Overview

Mapbox

Stacks803

Followers939

Votes113

GitHub Stars1.9K

Forks384

Google Maps

Stacks42.5K

Followers29.8K

Votes568

OpenStreetMap

Stacks253

Followers473

Votes58

Google Maps vs Mapbox vs OpenStreetMap: What are the differences?

# Introduction
When it comes to online mapping services, Google Maps, Mapbox, and OpenStreetMap are some of the most popular platforms. Each of these platforms offers unique features and capabilities, making them suitable for different use cases.

1. **Data Source and Ownership**: Google Maps primarily uses data from various sources, including third-party providers and its Street View cars. Mapbox relies on a mixture of open data sources, including OpenStreetMap, but also allows users to upload their own data. OpenStreetMap, on the other hand, is a collaborative project where users can contribute and edit map data, making it a community-driven platform.

2. **Customization Options**: Mapbox provides extensive customization options for developers, allowing them to design and style maps according to their specific needs. Google Maps also offers customization features, but they are more limited compared to Mapbox. OpenStreetMap allows users to customize maps by directly editing the underlying data, giving them full control over the map's appearance.

3. **Pricing Model**: Google Maps offers a free tier for most users but charges a fee for high usage and commercial purposes through its Google Maps Platform. Mapbox provides a free tier with usage limits and charges based on the number of map views beyond those limits. OpenStreetMap, being an open-source project, is free to use without any limitations on access or view counts.

4. **Offline Usage**: Mapbox and OpenStreetMap allow users to download map data for offline usage, which can be useful in areas with poor internet connectivity. Google Maps also offers offline maps, but the functionality is more limited compared to Mapbox and OpenStreetMap.

5. **API and Development Support**: Mapbox offers robust APIs and SDKs that cater to developers looking to integrate mapping capabilities into their applications. Google Maps also provides APIs but has stricter usage limitations compared to Mapbox. OpenStreetMap, being open-source, offers APIs and libraries for developers to access and use map data freely.

6. **Global Coverage and Localization**: Google Maps has extensive global coverage and offers localization in multiple languages, making it suitable for international users. Mapbox and OpenStreetMap also provide global coverage, but the level of localization may vary depending on the region due to their reliance on community contributions for data accuracy.

In Summary, Google Maps, Mapbox, and OpenStreetMap each have unique strengths in terms of data sourcing, customization, pricing, offline usage, development support, and global coverage, catering to different user needs and preferences in the world of online mapping services.

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Advice on Mapbox, Google Maps, OpenStreetMap

StackShare

Apr 4, 2019

Needs advice

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."

183k views183k

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Duane

Feb 5, 2021

Needs advice

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.
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?

41.1k views41.1k

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Detailed Comparison

Mapbox	Google Maps	OpenStreetMap
We make it possible to pin travel spots on Pinterest, find restaurants on Foursquare, and visualize data on GitHub.	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.	OpenStreetMap is built by a community of mappers that contribute and maintain data about roads, trails, cafés, railway stations, and much more, all over the world.
Develop mobile and web applications with Mapbox.js, our open-source JavaScript library.;Build native applications on iOS with the Mapbox iOS SDK or on iOS and OS X with MBXMapKit.;Build native applications for Android. Use Mapbox, OpenStreetMap, and other tile sources in your app, as well as overlays like GeoJSON data and interactive tooltips.;SSL maps	Maps Image APIs;Places API;Web Services;Google Earth API;Maps API Licensing;Google Maps API for Work	Emphasizes local knowledge; Contributors use aerial imagery, GPS devices, and low-tech field maps to verify that OSM is accurate and up to date; Built by a community of mappers that contribute and maintain data
Statistics
GitHub Stars 1.9K	GitHub Stars -	GitHub Stars -
GitHub Forks 384	GitHub Forks -	GitHub Forks -
Stacks 803	Stacks 42.5K	Stacks 253
Followers 939	Followers 29.8K	Followers 473
Votes 113	Votes 568	Votes 58
Pros & Cons
Pros 28 Best mapping service outside of Google Maps 22 OpenStreetMap 15 Beautifully vectorable 11 Fluid user experience 8 Extensible	Pros 253 Free 136 Address input through maps api 82 Sharable Directions 47 Google Earth 46 Unique Cons 5 Google Attributions and logo 2 Only map allowed alongside google place autocomplete	Pros 23 Simple 17 Free 9 Open-Source 8 Open-Data 1 React/ RNative integration

What are some alternatives to Mapbox, Google Maps, OpenStreetMap?

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.

OpenLayers

An opensource javascript library to load, display and render maps from multiple sources on web pages.

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.

CSV2GEO

It provides live conversion of batch addresses into geographic coordinates (address to lat long) or turn coordinates into well formatted address. It creates and publishes interactive maps.

MapTiler

It is a software for map tile rendering. It has been designed for producing seamless maps and aerial photo layers covering whole countries. The rendering is fast and efficient, and it can fully utilize multiple CPUs to 100%.

MAPS.ME

MAPS.ME is an open source cross-platform offline maps application, built on top of crowd-sourced OpenStreetMap data. It was publicly released for iOS and Android.

LocationIQ

Free and Fast Geocoding Service

Stadia Maps

We enable devs to contextualize their data on a map and build complicated apps involving routing, time zones, and more with our APIs. We hate billing surprises as much as you, and if you send us an email, you'll get a real human reply.

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.

Valhalla

Valhalla is Mapzen’s open-source routing service for client-side routing applications and hosted solutions. If you are looking to avoid the challenge of data creation and database administration, you can get high-quality routes and navigational guidance with clear directions through a simple API call.