WP Go Maps alternative – an honest comparison
WP Go Maps (formerly WP Google Maps) is the most used map plugin for WordPress, and for good reason. If you are looking for something different, here is where Map Studio, our own plugin, takes another path, and where WP Go Maps is the better choice.
- Stay with WP Go Maps if you want Google Maps specifically, a store locator with radius search, or a plugin with a huge user base and many tutorials.
- Try Map Studio if you want to design the map visually, like vector maps with 3D buildings, and want popups with photos, text and opening hours in the free version, without Google. Your maps come over in one click, and your pages keep working.
What WP Go Maps does well
According to its plugin page, the free version (as of November 2026) offers:
- a choice of map engines: Google Maps, Leaflet or OpenLayers, with several tile services;
- as many markers as you need, added by typing the address;
- a store locator, polygons and polylines;
- a map block, an Elementor integration and a widget;
- map themes and Google features such as Street View and address autocomplete.
The Pro version adds, among other things, multiple maps, directions for visitors and markers with descriptions, images, categories and links. With over 300,000 active installs and a 4.8 rating on WordPress.org, it is a proven choice.
Where Map Studio is different
| WP Go Maps (free, per plugin page) | Map Studio (free) | |
|---|---|---|
| Editing | Settings pages and a map editor in the admin | Full-screen editor: click a place and change it right on the map |
| Maps | Google Maps, Leaflet, OpenLayers | OpenStreetMap as vector maps: rotate, tilt, 3D buildings, light and sky |
| Look | Map themes | Six map styles and your brand colour for map, pins and areas |
| Popups | Descriptions and images in Pro | Text, photos, opening hours and buttons, free |
| Several maps | Multiple maps in Pro | Saved maps, each usable anywhere |
| Routes | Polylines; directions for visitors in Pro | Routes along real roads by car, bike or on foot, without a key |
| List of places | Store locator | List with search, category filter, “Near me” and “open now” |
| Privacy | Depends on the chosen engine | Load after click, works with Complianz, Borlabs Cookie and Real Cookie Banner |
| Switching | – | Brings WP Go Maps maps over in one click; its shortcodes and blocks then show the new maps |
The WP Go Maps column is based on its WordPress.org page as of 9 November 2026. Features change; check the plugin page for the current state.
Where WP Go Maps is the better choice
- You need Google Maps, for example its Street View or Google’s place data.
- Radius search for a store locator, where visitors type an address or postcode and get the nearest stores.
- Track record: years of development, many add-ons, a large community.
Google map styles, custom marker images, heatmaps and image overlays don’t come over. Before you bring a map over, Map Studio lists what stays behind. Map Studio is new. We think it is the nicer way to make a map, but it does not have that track record yet.
Switching to Map Studio
- Install Map Studio next to WP Go Maps; both can stay active while you switch.
- Open Map Studio → Maps: it lists your WP Go Maps maps with their markers, shapes and the pages they are on. Tick the ones you want and click “Bring the ticked maps over”. Markers with text, pictures and links come along, and so do categories, polygons, polylines, circles and rectangles.
- Give the maps your look: style, colours, icons, popups.
- Deactivate WP Go Maps. Your pages need no changes: its
[wpgmza]shortcodes and blocks now show the maps brought over. Activate it again, and everything is as before.
Try Map Studio – free
Install it next to your current plugin and compare. No account, no API key.