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  4. Mapping Apis
  5. CARTO vs Google Maps vs Mapbox

CARTO vs Google Maps vs Mapbox

OverviewDecisionsComparisonAlternatives

Overview

Mapbox
Mapbox
Stacks803
Followers939
Votes113
GitHub Stars1.9K
Forks384
Google Maps
Google Maps
Stacks42.5K
Followers29.8K
Votes568
CARTO
CARTO
Stacks40
Followers78
Votes3
GitHub Stars2.8K
Forks658

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

<Carto, Google Maps, and Mapbox are popular mapping platforms that offer unique features and functionalities. When comparing these three platforms, there are key differences that users should consider before selecting the most suitable tool for their mapping needs.>

1. **Data Visualization Capabilities**: CARTO specializes in advanced data visualization techniques, allowing users to create interactive maps with detailed data layers and visualizations. Google Maps, on the other hand, focuses more on providing map navigation and directions for users. Mapbox offers a balance between the two, providing customization options for data visualization along with mapping functionalities.

2. **Customization Options**: While Google Maps offers limited customization options and design elements, CARTO and Mapbox provide extensive customization capabilities, allowing users to tailor their maps according to specific needs. CARTO offers a wide range of design templates and styling features, while Mapbox enables users to create custom map styles using libraries like Mapbox Studio.

3. **Spatial Analysis Tools**: CARTO is known for its robust spatial analysis tools, which enable users to perform in-depth geospatial analysis on their data. Google Maps offers basic spatial analysis features, with a focus on location-based services and mapping. Mapbox provides intermediate spatial analysis capabilities, suitable for users looking to perform simple geospatial tasks.

4. **Developer-Friendly Features**: Mapbox is favored by developers for its developer-friendly features and tools, such as SDKs and APIs that allow for seamless integration of maps into applications. CARTO also provides developer tools but is more focused on data analysis and visualization rather than development. Google Maps offers APIs for integration but is primarily known for its consumer-facing map services.

5. **Licensing and Pricing**: CARTO offers different pricing plans, including a free basic plan and various premium plans based on usage and features. Google Maps has a pay-as-you-go pricing model, with free usage limits and additional charges for extra services. Mapbox provides flexible pricing plans targeted at developers, businesses, and enterprises, with pay-as-you-go options and customizable plans based on usage and features.

6. **Community Support and Resources**: Mapbox has a vibrant community of developers and users that contribute resources, documentation, and support for the platform. CARTO also has a community but is more focused on business users and analysts. Google Maps has a vast user base but offers limited community support and resources compared to the other two platforms.

In Summary, while CARTO excels in data visualization and spatial analysis tools, Mapbox offers extensive customization options and developer-friendly features, and Google Maps focuses on navigation and location-based services. Each platform has its strengths and weaknesses, catering to different user preferences and requirements in mapping and geospatial applications.

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Advice on Mapbox, Google Maps, CARTO

StackShare
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
Duane

Feb 5, 2021

Needs advice

  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?

41.1k views41.1k
Comments

Detailed Comparison

Mapbox
Mapbox
Google Maps
Google Maps
CARTO
CARTO

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.

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.

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
Drag and drop data import allows you to create visualizations in seconds;Make sense of your location data and power your business.;Create beautiful visualizations with our easy to use design and styling tools.;Run spatial analysis with no coding.;Create dashboards to explore and filter your data.;Share your visualizations securely with your team or publish them on the web.;Integrate maps and geospatial analyses directly into your websites.;Create Mobile applications with CARTO Mobile SDK.;
Statistics
GitHub Stars
1.9K
GitHub Stars
-
GitHub Stars
2.8K
GitHub Forks
384
GitHub Forks
-
GitHub Forks
658
Stacks
803
Stacks
42.5K
Stacks
40
Followers
939
Followers
29.8K
Followers
78
Votes
113
Votes
568
Votes
3
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
  • 1
    Crisp UI
  • 1
    Comprehensive platform
  • 1
    Great customer service

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

Leaflet

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.

OpenStreetMap

OpenStreetMap

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.

OpenLayers

OpenLayers

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

ArcGIS

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

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

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

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

LocationIQ

Free and Fast Geocoding Service

Stadia Maps

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.

Valhalla

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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