Nimbus Maps alternative

Nimbus Maps is built for site sourcing. SiteLens finds the work planning creates.

Nimbus Maps is a site-sourcing and ownership-data platform for developers and deal sourcers, and its pricing is now quote-only. SiteLens is a self-serve UK planning-application alert tool from £0, or £39 a month. They do different jobs, and this page helps you pick the right one.

No credit card, no call.

Two tools, two jobs

Nimbus Maps is for the front of the property cycle: finding off-market land, checking who owns it and modelling whether a deal stacks up. SiteLens is for the back of the cycle: knowing the moment a planning application appears or is approved near you, so subcontractors, suppliers and trades can quote the work it creates.

Transparent pricing versus quote-only

SiteLens publishes its prices openly: £0 free forever with no card, and Pro at £39 a month or £29 a month billed annually. Nimbus Maps no longer lists prices on its own pricing page; its Plus, Advanced and Enterprise tiers are quote-only, so you contact sales for a figure. You can start SiteLens today without a sales call or a contract.

AI classification built for trades

SiteLens reads every new UK planning application and classifies it by trade, project type and an estimated value band, then writes a plain-English brief. Daily email alerts are filtered to your trade and area across 320+ live councils, updated daily. Nimbus does not classify applications by trade or value band for the construction supply chain; its planning data supports site appraisal, not lead generation for contractors.

SiteLens vs Nimbus Maps

Feature-for-feature, based on publicly available information.

FeatureSiteLensNimbus Maps
Core functionPlanning-application alerts and AI classificationSite sourcing, ownership data and deal appraisal
Built forSubcontractors, suppliers, trades and small developers chasing workDevelopers, deal sourcers and surveyors finding and buying sites
Public transparent pricingYes, listed on siteNo, pricing page is quote-only
Free forever tierYes, £0 with no card
Starting price£0 free, then £39/mo (£29/mo billed annually)Quote only (Plus / Advanced / Enterprise)
Land ownership and title data
Comparable sales and deal appraisal
Direct-to-owner letter campaigns
AI trade and project classification
Estimated project value band
Daily trade-filtered alertsPlanning alerts for site monitoring, not trade-filtered
Map-based search
Contract termsMonthly, cancel anytimeNot published (quote only)

Pick SiteLens if…

  • You sell into construction (a trade, subcontractor or material supplier) and want to know when nearby projects get planning approval
  • You want to see prices and start today without a sales call or a 12-month contract
  • You want every new application classified by trade, project type and value band
  • You want daily email alerts filtered to your area and trade across 320+ councils
  • You want a free forever plan to test the data before paying anything

Can you use both?

A developer or deal sourcer can genuinely run both. Nimbus Maps does the acquisition work: finding off-market sites, checking ownership and title, and modelling whether a scheme stacks up. SiteLens then watches the live planning register so you, or the trades and suppliers you work with, hear the moment new applications and approvals land in your patch. One sources the site; the other surfaces the work the site creates.

  • SiteLensDaily planning-application alerts and AI trade classification once schemes are in the register
  • Nimbus MapsOff-market site sourcing, ownership and title data, and deal appraisal before purchase

Frequently asked

How much does Nimbus Maps cost?

Nimbus Maps no longer publishes prices on its own pricing page; its Plus, Advanced and Enterprise tiers are quote-only, so you contact sales for a figure. SiteLens publishes its pricing openly: £0 free forever, or £39 a month (£29 a month billed annually).

Is SiteLens a replacement for Nimbus Maps?

No, and it is honest to say so. Nimbus Maps is a site-sourcing and ownership-data platform for finding and buying property. SiteLens is a planning-application alert and classification tool for the trades and suppliers who want the work that follows planning approval. They do different jobs, and many users in property will benefit from both.

Does SiteLens have land ownership or comparable-sales data?

No. SiteLens does not include land ownership, title or comparable-sales data, and it has no site-sourcing or owner-letter workflow. It focuses on live UK planning applications across 320+ councils, classifying each one by trade, project type and estimated value band, and sending daily alerts filtered to your area.

When you should still pick Nimbus Maps

If your job is to find and acquire land, Nimbus Maps does things SiteLens deliberately does not. It brings ownership and title lookups, more than 30 million comparable sales data points, off-market site-finding filters and planning-constraint mapping into one place, and it lets you run direct-to-vendor letter campaigns to canvas owners at scale. SiteLens has none of that, and is not trying to.

For developers, deal sourcers, surveyors and planners who live in site appraisal and acquisition, that depth of ownership and market data is the whole point, and it is worth the higher price and the longer term. SiteLens is a focused planning-alert tool for the people who win work after planning is granted, not a replacement for a sourcing platform.

See it before you pay a penny.

Free forever tier. No credit card. No sales call.

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