Pointr alternatives: when you need a blue dot, and when you don’t
Pointr leads with positioning: its Deep Location blue dot runs on the phone, with a stated 1–3 m average accuracy that depends on beacon density, plus AI mapping from CAD. DigiMaps leads with kiosks: routes start at a fixed “You are here” point and move to the phone by QR, with no beacons.
Last updated
A Phone blue dot
B Kiosk “You are here”
Where Pointr is strong
If a live blue dot inside your app is the main requirement, Pointr is built for it and we are not yet. Each point links to the Pointr page it comes from, read on 24 October 2026.
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1
Positioning worked out on the phone
Deep Location computes the blue dot on the device, and its FAQ says it keeps working offline once content is cached.
Source: pointr.tech/technology/faq -
2
CAD to map at scale
MapScale takes DWG, DXF and vector PDF floor plans, outputs GeoJSON, and flags large changes when a new CAD file arrives.
Source: pointr.tech/solutions/location-based-engagement/mapscale -
3
IMDF for Apple Maps
An IMDF conversion service from a provider that describes itself as an Apple-certified IMDF converter.
Source: pointr.tech/technology/imdf -
4
Inside Epic MyChart
Maps launched from MyChart appointments, set up through SMART on FHIR. For US health systems on Epic, this matters.
Source: pointr.tech/blog/how-to-implement-maps-indoor-navigation-epic-mychart -
5
Security certificates
ISO 27001 and ISO 27017, according to its FAQ.
Source: pointr.tech/technology/faq -
6
Scale
7 billion sq ft mapped and 5,000+ venues in 35+ countries, by its own count.
Source: pointr.tech
What each approach puts in your building
DigiMaps offers both: kiosk origin today, and phone positioning as a commissioned pilot. Pointr leads with the blue dot. This is what each one asks of the building and the visitor.
| Item | Phone blue dot | Kiosk “You are here” |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware in the building | A positioning layer, often Bluetooth beacons. One Pointr hospital post describes installing 1,800 of them. | The kiosk itself. |
| Before go-live | A survey, then accuracy measured on site. | Place each kiosk on the plan, facing the right way. |
| On the visitor’s phone | An app or App Clip for a live dot. Safari on iPhone can’t read Bluetooth beacons. | Any phone browser, from a QR code. |
| Where guidance starts | Wherever the phone is. | At the kiosk. The phone keeps that start point. |
| When the position is unsure | Depends on the vendor. DigiMaps only gives turn-by-turn guidance when the dot is on a known floor, matched to the map and within 3 m. | The start point is fixed where the kiosk stands on the plan. |
How positioning works in DigiMaps, tier by tier Do you need beacons for indoor wayfinding?
Pointr and DigiMaps, row by row
Pointr cells come from Pointr’s own pages. Not stated means we could not find it there, so ask them. DigiMaps cells come from our product audit, and our gaps are marked as plainly as theirs.
| Capability | Pointr | DigiMaps |
|---|---|---|
| Packages and pricing | Maps, and Maps & Location. No prices published | Pilot, cloud subscription or on-premises licence. No prices published yet |
| Making the map | MapScale AI from DWG, DXF and vector PDF, with human finishing where needed. Output in GeoJSON | DXF natively. DWG through a converter. AI tracing proposes rooms from a PDF or image for your review |
| IMDF | IMDF conversion service. Describes itself as an Apple-certified IMDF converter | IMDF, GeoJSON and KML export. No Apple validation claimed |
| Phone blue dot | Deep Location on the device. 1–3 m average accuracy stated, varying with beacon density | Not validated at a live venue yet. Offered as a commissioned pilot, with accuracy measured on site |
| Positioning hardware | Hardware agnostic. Can use existing Wi-Fi access points or smart lighting alongside its beacons | None for kiosk routes. Accepts your own positioning feed if you have one |
| Phone without an app | Pointr Express, built on Apple App Clips. Its Web SDK has no real-time blue dot | Phone browser from a QR code, with no app |
| Kiosk | Web & Kiosk SDK with static wayfinding and multi-language | Kiosk mode with reach mode, staff mode and a 60-second reset |
| Kiosk fleet management Remote reload, screenshots, offline alerts | Not stated | Heartbeats, five remote commands, offline alerts, monthly uptime reports |
| Without a network | Positioning works offline once cached. Web SDK needs a connection | Kiosks keep searching and routing from the cached map after the first load |
| Digital signage | Not stated | Signage page, directory board, and RSS, JSON Feed and iCal feeds |
| Hospital systems | Epic MyChart integration through SMART on FHIR | No EHR integration. Deep links and the API |
| Languages | Content in multiple languages, including Arabic, per its MyChart guide | Full right-to-left layout. Kiosk interface in English, Arabic, Russian and Chinese, each translation approved by your team |
| SDKs | iOS, Android and Web SDKs, plus MapWidget | Iframe embed and JavaScript API. Web SDK on request. No native SDKs yet |
| Analytics | A paid add-on to both packages | Anonymous visitor statistics and heatmaps, with CSV or JSON export |
| Hosting | Personal data kept in a private cloud | Our cloud, or one server on your network, air-gapped if needed |
| Certifications | ISO 27001 and ISO 27017 | None yet. Threat model and penetration-test scope under NDA |
| Published track record | 7 billion sq ft mapped, 5,000+ venues, 35+ countries, by its own count | None yet. We are looking for our first pilot sites |
Competitor information from their public websites, checked 24 October 2026. Sources: pointr.tech, Pointr packages, Pointr FAQ, Pointr MapScale, Pointr IMDF, Pointr post on its Mobile and Web SDKs (2022), Pointr Epic MyChart guide (2026), Pointr hospital expansion post (2023). Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will correct it.
