Don't you like using platforms such as Google Maps or Tom Tom? You should know that there are many similar applications, even more customizable, as in the case of Merkaartor. The truth is that this program will allow you not only to create but also to edit your maps so that you can add all the relevant data.

Also, when using this system, you can connect a GPS device and load all the maps created so that this portable equipment can then use this information as cartography. In this way, you can easily add the information if you are about to explore an area for which there is not much data in Google Maps but have a physical map.

Once you have downloaded Merkaartor, you can use the maps available on the web, downloading them to edit them as you consider necessary according to the type of use you want to give them. A fascinating series of contents appear, among which we can mention establishments of all kinds, services, or specific indications.

The best thing about this type of system is that we can fully prepare all the details of our trip, including specific information about the hotels where we plan to stay or the places we want to visit. And as we said before, once you have finished with all the modifications you wanted to make, you will be able to dump all the data directly to your GPS device in just a few seconds.

Where does this tool get map information from? That will depend on our interest and the knowledge that each one of them offers, but some of the most common sources it has are OpenStreetMap, Wallonie, and Terraservice. Thanks to these sites, you can always be sure to have access to the complete maps, even when you do not have excellent knowledge of this type of platform.

Even the vast compatibility that this program has concerning the main formats we can find around these devices is undoubtedly another of its strong points since you can use NGT, NMA, OSM, KML, and MDC files, to mention some of the most popular ones when saving contents. If we talk about the formats it can open, the list expands by adding others such as GPX, OSB, OSC, NMEA, SHP, CSV, or JPG.

At the same time, it is also a system that does not give compatibility problems with most devices' GPS, so no matter what brand or model yours is, you will surely be able to take more advantage of it with this platform.

Of course, it is also not a minor detail that Merkaartor displays maps in different formats. We are not referring specifically to file formats but to the fact that they can display physical and graphical maps. This makes it an essential tool when it comes to geolocation tasks.

As for the interface of the program, we can say that it will be much easier to understand for those who have already worked with this type of application before than for those who are just taking their first steps. Merkaartor does not stand out, especially for being an easy-to-understand utility when executing most of its functions. The truth is that it could take some time to finish interpreting it.

If we had to highlight some of Merkaartor's main strong points, we would have to talk about its compatibility with many GPS formats and devices, as well as the possibility of downloading maps from several different sources, the edition and total customization of our maps, and of course, being able to send that information back to the GPS.

On the side of the negative aspects that we liked less about this platform, we will have to talk about missing a Help section, especially considering that it is not a program that stands out for how intuitive it is. In addition, when we zoom, the download of the maps is somewhat slower than usual.

In our experience of use, having tested the program on two different computers, we found it very difficult to download maps and edit them later. However, we do not know the reason for this problem. However, it has worked without problems when creating maps on our own and making all the changes we wanted.

Despite all this, and by way of closing, we can say that Merkaartor is one of the best options in its segment if you want to modify your maps downloaded from the Internet to add them to the GPS. It is also a free tool that does not have great demands in terms of resources, so any user could feel free to try it.