Hi everyone,
I work in the field coordinating machinery and building forest roads. My team and I used to rely on standard mapping apps (like Avenza) to navigate our GeoPDFs, but the aggressive paywalls and subscriptions just to import our own maps became unmanageable.
I originally built FO Maps (FaenaOffline) simply for my team's comfort and to improve our workflow. But seeing how expensive these tools have become for independent surveyors, engineers, and field crews, I decided to polish it and publish it for everyone.
To be 100% transparent about how the app works: The core mapping tools are completely free and have very minimal ads. The only feature that has a cost is Real-Time User Sync (sharing markers with your team), simply because hosting the cloud servers actually costs me money out of pocket. Even then, I keep it super accessible: you can either pay a very cheap yearly subscription (Pro version), or you can use the sync feature completely for free by watching a rewarded video ad. Everything else you need for offline fieldwork is completely open and free.
Recently, many professionals from the industry have reached out, and several of the features below are new and came directly from their requests.
Here is what you can do for FREE:
- Unlimited Map Imports: Load your own GeoPDFs, MBTiles, and KML/KMZ directly from your phone. Supports internal GPS, UTM zones, and EPSG/WKT projections.
- Custom Form Markers: Create your own point templates (you can add text fields, numbers, camera photos, dropdown lists, and checkboxes).
- Draw Polygons & Polylines: Draw manually using a crosshair (great for inaccessible areas) or use Auto GPS Tracking by walking the perimeter (drops a point every 5 meters). Live area, perimeter, and distance calculations.
- Export Everything: Export all your layers to KML or CSV, or generate full PDF reports to open later in QGIS, ArcGIS, or Excel.
- Google Sheets Sync: Connect your project to a Google Sheet to manually sync and push your markers whenever you need to.
- 100% Offline-First: Made specifically for areas with zero cell coverage. Do your work with peace of mind; everything is saved locally on your phone.
Because this is an indie app built by one guy, there might still be some minor bugs or quirks (especially if you load PDFs with weird projections). But if the community helps me spot them, I promise to fix every single one of them.
Also, if you feel a feature is missing or have a specific workflow the community needs, don't hesitate to reach out so I can add it.
🔗 Download the app for Android and iOS here:https://faenaoffline.com/maps/
Any feedback (especially if you test it out in the field) is incredibly welcome. Stay safe out there!
Juan Carlo Abuín Creator & Developer | FaenaOffline Mapsfaenaoffline.com
If my work has been useful to you, consider supporting the project by buying me a coffee:ko-fi.com/faenaoffline