Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Bing Maps VS Mapbox

Compare Bing Maps VS Mapbox and see what are their differences

Bing Maps logo Bing Maps

Map multiple locations, get transit/walking/driving directions, view live traffic conditions, plan trips, view satellite, aerial and street side imagery. Do more with Bing Maps.

Mapbox logo Mapbox

An open source mapping platform for custom designed maps. Our APIs and SDKs are the building blocks to integrate location into any mobile or web app.
  • Bing Maps Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-19
  • Mapbox Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-06

Bing Maps

Website
bing.com
Pricing URL
-
$ Details
-
Release Date
-

Mapbox

Website
mapbox.com
$ Details
freemium
Release Date
2010 January
Startup details
Country
United States
Founder(s)
Bonnie Bogle
Employees
500 - 999

Bing Maps features and specs

  • Integration with Microsoft Products
    Bing Maps integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft products such as Office 365, Power BI, and Azure, which can be advantageous for business users.
  • Aerial Imagery
    Bing Maps offers high-quality aerial and satellite imagery that can be useful for various applications including real estate, construction, and environmental studies.
  • Traffic Information
    Provides real-time traffic updates which can help users avoid congestion and find the fastest routes.
  • Venue Maps
    Bing Maps includes indoor venue maps of airports, shopping malls, and other large facilities, aiding in detailed navigation within complex spaces.
  • Bird’s Eye View
    The Bird’s Eye view feature offers angled, high-resolution photo imagery that can provide a different perspective compared to traditional maps.

Possible disadvantages of Bing Maps

  • Market Share
    Bing Maps has a smaller user base compared to competitors like Google Maps, which means fewer user-generated reviews and potentially less up-to-date information.
  • Limited Developer Community
    There is a smaller community of developers working with Bing Maps, which can mean fewer third-party tools and resources available.
  • Business Listings
    The business listings on Bing Maps are not as comprehensive or up-to-date as those on Google Maps, which can be a drawback for users looking for local businesses.
  • Mobile App Availability
    Bing Maps does not offer a dedicated mobile app for all operating systems, which can limit its usability on different devices.
  • Search Accuracy
    While generally accurate, some users report that Bing Maps' search functionality is not as precise or reliable as that of Google Maps.

Mapbox features and specs

  • Customization
    Mapbox offers extensive customization options, allowing developers to create highly tailored map experiences, including custom styles and data visualizations.
  • User Experience
    Mapbox provides high-performance, interactive maps, ensuring a smooth and engaging user experience with quick response times and fluid animations.
  • Data Integration
    Mapbox supports integration with various data sources, enabling real-time updates and complex data overlays, which are beneficial for applications requiring dynamic data visualization.
  • Developer Tools
    Mapbox offers comprehensive developer tools, documentation, and SDKs for multiple platforms (web, iOS, Android), facilitating ease of development and deployment.
  • Community and Support
    Mapbox has a vibrant community and strong support system, including forums, tutorials, and direct support options, which help developers troubleshoot and innovate more effectively.

Possible disadvantages of Mapbox

  • Cost
    Mapbox can become expensive as usage scales, potentially increasing costs significantly for high-traffic applications or those requiring advanced features.
  • Learning Curve
    Due to its extensive customization features and capabilities, Mapbox may have a steeper learning curve for new developers compared to simpler mapping solutions.
  • Data Privacy
    There are concerns regarding data privacy and storage, as using external APIs may involve sharing user data with third-party services, which may not align with all privacy policies.
  • Dependency on Third-Party Service
    Relying on an external service like Mapbox for critical application functionality can pose risks related to service outages, changes in service terms, or API updates that require code modifications.
  • Offline Capabilities
    Although Mapbox provides some offline capabilities, these are limited compared to online functionalities, which may affect apps that require reliable offline access.

Analysis of Bing Maps

Overall verdict

  • Bing Maps is a reliable and comprehensive mapping service, but its usefulness can vary based on user needs and locations.

Why this product is good

  • Bing Maps offers detailed maps, aerial views, and a variety of features such as traffic updates, route planning, and location search. It is integrated with Microsoft's ecosystem, making it a good choice for users who are already within that ecosystem. However, in some locations, it may not offer the same level of detail or frequent updates as some competitors.

Recommended for

  • Users of Microsoft products seeking seamless integration
  • Individuals who need basic mapping and navigation features
  • People looking for an alternative to other mapping services

Analysis of Mapbox

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Mapbox is generally well-regarded as a good mapping platform. It is particularly praised for its ability to provide custom mapping solutions and extensive feature set. It's suitable for developers and businesses who need more control over map aesthetics and functionality, beyond what standard mapping services provide.

Why this product is good

  • Mapbox is considered a robust mapping platform due to its flexibility, customization options, and developer-friendly tools. It offers a high level of customization for various map-based applications, which is beneficial for developers looking to create unique and tailored user experiences. The platform also supports a range of data visualization options and integrations, making it a powerful tool for businesses and individuals seeking to enhance their applications with mapping features.

Recommended for

  • Developers needing customizable maps
  • Businesses requiring tailored geospatial solutions
  • Applications needing high-quality map visuals
  • Projects requiring advanced data visualization on maps
  • Organizations interested in integrating mapping with other tools and services

Bing Maps videos

Switching away from Google Maps : Here Maps, Bing Maps, OpenStreetMap...

More videos:

  • Review - Google Maps vs Bing Maps | Who has the most up to date Satellite imagery.

