Free land measurement app for area, distance, KML and coordinates
A free land measurement app should handle more than one button: area, distance, KML, coordinates and field notes.
Field takeaways
- Look for area, perimeter, distance, KML/DXF/CSV and offline support.
- Phone GPS is useful for approximate work; cm accuracy needs external RTK.
- MapLab Survey keeps points, lines, polygons, photos and notes together.
- KML, DXF, GeoJSON and CSV serve different delivery needs.
- Official cadastral work needs authorized procedures.
What a free app has to do
Measuring an area is the easy part. The hard part is that the number is still usable a week later, with its layer, note, photo and coordinate system attached. A field app should compute area and perimeter, give point-to-point distance, open KML/KMZ, export DXF or CSV, tie photos and notes to positions — and keep drawing, measuring and exporting even where there is no signal.
Free does not mean limited
MapLab Survey draws points, lines and polygons, computes area, perimeter and distance, transforms coordinates and exports to KML, DXF, GeoJSON or CSV without payment for the basics. The layer and format discipline serves surveyors; the plain measuring screen serves everyone else — in the same app.
Where the real limit sits
The limit is the phone's GNSS hardware, not the software. Phone positioning is enough for reconnaissance, planning and documentation; parcel corners, legal boundaries, stake-out and payment measurements need an external GNSS/RTK receiver, checks on known points and an authorised process. The app manages the data well; physical accuracy comes from the device and the method.
State the accuracy honestly
Write the method and the expected accuracy next to every result. On rough work that honesty is sufficient; on precise work it protects you from promising what the phone cannot deliver.
Judge it after six months
The real test of an app is not the first day but the sixth month: open an old project and see whether you can still understand it. If the layers are named, the notes are in place and the photos are tied to their points, you are working with the right tool.
See it in action
The Ultimate Mobile GIS App for Surveyors & Engineers | MapLab Survey
Visit the YouTube channel ->Try these steps on your own phone.
MapLab Survey handles RTK/GNSS point capture, drawing, area and volume calculations and coordinate conversion, then exports to DXF, KML/KMZ, GeoJSON, Shapefile, GeoPackage, NCZ or CSV. Capture, calculation and export work offline. Live NTRIP corrections and online basemaps need a connection.
Frequently asked questions
Is MapLab Survey free?
It can be downloaded and used for field workflows; advanced options may vary by product version.
Can a free app measure a field?
For approximate planning, yes.
Does it support KML and DXF?
Yes.
Is phone GPS enough?
For reconnaissance, yes; precise work needs RTK.
Technical references
The field guidance in this article is aligned with the technical and official references below.
Related: Area measurement app · How to measure land · Survey measurement app · MapLab Survey