Free WiFi heatmap software compared
Most WiFi heatmap software is paid, and many "free" versions turn out to be demos. Here is what the free options actually let you do, checked on each vendor’s own site, including where WiFi Heatmapper falls short.
Updated
We make WiFi Heatmapper, so read this with that in mind. We have tried to stick to what each vendor states publicly and to be clear about our own limits.
At a glance
| Tool | Free version | Runs on | Measured / predictive |
|---|---|---|---|
| WiFi Heatmapper | Full core app; exports watermarked | Web browser | Measured |
| wifi-heatmapper (open source) | Free, MIT licence | macOS, Windows, Linux | Measured |
| Ubiquiti WiFiman | Free app | Android, iOS | Measured |
| NetSpot | Desktop free edition: demo heatmaps only | macOS, Windows, Android, iOS | Both (paid) |
| Hamina Network Planner | Free account: design only, no surveys | Web, with an account | Predictive (free) |
WiFi Heatmapper
A browser app: add a floor plan image or sketch one, click where you stand, type the signal strength, and the heatmap draws itself. No install and no account; the plan and readings stay in your browser.
Limits, honestly:
- Measured only. It cannot predict coverage for a network that does not exist yet.
- In the free version you type each reading yourself. Automatic live readings need the helper app, which is part of Pro and runs on macOS (Apple silicon) and Windows.
- Signal strength only, no throughput or speed tests.
- PNG and JPEG floor plans only, no PDF. One project at a time in the browser.
- Free exports carry a watermark.
Good for: a quick picture of a home or small office, and checking whether a change helped.
wifi-heatmapper (open source)
Not related to us despite the similar name. It is an MIT-licensed project on GitHub that measures signal strength, and optionally throughput with iperf3, at spots you click on a floor plan. It runs as a desktop app or from source with Node.js, and stores data as local files.
Its strengths are automatic readings and throughput tests at no cost. The trade-off is setup: it needs installing, macOS needs extra permissions or a helper, and Linux needs iw and nmcli. Its README notes that the desktop apps are new.
Good for: technical users who want free automatic readings and speed tests.
Ubiquiti WiFiman
A free mobile app from Ubiquiti with a Floor Plan Mapper that shows signal strength on a floor plan. It is a phone app, so readings come from the phone rather than a laptop, and it fits best if you already use Ubiquiti equipment.
Good for: a quick survey with an Android phone.
NetSpot
A well-known survey and planning app for macOS, Windows and Android. According to NetSpot's own edition comparison, heatmaps in the free desktop edition are demo only, so making a real heatmap of your own space needs a paid edition. On Android, the app is free to download but heatmaps need an in-app purchase. The paid editions are capable, including predictive planning.
Good for: people ready to pay for a full desktop survey tool.
Hamina Network Planner
A cloud planner with a free account for predictive design: draw walls on a floor plan, place up to three simulated access points and see the predicted coverage. The free plan does not include on-site surveys, and it requires sign-up. Measured surveys are a separate paid product.
Good for: trying predictive design for a small space before buying hardware.
The professional end
For large or demanding sites, professionals use tools like Ekahau and Acrylic Wi-Fi Heatmaps. Ekahau lists its planning and measuring subscriptions at $1,495 a year each, and measuring requires the Sidekick 2 hardware, listed at $4,995. Acrylic Wi-Fi Heatmaps runs on Windows, offers a 15-day trial, and its perpetual licences start at about EUR 2,199. These are a different class of tool, priced for people who survey for a living.
Which one to pick
- Quick check of a home or small office, nothing to install: WiFi Heatmapper.
- Free automatic readings and speed tests, comfortable with setup: the open-source wifi-heatmapper.
- Survey with a phone: WiFiman.
- Plan a network that does not exist yet: a predictive tool such as Hamina's free plan for small spaces; see predictive vs measured.
Prices and free-plan limits change. Everything here was checked on the vendors' own pages in October 2026.