Which one fits your project
Pointr is the better choice if
- You need a live blue dot on visitors’ phones now, inside your own app.
- You are a US health system that wants maps inside Epic MyChart.
- Your procurement rules require ISO 27001.
- You have hundreds of sites in CAD and want one pipeline to convert and update them.
DigiMaps may fit better if
- You want wayfinding from day one without installing beacons.
- Most visitors start at an entrance kiosk and finish on their own phone, with no app.
- The system must run on your own server, including with no internet.
- You need kiosks managed as a fleet, and the map on your signage screens.
- The kiosk itself must be accessible: reach mode, 7:1 contrast and six routing profiles.
Six questions for any positioning vendor
Ask them of Pointr, of us, and of anyone else selling a blue dot. Get the answers in writing, for your building.
- Q1 What accuracy have you measured in a building like ours, and with how many beacons? A brochure range is not a site result. Ask for the number of ground-truth points and the worst five percent, not only the average.
- Q2 What does the visitor see when the dot is unsure? A confident dot in the wrong corridor is worse than none. Ask what the app does below its accuracy threshold.
- Q3 Does it work on an iPhone without installing anything? Many visitors will not download an app for one hospital visit.
- Q4 Who replaces beacon batteries, and who pays for it? Put the upkeep in the contract, not in a later change request.
- Q5 What does a kiosk do when the network drops? Pointr’s own post says its Web SDK needs a live connection. A DigiMaps kiosk keeps routing from its cached map.
- Q6 Where is personal data stored, and can it stay on our network? Pointr states a private cloud. DigiMaps can run on one server inside your building.
Other Pointr alternatives, compared the same way:
Pointr or DigiMaps: common questions
Do I need beacons for indoor wayfinding?
Not for kiosk wayfinding. A kiosk has a fixed “You are here” point, so routes start there and move to the visitor’s phone by QR. A moving blue dot on phones needs a positioning layer, such as beacons, and a survey. Pointr says its system is hardware agnostic and that accuracy varies with beacon density.
Does DigiMaps have a blue dot like Pointr?
Not as a standard feature. DigiMaps offers phone positioning as a commissioned pilot: we survey your venue and report the accuracy measured on site. If you already have beacons or a positioning SDK, DigiMaps accepts external position feeds through a documented API.
Does Pointr work offline?
Pointr’s FAQ says its positioning works offline once content is cached. Its post comparing its SDKs says the Web SDK only runs while the page stays connected to the internet. DigiMaps kiosks keep searching and routing from their cached map when the network drops, after the first load.
Is DigiMaps ISO 27001 certified like Pointr?
No. DigiMaps holds no security certification yet. Our security questionnaire, threat model and penetration-test scope are available under NDA, and we will tell you plainly where we stand.
Can DigiMaps convert our CAD drawings, as MapScale does?
Yes for DXF, which Studio imports without any AI. DWG goes through a server-side converter, and AI-assisted tracing proposes room outlines from a PDF or image for your team to review. We do not publish a conversion time, because it depends on how your drawings are layered.
Start with the kiosk. Add the dot when it earns its place.
Book a 30-minute walkthrough. We will show kiosk routes and QR hand-off on a sample venue, and tell you plainly what a phone-positioning pilot would involve in your building.