Maps Made Easy
Maps Made Easy is a San Diego-based cloud photogrammetry platform founded in 2014 that converts aerial imagery from any drone into georeferenced orthophoto maps, 3D models, and NDVI outputs for SMB users across real estate, agriculture, construction, and GIS.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersSan Diego, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Maps Made Easy does
Maps Made Easy is a San Diego-based, privately held cloud photogrammetry platform founded in 2014 that converts aerial imagery collected by any drone or aircraft into georeferenced orthophoto maps, 3D models, and digital surface models (DSMs). The company operates a self-serve, product-led growth model in which users sign up directly on its website, capture imagery using their own aircraft under a "Bring Your Own Aircraft" (BYOA) stance, and upload images for cloud-based processing. Its flagship consumer-facing companion is the Map Pilot Pro mobile application, available on iOS and Android, which automates aerial data collection to optimize downstream map quality.
The platform monetizes through a combination of pay-as-you-go processing credits and subscription tiers, supplemented by a 15-day Pro-tier free trial offering up to 3 gigapixels of free processing and bundled free processing credits for customers of the affiliated Drones Made Easy hardware retailer. Technical differentiation includes support for up to 5,000 source images per job, no resolution caps, NDVI processing for agriculture, georeferenced outputs in standard GIS formats, and branding-free map sharing on paid jobs. Pricing has been held flat since 2014, which the company uses as a positioning signal.
Maps Made Easy serves a horizontal mix of SMB and individual professional users across real estate, agriculture, construction and surveying, professional drone operators, and GIS analysts. The business is bootstrapped with no disclosed funding rounds, no headcount figure, and no revenue disclosures, and shares operational infrastructure with the affiliated Drones Made Easy drone retail brand. Distribution is global through direct website signup and the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, with earned-media visibility from features in CNN, Fox, and Popular Science.
Maps Made Easy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Maps Made Easy
- Legal name
- Maps Made Easy
- Website
- https://kickstarter.mapsmadeeasy.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Maps Made Easy is a San Diego-based cloud photogrammetry platform founded in 2014 that converts aerial imagery from any drone into georeferenced orthophoto maps, 3D models, and NDVI outputs for SMB users across real estate, agriculture, construction, and GIS.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Maps Made Easy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Aerial Mapping Software
- NAICS
- Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services (54137)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Drone/UAV Data Capture & Processing Software (AFAAAFAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Aerial Surveying & Crop Scouting (Imaging, Mapping, Stand Counts) (AFACAIAJ)
Keywords
Where Maps Made Easy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Diego
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Maps Made Easy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Pay-as-you-go Processing Credits: Users purchase processing points/credits to pay for individual map processing jobs. This is a consumption-based model where users pay only for what they process, suitable for occasional or irregular users. No commitment required.
- Subscription Plans: Monthly or annual subscription tiers offering higher processing limits, including free processing allowances for small jobs. Pro users can process up to 3 gigapixels of data for free as part of the trial. Subscriptions provide cost predictability for regular users with higher volume needs.
- Hardware Sales (Mapping Kits): Sale of mapping and agriculture drone kits through the Drones Made Easy platform. These bundled hardware products complement the software processing services.
- Professional Services / Support: Support services including dedicated mapping help and Map Pilot Pro help centers. Implementation and onboarding assistance for users needing help getting started.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free / Trial Tier |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Pay-as-you-go / Points |
| Subscription | Monthly | Subscription Plans |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Maps Made Easy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Maps Made Easy is a cloud-based aerial imagery processing platform that accepts photos from any drone or aircraft and converts them into georeferenced orthophoto maps, 3D models, and digital surface models. It offers NDVI processing for agriculture, advanced measurement and annotation tools, and standard GIS-compatible outputs. The Map Pilot Pro mobile app for iOS and Android automates drone flight and image capture, feeding data directly into the cloud processor.
Product overview
Maps Made Easy is a cloud-based aerial mapping platform that consists of two core offerings: the Aerial Map Processing Platform for photogrammetry processing and 3D model generation, and the Map Pilot Pro mobile application for iOS and Android that automates data collection. Users capture aerial imagery using their own drones or aircraft, then upload images to the platform for cloud processing into orthophoto maps, 3D models, and NDVI analyses. The platform offers pay-as-you-go and subscription pricing models.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Map Pilot Pro: iOS and Android mobile application for automated drone data collection and aerial mapping.
Products and services
- Aerial Map Processing Platform Cloud-based photogrammetry processing service that converts user-collected aerial imagery from any drone or aircraft into georeferenced orthophoto maps, 3D models, and digital surface models. Supports NDVI processing for crop monitoring, advanced measurement and annotation tools, branding-free map sharing, and outputs in standard GIS formats. Intended for drone operators, real estate, agriculture, construction, surveying, and GIS professionals.