Mapbox videos

MAP Mapbox Review

More videos:

  • Demo - Mapbox Review with AR DEMO
  • Review - Code Review: OpenXC and MapBox

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Bing Maps and Mapbox)
Maps
17 17%
83% 83
Travel & Location
39 39%
61% 61
Web Mapping
13 13%
87% 87
Mapping And GIS
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Bing Maps and Mapbox

Bing Maps Reviews

8 Best Roadtrippers Alternatives for Efficient Trip Planning in 2023
It offers accurate route planning by providing access to up-to-date maps, high-quality satellite images, and 3D building views. Bing Maps provides a variety of strong capabilities for smooth navigation by utilizing data from TomTom, OpenStreetMap, and others. Bing Maps route planner is easy to use too.
Going Beyond: The Best Alternatives to Google Maps in 2024
Bing Maps, developed by Microsoft, is a web-based mapping service that features a clean and user-friendly interface. It offers detailed maps, offline use capabilities, and 3D views, making it a strong competitor in the mapping service market.
Source: stratoflow.com
Top 15 Google Maps Alternatives (2024 Edition)
You’ll also find almost all the features offered by Google Maps in Bing Maps, including transit maps and road and streetside layers. Like Google Maps, you can also set up your journey in such a way that it avoids tolls and highways.
9 Google Maps Alternatives to Use in 2022
It fetches the best routes to the different destinations from Google Maps, and if you compare the two, Bing apps generally provide optimized routes. Its advanced features like 3D views and OS maps, and Street View, on a fresh and clean user interface, make Bing Maps worth a try. Some of the features offered by Google Maps, like road, aerial, and streetside layers, are also...
Source: geekflare.com

Mapbox Reviews

6 Best GIS Software 2024
While Mapbox boasts an array of impressive features, it's essential to note that some functionalities are exclusive to the paid versions. Furthermore, the software primarily targets programmers who develop customized solutions. Programmatically harnessing Mapbox might pose a steep learning curve while engaging third parties for development work could incur extra costs....
Source: www.caliper.com
7 Alternatives to Google Maps for Navigation
One major advantage of Mapbox is the ability to make personalized maps with markers, routes, and buildings. Mapbox has many other advantages, such as access to good satellite images worldwide and advanced geocoding abilities.
5 Best Tools For Creating Your Own Interactive Maps
Mapbox is particularly constructed to optimize custom maps for portable devices. The tool gives you a strong free tier for almost all of its features even if you didn’t opt for a paid service. If you’re planning to develop an app or want to build a more suitable mobile site, Mapbox guarantees that your map is ready for phone users. Mapbox utilises the location feature on...
The Best Map Makers For 2022
One important thing to know: Mapbox Studio is the only map maker in this article that does not use Google Maps. Instead Mapbox uses Open Street Maps, a free, open-source wiki map of the world. Because of this you might notice different results when you search for an address on Google Maps and on Mapbox— they use a completely different data set.
5 Best Web Mapping Platforms – The Battle of Web GIS
MBTiles is the backbone for storing tilesets. Mapbox has a ton of customization features for personalized maps. But if you fully want to experience Mapbox, it’s all about the APIs. By using APIs, you can programmatically access Mapbox tools and services. Finally, Mapbox Studio is how to convert your data to tilesets and create styles. This is where Mapbox really knocks it...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Mapbox should be more popular than Bing Maps. It has been mentiond 12 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Bing Maps mentions (2)

  • Gas company have made a mess of parents garden and the remediation work is awful
    It seems the feature is a bit more hidden than it used to be, but try going to https://bing.com/maps on a desktop browser (not mobile), and right-clicking somewhere on the map. You will hopefully see the "View bird's eye" option. (If you can't see the option for your location, test with London first - it's definitely available there). Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Honorable Mentions....
    Basicaly my face when I read this comment Bing.com/maps. Source: over 3 years ago

Mapbox mentions (12)

  • Ask HN: Side project of more that $2k monthly revenue what's your project?
    Yeah domain knowledge/network is definitely needed, I am working with a friend who has that, it's a must in this field because it's almost set in the stone age. Google maps was crazy expensive I went with Mapbox[1] for now which seems to have enough features and is less expensive. [1] https://mapbox.com/. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • "Next Valley" My single-screen Windows theme
    ​ |Developer Notes| |:-| |Optional Power Shortcuts - Provides shortcuts to deeper links. Example: I wanted a one-touch button that opens the Developer Options menu. This app does this. Not required for core functionality of the theme.| |Allows 4 custom wallpapers, either local files or web links. Includes 2 add'l wallpapers pulled from Bing Daily and r/earthporn.| |The location and weather panel has a live map... Source: over 2 years ago
  • NEXT VALLEY - A single-screen Windows theme for KLWP [Sharing the whole damn thing]
    The location and weather panel has a live map displayed. Well, it won't for you, unless you grab a free API key from mapbox.com and paste it in the 1st global. Source: over 2 years ago
  • QGIS in PowerBI
    If you want to show polygons it is a bit more difficult. With the above map functions you can create a Choropleth map by using predefined regions (like countries, states etc.). But for custom polygons it won't work. You can either use ArcGIS Online in combination with the ArcGIS Maps for Power BI viz or use the Mapbox Visual function (you need to install this one first by pressing "Get more visuals"). You can... Source: almost 3 years ago
  • How is this map made?
    They are using mapbox.com service and their API to build this map. Source: about 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Bing Maps and Mapbox, you can also consider the following products

Google Maps - Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

Apple Maps - Maps features an all-new design with smart features to make finding and getting to your destination easier than ever.

OSGeo - QGIS is a desktop geographic information system, or GIS.

OpenStreetMap - OpenStreetMap is a map of the world, created by people like you and free to use under an open license.

ArcGIS - ArcGIS software is a data analysis, cloud-based mapping platform that allows users to customize maps and see real-time data ranging from logistics support to overall mapping analysis.

Outdooractive - The digital home for experiencing the great outdoors