Two tools with the same idea and different scopes. Here’s how to pick for your table.
Choose FantasyGen if you want one subscription covering the whole worldbuilding stack: battle maps, world and city maps, character portraits, and name generators, with a Refine tool for nudging results. Choose NeedAMap if you want encounter maps specifically, a trial that lets you actually evaluate (5 free maps to their 1 credit), and commercial use included on every tier.
| FantasyGen | NeedAMap | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | AI worldbuilding suite: maps at every scale plus character, art, and name generators | Scene-to-map tool for encounter-scale battle maps |
| How a map gets made | You describe the scene and pick one of nine visual styles | You write a few sentences, then pick shape, style, and resolution |
| Free trial | 1 credit on signup | 5 maps, no credit card |
| Price | Packs from $4.90 for 10 credits; subscriptions from $8/month for 100 credits a month, billed annually up front (month-to-month costs about 20% more) | Free: 5 maps. $4/month for 15 credits that roll over up to 30, or a $3 pack of 10 credits that never expires. No annual commitment anywhere |
| Commercial use | Included with subscriptions | Allowed on every tier, including free |
| Resolution pricing | 1K, 2K, and 4K at 1, 2, and 4 credits | The same: 1K, 2K, and 4K at 1, 2, and 4 credits |
| Editing a result | Refine tool adjusts a generated map; editable layout drafts on paid plans | Rewrite the description and generate again |
| Extras | Animated map videos, AI DM notes, character and name generators | 60 scene starters, three calibrated styles, and VTT-ready sizing |
| Image model | Not disclosed | Premium frontier image models, full quality on every tier including the free maps |
FantasyGen is the better fit in three situations. Your campaign needs the whole stack: world, city, and village maps live in the same tool as battle maps, with character portraits and name generators alongside. You generate at serious volume: paid annually up front, their subscription credits run cheaper per map than ours. Or you want to iterate inside the tool: their Refine feature adjusts a generated map, where we ask you to rewrite the description and roll again.
The two tools share a philosophy: describe what you need and get a map. Where they differ is scope and the front door. FantasyGen spreads across every map scale plus three extra generators; NeedAMap concentrates on encounter maps. And the maps come from different places: NeedAMap runs every generation on premium frontier image models, free maps included, and our pricing reflects what those models cost. You can properly try it before deciding: 5 free maps against a single trial credit, no card either way, with commercial use included from the first map. Generate the same scene in both and keep the one your table prefers.
Curious how the described-and-done side works? See how NeedAMap works, compare plans, or see every battle map maker compared.
For encounter and battle maps, yes: the same describe-and-generate flow, a 5-map free trial to their 1 credit, and commercial use on every tier including free. FantasyGen remains the broader suite: world and city maps, portraits, and names live in one subscription there.
NeedAMap gives you 5 free maps at signup with no credit card. FantasyGen gives 1 credit, which buys one 1K map. One map is a glimpse; five maps tell you whether the tool fits your table.
Yes, both export standard images that import anywhere. A NeedAMap 2K map works out to about 146 pixels per grid square, above Roll20’s recommendation.