- Map Pilot Pro Mobile Application Mobile app available on iOS App Store and Google Play that automates drone flight and aerial data collection to capture imagery optimized for upload into the Aerial Map Processing Platform. Designed for drone operators who need consistent, hands-off image capture for orthophoto and 3D model generation.
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 20X higher resolution than Google Earth maps
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Maps Made Easy
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Maps Made Easy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature9 records
Maps Made Easy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Drones Made EasycoreMaps Made Easy and Drones Made Easy are closely aligned companies under common ownership. Drones Made Easy is a drone hardware retailer and sales company, while Maps Made Easy provides the cloud-based photogrammetry processing software. Drones Made Easy customers receive bundled free processing on the Maps Made Easy platform, creating a natural hardware-software integration. Maps Made Easy recommends Drones Made Easy for hardware needs, and Drones Made Easy recommends Maps Made Easy for processing, creating a symbiotic go-to-market relationship.
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Maps Made Easy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Pix4D: Pix4D provides professional photogrammetry software that converts drone and aerial images into orthomosaics, point clouds, and 3D models. It targets the same surveying, construction, and agriculture workflows as Maps Made Easy, with both desktop and cloud processing.
- Agisoft (Metashape): Agisoft's Metashape is a professional photogrammetry software that produces 3D spatial data from aerial images. It competes directly with Maps Made Easy for users who want to process aerial imagery into georeferenced models and maps.
- Propeller Aero: Propeller Aero offers cloud-based drone surveying and mapping with orthophotos, 3D models, and volume measurements, primarily for construction and mining. It is a direct peer to Maps Made Easy in the cloud photogrammetry processing space.
- PrecisionHawk: PrecisionHawk provides drone-based mapping, data processing, and analytics across agriculture, energy, and infrastructure. It overlaps with Maps Made Easy's photogrammetry platform and NDVI agriculture use cases.
- DroneDeploy: DroneDeploy is a leading cloud-based drone mapping and photogrammetry platform offering orthomosaics, 3D models, and analytics for construction, agriculture, and mining — directly comparable to Maps Made Easy's core processing and analytics offering.
Broad incumbents
- Skydio: Skydio is a leading autonomous drone manufacturer that has expanded into cloud processing and mapping workflows. Its integrated hardware and processing offering competes with Maps Made Easy's BYOA model and threatens to capture users via vertical integration.
- Parrot (senseFly): Parrot's senseFly division offers fixed-wing drones paired with photogrammetry processing for surveying and agriculture. It is a broad incumbent whose hardware-plus-software bundle parallels the Drones Made Easy / Maps Made Easy relationship.
- Esri ArcGIS Drone2Map: Esri's Drone2Map integrates drone imagery into the dominant GIS platform, producing orthomosaics and 3D meshes in standard GIS formats. It overlaps with Maps Made Easy's GIS-interoperable outputs and targets the same GIS professional segment.
- DJI Terra: DJI's mapping and photogrammetry software is bundled into the world's largest drone ecosystem. It directly overlaps with Maps Made Easy's processing capabilities and benefits from DJI's hardware dominance, putting pricing pressure on independent platforms.
- Trimble (Aerial Imaging): Trimble provides surveying, mapping, and geospatial software including aerial photogrammetry workflows. It is a broad incumbent in the same surveying and construction verticals that Maps Made Easy targets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Maps Made Easy social profiles
Digital presenceMaps Made Easy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Maps Made Easy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Maps Made Easy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Maps Made Easy M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Maps Made Easy
What does Maps Made Easy do?
Maps Made Easy is a cloud-based aerial imagery processing platform that accepts photos from any drone or aircraft and converts them into georeferenced orthophoto maps, 3D models, and digital surface models. It offers NDVI processing for agriculture, advanced measurement and annotation tools, and standard GIS-compatible outputs. The Map Pilot Pro mobile app for iOS and Android automates drone flight and image capture, feeding data directly into the cloud processor.
Is Maps Made Easy a public or private company?
Maps Made Easy is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Maps Made Easy founded?
Maps Made Easy was founded in 2014.
Where is Maps Made Easy based?
Maps Made Easy is headquartered in San Diego, United States, in the North America region.
How does Maps Made Easy make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Pay-as-you-go Processing Credits are the primary driver. The others are subscription Plans, hardware Sales (Mapping Kits) and professional Services / Support.
Who are Maps Made Easy's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Pix4D, Agisoft (Metashape), Propeller Aero, PrecisionHawk and DroneDeploy. Broad incumbents are Skydio, Parrot (senseFly), Esri ArcGIS Drone2Map, DJI Terra and Trimble (Aerial Imaging).
Does Maps Made Easy have an API?
No public API is recorded for Maps Made Easy.
What industry is Maps Made Easy in?
Maps Made Easy's product category is Aerial Mapping Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAAAFAH, Drone/UAV Data Capture & Processing Software, with a secondary code of AFACAIAJ, Aerial Surveying & Crop Scouting (Imaging, Mapping, Stand Counts). Its NAICS code is 54137.