18 Best Sitemap Generator Tools in 2024 (Free and Paid)

Are you struggling to ensure that your website is easily navigable for both users and search engines? 

Do you find yourself wondering how to improve the visibility of your web pages? 

It looks like what you really need is a good sitemap tool. 

In today’s digital age, having a well-structured sitemap is crucial for the success of any website. Your website could be a hidden gem, a treasure chest for the readers, but without an accurate map, it can never be discovered. 

With an efficient sitemap, you can make the treasure hunt easy for the users as well as the search engines. 

Curious about Sitemaps? 

Want to know more?

Look no further.

In this article, we’ll explore the world of sitemaps and introduce you to the 18 best sitemap generator tools available in 2024. Whether you’re a seasoned web developer or a novice blogger, these tools can help you streamline the process of creating and maintaining your website’s sitemap.

Before we list out the best sitemap generator tools, it’s better to have clarity on the basics of the What, Who, Why, and How’s of Sitemap.

Let’s understand it briefly.

What is a Sitemap?

A sitemap is like a guiding light, illuminating the path for both users and search engines like Google in the vast labyrinth of the internet. Imagine having the power to:

• Gain a bird’s-eye view of your website’s architecture.
• Track which pages are under the watchful gaze of Google and other search engines.
• Monitor the frequency at which these pages are scrutinized.
• Identify any overlooked pages awaiting their moment in the spotlight.
• Detects and rectifies any errors plaguing your digital domain.

Sitemaps acts as a helping hand for SEO professionals and for website managers. If your website doesn’t have a special file, kinda like a map but in computer language (XML, HTML, or CSV format), it might end up being a bit lost in the online world.

In its essence, an XML sitemap serves as a virtual directory, providing clear instructions to search engine bots about the most significant pages on your website.

While it’s not a guarantee that all pages will be indexed, the mere act of highlighting their importance can significantly enhance their visibility.

Who Needs a Sitemap Generator?

In general terms, anyone with a website, regardless of their level of expertise, can benefit from a sitemap generator. To have a clear understanding of the situation let’s revise Google’s guidelines.

According to Google, you need a Sitemap Generator if:

• Your website is big.
• It’s new and doesn’t have many links from other sites.
• Your site has lots of pictures, and videos, or appears in Google News.

If you fall under any of those categories then having a sitemap generator by your side will give out fruitful results by making your website work better and be easier to find.

Sitemap Generator for Specific Needs

If you are still confused about whether you need a Sitemap generator here is a further breakdown of who specifically needs a sitemap generator:

Website Owners

If you own a website, a sitemap generator is essential. It helps you organize your content and ensures that search engines can easily navigate and index your pages.

Web Developers

For those who design and develop websites, a sitemap generator simplifies the process of creating and maintaining an organized structure. It’s a time-saving tool that aids in the overall functionality of the site.

Bloggers

Whether you’re a seasoned blogger or just starting out, a sitemap generator can enhance the visibility of your blog posts. It ensures that search engines are aware of your latest content, potentially increasing your readership.

E-commerce Platforms

Online stores can significantly benefit from a sitemap generator. It helps organize product pages, categories, and other essential elements, making it easier for potential customers and search engines to navigate the site.

SEO Enthusiasts

Individuals focused on optimizing their website for search engines can use a sitemap generator to improve their SEO efforts. A well-organized sitemap contributes to better search engine rankings.

Content Creators

Whether you’re sharing articles, videos, or other types of content, a sitemap generator ensures that your creations are easily discoverable, both by your audience and search engines.

Why Sitemaps Are Important for Site Health

Sitemaps play a crucial role in maintaining the health and performance of a website for several reasons:

Improved Crawling Efficiency

Search engine crawlers use sitemaps to discover and index web pages more efficiently. By providing a clear roadmap of the site’s structure and content, sitemaps help search engines navigate through the website’s pages and understand its hierarchy.

Ensured Indexing of Pages

Without a sitemap, search engines may overlook certain pages on a website, especially if they are buried deep within the site’s structure or lack internal links. A comprehensive sitemap ensures that all relevant pages are indexed, increasing their chances of appearing in search engine results.

