Shadowmap

Interactive 3D maps app to visualize solar shadows worldwide

5.0•1 review•

17 followers

Interactive 3D maps app to visualize solar shadows worldwide

5.0•1 review•

17 followers

•

•

Given the impact the Sun ☀️ has on all our lives, a tool to predict its availability is surprisingly missing – Shadowmap is here to change that. It visualizes sunlight and solar shadows based on 3D data in a worldwide interactive maps app.

The Best Shadowmap Alternatives

The best Shadowmap alternatives are Window View, Atlas.co, Felt, Render a House, and Coohom.

Window View

Choose Window View if...

✓you want sunlight simulations from a specific window
✓you need to assess views and neighboring obstructions
✓you want shareable viewpoints without creating an account

See details ↓

Atlas.co

5.0 ·

Choose Atlas.co if...

✓you evaluate locations using schools, transit, and amenities
✓your team needs simultaneous editing of shared maps
✓you need approachable GIS tools for non-specialist colleagues

See details ↓

Felt

5.0 ·

Choose Felt if...

✓you need collaborative map annotations for shared planning
✓you want to georeference images over map layers
✓you publish interactive maps for smartphone audiences

See details ↓

Render a House

5.0 ·

Choose Render a House if...

✓you want architectural imagery rather than solar measurements
✓you need rendering without a local GPU
✓you want visuals generated from sketches or text

See details ↓

Coohom

4.5 ·

Choose Coohom if...

✓you need furnished floor plans and interior designs
✓you want custom furniture modeling and extensive libraries
✓you need panoramas and videos for client presentations

See details ↓

What to Consider

Shadowmap is known for visualizing sunlight and building shadows, making it a reference point for evaluating a property’s sun exposure. Its alternatives span distinct workflows: Window View focuses on window-level views and sunlight, Atlas.co and Felt emphasize collaborative mapping, and Render a House and Coohom support architectural and interior visualization. The landscape ranges from focused home-search tools to broader team platforms and design suites, rather than five interchangeable solar-analysis products.

The evaluation considered workflow fit, ease of use, collaboration, import capabilities, and available pricing information, alongside reported support and subscription experiences. User feedback was distinguished from maker claims, with particular attention to whether each option offers sunlight analysis or an adjacent visualization workflow. None of the supplied evidence establishes these alternatives as replacements for Shadowmap’s annual irradiance calculations or per-surface solar analysis.

Window View

Step inside any building on Google Earth to see the view

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Window View brings property evaluation down to a specific floor and window, making it the closest alternative to Shadowmap for apartment hunting. Its focus is the view from inside a potential home, rather than primarily the sunlight conditions around a site.

Floor and window-position selection help users explore neighboring-building obstructions alongside annual sun-path overlays and daily sunlight simulations. This combination is especially useful when comparing units with different orientations or deciding which properties warrant a visit. Shareable viewpoints without an account also give agents a straightforward way to discuss views and sunlight with clients.

The trade-off is a more focused, manually configured workflow: users still need to select the relevant window. Window View is a strong fit for understanding a home's outlook and sunlight, but should not be treated as a replacement for Shadowmap's annual irradiance calculations or per-surface solar analysis.

Best for

Best for apartment hunters and agents comparing sunlight, views, and obstructions from specific floors and windows.

Standout features

✓Floor and window-position selection
✓Neighboring-building obstruction views
✓Annual sun-path overlays
✓Daily sunlight simulation
✓Shareable viewpoints without an account

Atlas.co

GIS and maps in the browser

5.0 · 4 reviews

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For location decisions that extend beyond sunlight, Atlas.co offers a broader collaborative GIS workspace than Shadowmap's solar-focused approach. It helps teams evaluate geographic factors together, making it particularly relevant to neighborhood comparisons, urban analytics, and property research.

Layered datasets and spatial analysis let users consider schools, workplaces, nature, and public transport within the same mapping workflow. Its browser-based interface makes map creation accessible to non-GIS colleagues, while simultaneous editing supports shared work rather than isolated analysis. Map-based applications also help turn research into tools that others can use to explore location choices.

Atlas.co is a strong alternative when the central question is overall location suitability rather than sun exposure alone. Reliable inputs remain essential to useful analysis, and its broader GIS capabilities do not establish equivalence to Shadowmap's building-shadow simulation or annual irradiance calculations.

Best for

Best for planning and real-estate teams evaluating locations through multiple geographic factors and collaborative spatial analysis.

Standout features

✓Browser-based collaborative GIS
✓Simultaneous map editing
✓Layered geographic datasets
✓Spatial analysis tools
✓Shareable map-based applications

Felt

The best way to work with maps on the internet.

5.0 · 3 reviews

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Collaborative spatial communication is Felt's clearest distinction from Shadowmap's sunlight-analysis workflow. It is a compelling alternative when a project needs annotated locations, shared visual context, and actionable maps rather than detailed solar calculations.

Clipping tools and image georeferencing let users place visual material directly over existing map layers. These capabilities make it easier to communicate site ideas and spatial relationships than relying on marked-up screenshots or disconnected saved-place lists. Its collaborative canvas gives teams a shared space to develop and discuss plans.

Felt also suits publishing interactive geographic information for audiences viewing maps on smartphones. Its advantage is communicating and coordinating around places, not replacing Shadowmap's specialized solar modeling, so it can also serve as a complementary planning tool.

Best for

Best for teams that need to annotate locations, discuss spatial plans, and publish accessible interactive maps.

Standout features

✓Collaborative map annotation
✓Clipping tools
✓Image uploads and georeferencing
✓Shareable interactive maps
✓Mobile map viewing

Render a House

Vibecode your next building. For anyone, from anywhere.

5.0 · 2 reviews

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Architectural presentation, rather than measured sun exposure, is the reason to consider Render a House instead of Shadowmap. It targets users who need to communicate what a proposed home could look like through rendered imagery and walkthroughs.

The cloud-based workflow is designed to accept sketches, models, or text without requiring a local GPU or traditional rendering setup. Style transfer and real-world site insertion broaden the presentation possibilities beyond a standalone building image. This approach is aimed at architects, developers, and individuals who want to explore concepts without mastering a conventional rendering stack.

The key distinction is design visualization versus solar analysis: a realistic-looking scene does not establish accurate sunlight exposure. Render a House is therefore a better fit when presentation imagery is the deliverable, while Shadowmap remains the more relevant choice for investigating shadows and annual irradiation.

Best for

Best for architects, developers, and home-design explorers seeking cloud-based architectural imagery rather than quantitative solar analysis.

Standout features

✓Sketch, model, and text inputs
✓Cloud rendering without a local GPU
✓Architectural renders and walkthroughs
✓Style transfer
✓Real-world site insertion

Coohom

All-in-one 3D design & visualization software

4.5 · 13 reviews

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Coohom shifts the focus from a property's sun exposure to designing and presenting the spaces inside it. Its combination of floor planning, furniture libraries, and rendering makes it a stronger fit than Shadowmap when the task is furnishing rooms or developing renovation concepts.

Drag-and-drop tools and extensive assets let users test layouts without repeatedly sourcing and importing separate models. Custom furniture modeling and realistic materials support more tailored interiors, including product visualization for furniture and décor businesses. DWG, DXF, and image imports also provide a route from existing drawings into the design workflow.

Panoramas, video templates, and client sharing help turn designs into presentations rather than solar-analysis outputs. Usability and support experiences vary, and subscription management warrants attention before a paid commitment. Coohom is best considered an interior-design alternative for a different stage of the property workflow, not a substitute for Shadowmap's annual solar calculations.