  11. [11]www.datawrapper.de/academy/how-to-upload-your-own-map, checked November 6, 2026

Ultimaps figures are from our own product as of November 8, 2026.

Ultimaps is not affiliated with Datawrapper. Datawrapper is a trademark of its owner. Figures were read from Datawrapper’s own pages, linked above, on the dates shown. If something here is wrong or out of date, write to [email protected] and we will correct it.

  • : Re-checked: free-plan credits stated for every tool, Ultimaps export and MCP rows added, claims where other tools lead re-verified.
  • : First published. Datawrapper facts checked on its own site on November 6, 2026.