Faster Discovery of New Content

When new pages or updates are added to a website, a sitemap helps expedite the process of discovery by search engines. This is particularly important for websites with frequently updated content, such as news sites or blogs, as it ensures that fresh content is promptly crawled and indexed.

Identification of Crawl Errors

Sitemaps can also aid in identifying crawl errors or broken links within a website. By regularly monitoring the sitemap, webmasters can detect any issues that may hinder search engine crawlers from accessing certain pages, allowing them to take corrective action promptly.

Enhanced User Experience

Sitemaps improve user experience in addition to helping search engines, which is their main purpose. Users may more easily explore and locate the information they need on a website with a well-organized sitemap, which gives them a clear picture of the content and structure of the website.

Types of Sitemap

Sitemaps are traditionally divided into two types, XML and HTML namely, with advancement in technology and updating of processes has brought more types, here we have discussed some.

XML Sitemap

• Purpose: The most common type, XML sitemaps, is designed for search engines to crawl and index the pages on your website efficiently.
• Format: XML (eXtensible Markup Language).
• Usage: Essential for SEO, helps search engines understand the structure of your site.

HTML Sitemap

• Purpose: Created for users, an HTML sitemap is a visual representation of your site’s structure, aiding navigation.
• Format: Hypertext Markup Language (HTML).
• Usage: Enhances user experience, providing an organized overview of your website.

Image Sitemap

• Purpose: Specifically for images, this type of sitemap helps search engines index and understand the images on your site.
• Format: XML.
• Usage: Beneficial for websites with a focus on visual content, such as photography portfolios or image-heavy blogs.

Video Sitemap

• Purpose: Designed for websites with video content, a video sitemap assists search engines in indexing and displaying video results.
• Format: XML.
• Usage: Ideal for video-centric websites or those with a substantial video library.

News Sitemap

• Purpose: Tailored for news websites, a news sitemap ensures timely indexing of new articles and updates.
• Format: XML.
• Usage: Critical for websites delivering news content, improving visibility on news search engines.

Mobile Sitemap

• Purpose: Optimized for mobile devices, this sitemap type helps search engines understand the mobile version of your site.
• Format: XML.
• Usage: Important for websites with mobile-responsive designs, improving mobile search rankings.

Best Sitemap Generator Tools

Now that we have covered the basis of Sitemaps and why they are important, let’s have a look at some of the Best Sitemap Generator tools.

Yoast SEO

• Type: WordPress plugin
• Price: Free with limited features, 

Yoast SEO is a well-known name in the world of website optimization, offering a powerful plugin for WordPress users. It helps you optimize your website content and structure for search engines like Google.

Features of Yoast SEO

1. Keyword optimization: Analyze your content for relevant keywords and suggest improvements.
2. Technical SEO: Check for technical issues like missing meta descriptions, broken links, and mobile-friendliness.
3. Readability analysis: Ensure your content is easy to understand for both users and search engines.
4. XML sitemap generation: Create and submit sitemaps to search engines to help them discover your website effectively.
5. Social media integration: Optimize your content for social media sharing.
6. Internal linking suggestions: Encourage users to explore more of your website by suggesting relevant internal links.

One feature of Yoast SEO that we like is its ability to break up huge websites into lots of smaller XML sitemaps, making thousands of links in the process. This creation of multiple plugins makes your website more efficient.

Inspyder Sitemap Creator

• Type: Downloadable sitemap generator.
• Price: Free trial, after that one-time payment of $39.95 for full functionality.

Inspyder Sitemap Creator stands out as a robust tool for generating and maintaining well-structured sitemaps, available to cater to diverse needs, offering free trial versions and paid versions that consist of a one-time payment.

Features of Inspyder Sitemap Creator

1. Automatic Crawling: Crawls your website efficiently, identifying all important pages and their related details.
2. Customizable Settings: Tailor your sitemap based on your preferences, including priority, change frequency, and image/video inclusion.
3. Mobile Sitemap Option: Creates separate sitemaps specifically optimized for mobile devices.
4. Scheduled Updates: Automates sitemap refreshes, keeping your search engine listings up-to-date.
5. Submission & Pinging: Submit your sitemap to major search engines like Google and Bing, notifying them of changes.

