Leaflet vs Mapbox vs OpenStreetMap

Overview

Mapbox

Stacks803

Followers939

Votes113

GitHub Stars1.9K

Forks384

OpenStreetMap

Stacks255

Followers473

Votes58

Leaflet

Stacks1.5K

Followers1.1K

Votes112

GitHub Stars43.9K

Forks6.0K

Leaflet vs Mapbox vs OpenStreetMap: What are the differences?

Introduction

Mapbox and OpenStreetMap are popular mapping platforms that provide developers with tools and services to create interactive maps. Leaflet is a JavaScript library that can be used with both Mapbox and OpenStreetMap to build custom interactive maps for websites and applications.

1. Data Sources:

Mapbox has its own proprietary basemaps and also offers various data sources that can be integrated, such as satellite imagery, traffic data, and custom vector data. On the other hand, OpenStreetMap is an open-source project that relies on community contributions for map data, making it more collaboratively built.

2. Custom Styling:

Mapbox allows users to have more control over the styling of maps with their Mapbox Studio, which provides a user-friendly interface to customize colors, labels, and other map elements. OpenStreetMap, being an open-source project, has limitations in terms of custom styling options, but users can contribute to improving the overall map style.

3. Pricing Model:

Mapbox offers a freemium pricing model, where developers can use their services for free up to a certain limit, beyond which they have to switch to a paid plan. OpenStreetMap, being open-source, is free to use and does not have any pricing restrictions, making it more suitable for budget-conscious projects.

4. Map Accessibility:

Mapbox provides easy-to-use APIs and SDKs for developers to integrate interactive maps on websites and mobile apps. It also offers native support for mobile platforms. OpenStreetMap, being a community-driven project, has a wider range of plugins and extensions available for integration with different platforms, making it more versatile.

5. Features and Functionality:

Mapbox offers a range of advanced features like geocoding, routing, geofencing, and data visualization, which can be beneficial for applications that require complex mapping functionality. OpenStreetMap, while not offering the same level of built-in features, can still be extended using plugins and custom development to achieve similar functionalities.

6. Community Support:

Mapbox has a dedicated support team and a large user community, with resources like documentation, tutorials, and developer forums available. OpenStreetMap, being an open-source project, relies on its community for support, and while it may not have the same level of official support, it benefits from a passionate and active user base that contributes to the project's development.

In summary, Mapbox provides a wider range of data sources, more control over map styling, and advanced features, with a freemium pricing model and dedicated support. OpenStreetMap, being open-source, offers a collaboratively built map with extensive community support and versatility in terms of platform integration.

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Advice on Mapbox, OpenStreetMap, Leaflet

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

Comments

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

Comments

Detailed Comparison

Mapbox	OpenStreetMap	Leaflet
We make it possible to pin travel spots on Pinterest, find restaurants on Foursquare, and visualize data on GitHub.	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.	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.
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	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	Tile layers;Drag panning with inertia;Scroll wheel zoom;Multi-touch zoom;Zoom animation;Hardware acceleration on iOS;Smart polyline/polygon rendering
Statistics
GitHub Stars 1.9K	GitHub Stars -	GitHub Stars 43.9K
GitHub Forks 384	GitHub Forks -	GitHub Forks 6.0K
Stacks 803	Stacks 255	Stacks 1.5K
Followers 939	Followers 473	Followers 1.1K
Votes 113	Votes 58	Votes 112
Pros & Cons
Pros 28 Best mapping service outside of Google Maps 22 OpenStreetMap 15 Beautifully vectorable 11 Fluid user experience 8 Extensible	Pros 23 Simple 17 Free 9 Open-Source 8 Open-Data 1 React/ RNative integration	Pros 34 Light weight 29 Free 12 Evolutive via plugins 11 OpenStreetMap 10 Strong community

What are some alternatives to Mapbox, OpenStreetMap, Leaflet?

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.

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.

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