MapsTo3D vs other map-to-3D tools
How MapsTo3D compares with five other free tools for turning a map into a 3D printable model: Map2Model, TerraPrinter, mapSTL, TouchTerrain and Terrain2STL.
At a glance
| Checked 16 October 2026 | MapsTo3D | Map2Model | TerraPrinter | mapSTL | TouchTerrain | Terrain2STL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Export formats | 6: 3MF, STL, STL zip, GLB, OBJ, DXF | 2: 3MF, STL | 4: 3MF, STL, GLB, OBJ | 2: STL, 3MF | STL, OBJ | 1: STL |
| DXF for CAD software | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
| Largest area | 2,500 km a side | — | 120 × 120 km | 16 km long side | — | — |
| Route and shape import | GPX, KML, GeoJSON | GPX | GPX | — | KML | — |
| Buildings and roads | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | — | No, terrain only |
| Contour lines | Yes | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| Split into tiles | Up to 40 a side, 600 pieces | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | — |
| Account to export | Not needed | Not needed | Optional | Not needed | — | — |
| Cost | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free |
Details about the other tools come from their own websites and documentation as of 16 October 2026. — means not listed there. Scroll sideways on a phone.
Why MapsTo3D
The most export formats
Six formats from one model: STL for any slicer, 3MF with every layer as its own coloured part, one STL per colour in a zip, textured OBJ and GLB for Blender, games and the web, and DXF for CAD software. No other tool here exports more than four, and none offers DXF. OBJ, GLB and DXF can also come out at real-world scale in metres.
The biggest maps
Frame anything from 50 m to 2,500 km across, the largest limit of any tool here that states one, and split it into up to 40 tiles a side for a wall map whose pieces line up edge to edge.
Bring your own data
Open GPX, KML or GeoJSON files. Routes become raised ribbons on the real ground, outlines become raised shapes or solid blocks, and points become pins. Files are read in your browser and never uploaded.
Everything on one model
Buildings at their real heights, roads, railways, rivers and lakes cut into the ground, trees, contour lines, eight kinds of land cover, and a frame with the place name raised on it, each its own part for multicolour printing.
Free and private
No account, no watermark and no export limit. The model is built on your own computer, so nothing you make is uploaded and there is no queue to wait in.
Free, no account, no watermark. The model is built in your browser and never uploaded.