Inspyder Sitemap Creator is a powerful tool for generating accurate and SEO-friendly sitemaps. Apart from that Inspyder also offers features related to File Transfer Protocol (FTP) or Secure File Transfer Protocol (FTPS/SFTP).

 XML-Sitemaps.com

• Type: Online tool
• Price: Free for up to 500 pages

XML-Sitemaps.com offers a convenient online tool for creating and managing sitemaps, catering to both small and large websites. 

Features of XML-Sitemaps.com

1. Free & Paid Plans: Offers a free plan for up to 500 URLs and paid plans with higher limits and additional features.
2. Unlimited Sitemap Generation: Create as many sitemaps as needed for your website.
3. Multiple Formats: Generate XML, HTML, and text sitemaps based on your requirements.
4. Automatic Change Frequency Updates: Keep search engines informed about changes to your website.
5. Image & Video Sitemap: Includes images and videos in your sitemap for richer indexing.
6. Multi-lingual Support: Supports various languages for your website and content.
7. Google Analytics Integration: Analyze visitor data to identify important pages for your sitemap.

The best part about XML-Sitemap.com that we like is its attribute to indicate when a page was last modified, which helps the crawler focus on those specific pages for indexing.

XML Sitemap Generator for Google

• Type: WordPress plugin
• Price: Free

XML Sitemap Generator for Google is a free online tool specifically designed to help you create XML sitemaps for your website and submit them to Google for better search engine indexing.

Features of XML Sitemap Generator for Google

• Free and Easy-to-Use: No subscription fees and a user-friendly interface make it accessible.
• Direct Google Submission: Streamline the process of informing Google about your sitemap.
• Mobile Optimization: Cater to mobile users with separate mobile sitemaps.
• Improved Search Engine Visibility: Help Google easily discover and index your website pages.
• Basic Sitemap Optimization: Optimize essential parameters like frequency and priority.

Things that set XML Sitemap Generator for Google apart from others are its advanced settings, and the ability to create multiple types of sitemaps. 

XML Sitemap & Google News

• Type: WordPress plugin
• Price: Standard Version – Free and Advanced version starts at $32.93/year

XML Sitemap & Google News, while not a standalone tool, acts as a plugin for WordPress websites offering crucial functionalities for enhancing news discoverability within Google News.

Features of XML Sitemap & Google News

• Increased Google News Visibility: Optimize your content for discoverability within Google News, potentially reaching a wider audience.
• Faster Indexing of News Articles: Promptly notify Google News about new and updated content, accelerating its appearance in search results.
• Targeted Sitemaps: Separate sitemaps for your website and news content facilitate clearer indexing for Google News.
• Convenient Plugin Integration: Seamlessly integrates with your WordPress website for easy management.
• Free and Accessible: No additional costs are involved, making it an affordable solution.

XML Sitemap & Google News offers a valuable and free solution for news websites and bloggers to optimize their content for Google News discoverability The simplicity that it offers, helps to simplify sitemap creation, submission, and content formatting, potentially increasing news visibility and audience reach.

Slickplan Sitemap Builder

• Type: Online tool
• Price: Free 14-day trial, plans start at $10.79/month

Slickplan Sitemap Builder stands out as a visual tool for constructing website sitemaps, focusing on user experience and collaborative planning. Using a drag-and-drop interface, you can create XML sitemaps and add pictures and colors to them. 

Features of Slickplan Sitemap Builder

• Visual Site Planning: Simplifies understanding and communicating website structure.
• Collaboration: Streamlines teamwork and ensures everyone is on the same page.
• SEO Optimization: Integrates basic SEO practices into the sitemap creation process.
• Content Planning: Helps organize and plan website content alongside the structure.
• User-friendly Interface: Makes sitemap building accessible even for non-technical users.

You may add page properties using this tool to make the map more readable overall. These consist of specifics like attributes and page kinds. Because of its batch editing feature, page divisions, and collapsible sitemap layers, Slickplan is also quite effective at visualizing massive websites. 

Dyno Mapper

• Type: Cloud-based sitemap builder
• Price: Pricing starts at $49.95 per month.

Dyno Mapper goes beyond basic sitemap generation, offering a comprehensive platform for website analysis, content audits, accessibility testing, and SEO optimization. 

