CARTO vs Google Maps vs Leaflet

Need advice about which tool to choose?Ask the StackShare community!

CARTO

39
77
+ 1
3
Google Maps

40.4K
28K
+ 1
566
Leaflet

1.4K
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+ 1
107

CARTO vs Google Maps vs Leaflet: What are the differences?

Introduction: When comparing CARTO, Google Maps, and Leaflet, there are key differences that set each mapping platform apart. These differences play crucial roles in determining which platform may best suit your specific mapping needs.

  1. Data Visualization Abilities: CARTO excels in data visualization, allowing users to easily create interactive maps with multiple layers, customize styling, and incorporate various data sources. Google Maps and Leaflet also offer data visualization capabilities but are more limited in comparison, making CARTO a preferred choice for users needing advanced visualization features.

  2. Geocoding and Routing: Both Google Maps and Leaflet provide geocoding services and routing functionality out of the box, enabling users to easily incorporate location-based services into their applications. CARTO, on the other hand, offers limited geocoding and routing capabilities, making it less ideal for projects requiring extensive use of geospatial data.

  3. Map Customization Options: While Google Maps provides a wide range of customization options through its API, Leaflet offers unparalleled control over map styling and functionality through its open-source framework. CARTO strikes a balance between the two, offering a user-friendly interface for customization without the need for extensive coding.

  4. Pricing Structure: Google Maps offers a free tier for basic usage but can become costly as API usage increases, especially for commercial applications. Leaflet, being open-source, is free to use with no licensing fees. CARTO, on the other hand, operates on a subscription-based pricing model, offering different plans tailored to individual or enterprise needs.

  5. Offline Mapping Capabilities: CARTO lacks robust offline mapping capabilities compared to Google Maps and Leaflet, which both support offline map storage and viewing through various plugins and libraries. This feature can be crucial for users working in environments with limited or no internet connectivity.

  6. Community Support and Documentation: While Google Maps and Leaflet benefit from larger user communities and extensive documentation, CARTO may have fewer community-contributed resources and tutorials available. This factor can influence the ease of troubleshooting issues and implementing advanced features within each mapping platform.

In Summary, when choosing between CARTO, Google Maps, and Leaflet, consider factors such as data visualization capabilities, geocoding and routing functionality, customization options, pricing structure, offline mapping capabilities, and community support to determine which platform best aligns with your specific mapping requirements.

Advice on CARTO, Google Maps, and Leaflet
  1. I would like to input a spreadsheet with names and associated addresses into a map program to; pinpoint all of the locations on a map. How can I do that? On which map? Are there field size limitations? All help would be appreciated.

  2. There is a subdivision that is about one(1) mile by 3/4 mile in size. Is there a map program that would create the most efficient way to drive all of the streets in the subdivision without a lot of doubling back?

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Replies (1)

You could use a low-code platform to read the spreadsheet and use them as input for the pin pointing. The most expert provider would HERE or TomTom for the best routing algoritmes. Input parameters would be dependent on the chosen provider.

I see your stack is mostly Google and I am not familiar with that. But we have implemented this through the M365 Teams/SharePoint, Excell, MS PowerPlatform, our WMS and Azure.

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From a StackShare Community member: "We're a team of two starting to write a mobile app. The app will heavily rely on maps and this is where my partner and I are not seeing eye-to-eye. I would like to go with an open source solution like OpenStreetMap that is used by Apple & Foursquare. He would like to go with Google Maps since more apps use it and has better support (according to him). Mapbox is also an option but I don’t know much about it."

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Replies (6)
Recommends
on
MapboxMapbox

I use Mapbox because We need 3D maps and navigation, it has a great plugin for React and React Native which we use. Also the Mapbox Geocoder is great.

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Blair Gemmer
Software Engineer at VYNYL · | 2 upvotes · 159.4K views
Recommends
on
Google MapsGoogle Maps

Google Maps is best because it is practically free (they give you $300 in free credits per month and it's really hard to go over the free tier unless you really mean business) and it's the best!

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Recommends
on
OpenStreetMapOpenStreetMap

I use OpenStreetMap because that has a strong community. It takes some time to catch up with Google Maps, but OpenStreetMap will become great solution.

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Shuuji TAKAHASHI
Recommends
on
Google MapsGoogle Maps

I use Google Maps because it has a lot of great features such as Google's rich APIs, geolocation functions, navigation search feature, street map view, auto-generated 3D city map.

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Recommends
on
OpenStreetMapOpenStreetMap

Its open source and we use it.

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Fabio Fraga Machado
Recommends
on
OpenStreetMapOpenStreetMap

I use OpenStreetMap because i have the control of the environment, using Docker containers or bare-metal servers.

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Pros of CARTO
Pros of Google Maps
Pros of Leaflet
  • 1
    Crisp UI
  • 1
    Great customer service
  • 1
    Comprehensive platform
  • 253
    Free
  • 136
    Address input through maps api
  • 81
    Sharable Directions
  • 47
    Google Earth
  • 46
    Unique
  • 3
    Custom maps designing
  • 32
    Light weight
  • 28
    Free
  • 12
    Evolutive via plugins
  • 10
    OpenStreetMap
  • 9
    Strong community
  • 7
    Choice of map providers
  • 6
    Easy API
  • 3
    Alternative to Google Maps

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Cons of CARTO
Cons of Google Maps
Cons of Leaflet
    Be the first to leave a con
    • 4
      Google Attributions and logo
    • 1
      Only map allowed alongside google place autocomplete
      Be the first to leave a con

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      - No public GitHub repository available -

      What is CARTO?

      The CARTO platform empowers everyone, from business analysts to data scientists, to turn location data into business outcomes. We accelerate innovation, power new use cases and disrupt business models through Location Intelligence.

      What is Google Maps?

      Create rich applications and stunning visualisations of your data, leveraging the comprehensiveness, accuracy, and usability of Google Maps and a modern web platform that scales as you grow.

      What is Leaflet?

      Leaflet is an open source JavaScript library for mobile-friendly interactive maps. It is developed by Vladimir Agafonkin of MapBox with a team of dedicated contributors. Weighing just about 30 KB of gzipped JS code, it has all the features most developers ever need for online maps.

      Need advice about which tool to choose?Ask the StackShare community!

      What companies use CARTO?
      What companies use Google Maps?
      What companies use Leaflet?

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      What tools integrate with CARTO?
      What tools integrate with Google Maps?
      What tools integrate with Leaflet?
        No integrations found

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        Blog Posts

        JavaScriptGitHubNode.js+26
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        What are some alternatives to CARTO, Google Maps, and Leaflet?
        Mapbox
        We make it possible to pin travel spots on Pinterest, find restaurants on Foursquare, and visualize data on GitHub.
        ArcGIS
        It is a geographic information system for working with maps and geographic information. It is used for creating and using maps, compiling geographic data, analyzing mapped information, sharing and much more.
        Tableau
        Tableau can help anyone see and understand their data. Connect to almost any database, drag and drop to create visualizations, and share with a click.
        OpenLayers
        An opensource javascript library to load, display and render maps from multiple sources on web pages.
        Here Maps
        The Open Location Platform company, enables people, businesses and cities to harness the power of location
        See all alternatives