Curated list · updated 2 November 2026
Best Free GPS and Location Tools
Finding yourself is the easy half; naming what you found, and checking a recorded track, is where the useful tools are.
GPS tools split into two families that rarely get compared properly. The first answers 'where am I and what is this place called?' and depends on device positioning plus a geocoder. The second works on recorded files and depends on parsing rather than positioning.
The list covers both, because most workflows start in one and end in the other: you record a track, then you need to know which county the endpoint fell in.
- 1
Find My Location
Device position on a map with an accuracy estimate, correctable by clicking.
- 2
What County Am I In?
Census-verified county and FIPS from position, address or a map click.
- 3
Reverse Geocoder
Coordinates in, street address out, with the matched place name shown separately.
- 4
Batch Geocoder
Paste or upload a list of addresses and get coordinates back in one pass.
- 5
GPX Viewer
Open a recorded track locally, with point counts and elevation in the browser.
- 6
UTC Offset by Coordinates
The offset and local time at a coordinate pair, resolved from the tz database.
- 7
Coordinate Converter
Convert between DD, DMS, UTM, MGRS, Plus Codes and geohash.
How this list was chosen
Split between positioning tools and file tools, because they fail in different ways. Device positioning is limited by signal; file parsing is limited by the file.
MapBench is a single site, so this is a recommendation list rather than an independent market survey. Every listed tool is free, needs no account, and publishes the method behind its result.
Browse the full clusters
Read before you rely on the number
- What County Am I In? How County Lookup Actually Works
County lines are legal boundaries, not vibes. How map tools resolve a point to a county — and why borders, unincorporated areas, and bad GPS fix create surprises.
- Understanding GPS Coordinates: Formats, Datums and Precision
A practical guide to latitude/longitude: what decimal degrees and DMS really mean, why datums matter, and how many decimal places you actually need.
- KML vs. GeoJSON vs. GPX: Choosing the Right Map File Format
The practical differences between three common geographic file formats — when to use each, what can be lost in conversion, and how to move between them.
Common questions
Why is my GPS location slightly wrong?
Consumer positioning is usually within a few metres outdoors and within a block indoors, where the device falls back on Wi-Fi and cell data. You can always correct the pin by clicking the map.
Is my location stored?
No. Position data is used in the browser and, where a lookup needs a service, only the coordinate pair is sent. Nothing is retained server-side.