Features of Slickplan Sitemap Builder

• Visual Sitemap Builder: Create interactive sitemaps for clear visualization and navigation.
• Content Inventory & Audit: Analyze your website’s content, identify gaps, and optimize its performance.
• Content Planning: Manage upcoming content with a calendar and prioritize tasks.
• Website Accessibility Testing: Ensure your website is accessible to users with disabilities.
• SEO Recommendations: Receive suggestions for improving your website’s search engine optimization.

Dyno Mapper stands out as a versatile platform for website analysis, it empowers users to gain valuable insights, improve website performance, and cater to diverse needs. 

WriteMaps

• Type: Web-based visual sitemap generator
• Price: 2 Sitemaps for free, beyond that Paid plan of $16/month

WriteMaps positions itself as a visual sitemap builder and website planner, focusing on intuitive design and collaborative features. You may build sections using WriteMaps, which are collections of pages that remain outside of the sitemap itself. While the premium plan has some intriguing features like color pages, sitemap archiving, PDF exporting, and sharing capabilities, you may use it for free.

Features of WriteMaps

• Visually create sitemaps: Drag-and-drop interface for arranging and connecting pages, simulating your website’s structure.
• Content planning: Add page titles, meta descriptions, and content summaries within the sitemap.
• Collaboration: Work with team members in real-time on the sitemap, enhancing communication and efficiency.
• Share and export: Share your sitemap with others or export it as an image or XML file.

WriteMaps shines in its visual approach and collaborative features, making it a solid choice for individuals and small teams to plan and structure their websites. 

RankMath

• Type: WordPress plugin
• Price: Free up to certain credits, Requires subscription after that

Often used as a Yoast alternative, RankMath is also a good choice as a free WordPress plugin. Its comprehensive set of features aims at optimizing your website for search engines and improving overall user experience. With the help of different sections like topics, author, products, general, and multimedia you can organize your sitemaps with ease.

Features of RankMath

• Free & Comprehensive: Wide range of features available in the free version for basic needs.
• User-friendly Interface: Makes SEO tasks manageable even for beginners.
• On-page & Technical SEO Coverage: Handles various aspects of SEO optimization.
• Content Optimization Tools: Improves content quality and search engine relevance.
• Local SEO Support: Enhances online presence for local businesses.

Rank Math stands out as a powerful and free SEO plugin for WordPress, offering a comprehensive set of features for on-page optimization, technical SEO, content insights, and more.

Screaming Frog

• Type: Downloadable XML sitemap generator
• Price: Free for up to 500 links, Beyond that $259 per year.

Screaming Frog SEO Spider is a powerful website crawler and auditor designed to help you improve your website’s search engine optimization (SEO) performance. It’s available in both a free and paid version, making it a versatile tool for website owners, SEO professionals, and developers alike.

Features of Screaming Frog

• Comprehensive Technical SEO Audit: Identifies a wide range of SEO issues for improvement.
• User-friendly Interface: Easy to learn and use, even for beginners.
• Export Data for Further Analysis: Gain deeper insights by analyzing data in other tools.
• Automation Options: Schedule regular crawls to monitor website health over time.
• Free Version Available: Get started with SEO audits without any cost.

Screaming Frog SEO Spider is a valuable tool for anyone looking to improve their website’s technical SEO and overall search engine visibility. Consider your website’s size, complexity, and technical expertise when deciding which version is right for you.

Sitemap Writer Pro

• Type: Downloadable XML Sitemap Generator
• Price: $24.95

Sitemap Writer Pro is a desktop application specifically designed for generating and managing XML sitemaps for your website. 

Features of Sitemap Writer Pro

• Improved Search Engine Ranking: Accurate and updated sitemaps can positively impact your ranking in search results.
• Enhanced User Experience: Search engines can efficiently crawl your website, leading to faster loading times for users.
• SEO Efficiency: Automates various tasks, saving time and effort for SEO professionals.
• Peace of Mind: Ensures your website pages are properly indexed and visible to search engines.

Sitemap Writer Pro is a powerful tool for generating and managing accurate sitemaps, particularly for complex websites and those seeking offline software with advanced features.

WonderWebWare

• Type: Downloadable tool
• Price: Free

Woderwebware’s is a free sitemap generator that generates sitemaps in XML and TXT formats for Google and Yahoo automatically. Additionally, it will crawl a website to gather data about all of your internal links. 

Features of WonderWebWare

• Variety of options: Choose from free online tools or a more powerful desktop application based on your needs and budget.
• Easy to use: User-friendly interfaces simplify sitemap generation even for beginners.
• Multiple sitemap formats: Generate standard XML sitemaps, mobile sitemaps, and Google News sitemaps.
• Basic SEO optimization: Set change frequency and priority for each page.
• Image and video inclusion: Enhance your sitemap for richer indexing.

The developers of WonderWebWare have made a bold claim by calling their tool “ the best SEO-aware sitemap generator. This claim is justified by their tools as it crawls through the website and list only the important pages from an SEO point of view.

Also Read: Best 171+ Image Submission Sites List

GlooMaps

• Type: Web-based visual sitemap generator
• Price: Free

GlooMaps is another software that you can use for creating the structure of your website. Keyboard shortcuts are supported by the application, which expedites the construction process. Furthermore, the application features a simple UI with few stylistic options. 

Features of GlooMaps

• Easy drag-and-drop interface: Add and connect pages to visually build your website structure.
• Content planning: Add page titles, descriptions, and notes within the sitemap.
• Collaboration: Work with team members in real-time on the sitemap.
• Sharing and exporting: Share your sitemap with others or export it as an image or XML file.
• Free and limited: No subscription required, but sitemaps are stored for 14 days unless revisited.

One further interesting feature of GlooMaps is its ability to apply a consistent size throughout the box widths. Those that seek a straightforward yet thorough visual sitemap design might utilize this.

Mysitemapgenerator

• Type: Web-based sitemap generator
• Price: Free 

MySitemapGenerator presents a comprehensive solution for boosting your website’s search engine optimization and visibility in search results. This SEO-enhancing Sitemap is designed to drive indexing coverage, ensuring prompt discovery and a clear understanding of your site’s content by major search engines, including Google, Yandex, Bing, Baidu, and others.

Features of MySitemapGenerator

• Free Sitemap Generation: The tool provides a complimentary Sitemap generator that meticulously crawls your website, generating XML files to facilitate faster and more accurate indexing by search engines.
• Multiple Sitemap Formats: In addition to standard XML Sitemaps, the application can create Image and Multilingual Sitemaps, catering to diverse website needs and enhancing overall visibility.
• Scalable Solutions: Whether managing a growing blog or a large eCommerce store, MySitemapGenerator offers scalable solutions tailored to suit every website’s requirements.

MySitemapGenerator simplifies the process of creating and managing Sitemaps, ensuring effective communication of your website’s structure and content to search engines.

Octopus.do.

• Type: Online tool
• Price: Free

Octopus.do is a visual sitemap builder and website planner that helps you create and manage your website’s structure and content. It offers a drag-and-drop interface for easily adding pages, connecting them, and specifying their content and metadata. 

Features of Octopus.do:

• Visual sitemap builder: Create your website’s structure with a drag-and-drop interface.
• Content planning: Add page titles, descriptions, and content summaries to each page.
• Collaboration: Work with team members in real time on your sitemap.
• Sharing and exporting: Share your sitemap with others or export it as an image or XML file.
• SEO tips: Get basic SEO suggestions as you build your sitemap.

Octopus.do is a good option for individuals and small teams who need to create and manage their website’s structure and content. It is easy to use, affordable, and provides basic SEO suggestions. 

PowerMapper

• Type:
• Price: Free Trial, beyond that Subscription starts at $49.

PowerMapper is a comprehensive loaded with features of website mapping and auditing application. You may enhance search engine optimization and website accessibility with the aid of this visual sitemap builder. 

Features of PowerMapper

• Automatic sitemap generation: Crawls your website to identify all pages and create visual and XML sitemaps in one click.
• Site testing and analysis: Identifies various website issues like broken links, missing alt text, accessibility problems, and more.
• SEO optimization: Provides insights and suggestions for improving on-page SEO and technical SEO aspects.
• Mobile sitemap generation: Creates separate sitemaps optimized for mobile devices.
• Accessibility testing: Checks website compliance with WCAG accessibility standards.

In addition to creating visual sitemaps, PowerMapper excels in identifying broken links and spelling errors. Moreover, the platform conducts thorough checks for browser compatibility and web standards validation. 

For users with advanced proficiency, PowerMapper offers a range of benefits, including enhanced filtering and customization options, facilitating the creation of visual sitemaps tailored to the complexities of intricate websites.

GitMind

• Type: Web-Based Mind Mapping Application
• Price: Free 10 Maps, Paid Version starts at $5.75

GitMind is a free and versatile mind-mapping tool that helps you visually organize your thoughts, ideas, and information. It offers a user-friendly interface and a wide range of features to help you.

Features of GitMind

• Drag-and-drop interface: Easily add, move, and connect topics and subtopics.
• Multiple map layouts: Choose from different mind map layouts, such as radial, tree, and logic maps.
• Themes and styles: Customize the look and feel of your mind maps with a variety of themes and styles.
• Images and attachments: Add images, videos, and other attachments to your mind maps.
• Notes and comments: Add notes and comments to individual topics.

GitMind is a great option for anyone who wants to brainstorm ideas, organize information, take notes, plan projects, or collaborate with others.

SEOToolbelt’s XML Sitemaps Generator

• Type: Online Tool
• Price: Free

Stop struggling with manual sitemap creation! SEOToolbelt’s XML Sitemap Generator makes it effortless to build and organize your sitemaps for optimal search engine visibility.

Features of SEOToolbelt’s XML Sitemaps Generator

• Batch Processing: Handles large websites with thousands of URLs efficiently.
• CSV or Text Input: Choose your preferred upload method for flexibility.
• Metadata Inclusion: Optionally add <lastmod> tags for accurate last modified dates (when importing via CSV).
• Automatic Sitemap Indexing: Creates separate sitemaps if your URL list exceeds the maximum per file.
• User-Friendly Interface: Navigate and customize your sitemaps with ease.
• Preview and Download: View the contents of each sitemap before downloading them all at once.

Start generating perfect XML sitemaps today and watch your website’s search engine ranking soar!

How to Generate a Sitemap

Creating a sitemap for your website is a straightforward process that doesn’t require technical expertise or coding skills. Instead of hiring a developer, you can utilize a sitemap generator tool to streamline the entire procedure. The tool essentially navigates through your website, collecting information and constructing a sitemap file for you.

To create a sitemap using a generator tool, follow these simple steps:

Step 1:  Select a Sitemap Generator Tool

Begin by choosing a sitemap generator tool that suits your needs. Numerous options are available online, and many of them offer free services.

Step 2: Enter Your Website URL

Once you’ve chosen a tool, input your website URL into the designated field. The sitemap generator will then systematically scan your entire site, indexing its structure and content.

Step 3: Download the Sitemap File

After the scanning process is complete, the tool generates a sitemap file in XML format. Download this file and consider naming it something logical, such as “sitemap.xml” for easy identification.

Step 4: Upload to the Root Directory

To ensure that search engines can locate your sitemap easily, upload the downloaded sitemap file to the root directory of your website. This directory is typically the main folder where your website files are stored.

Step 5: Submit to Search Engines

Lastly, inform search engines about your sitemap. Most search engines provide a submission platform where you can upload your sitemap file, allowing them to better understand the structure of your website and index its pages more efficiently.

Also Read: Top 109+ Infographics Submission Sites List

Conclusion

In conclusion, creating and maintaining an effective sitemap for your website is pivotal in enhancing user experience and optimizing search engine visibility.

A sitemap acts as a guiding light, helping both users and search engines navigate through the vast expanse of the internet and discover valuable content. Without a sitemap, even the most informative and engaging websites risk being lost in obscurity.

The comprehensive list of 18 best sitemap generator tools in 2024 caters to a wide range of users, from website owners and developers to bloggers, e-commerce platforms, and SEO enthusiasts.

Each tool offers unique features and functionalities, allowing users to choose based on their specific requirements and preferences. With the right sitemap strategy in place, the journey to digital success becomes smoother and more rewarding for all stakeholders involved.

FAQs