Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

D3.js VS OpenStreetMap

Compare D3.js VS OpenStreetMap and see what are their differences

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D3.js logo D3.js

D3.js is a JavaScript library for manipulating documents based on data. D3 helps you bring data to life using HTML, SVG, and CSS.

OpenStreetMap logo OpenStreetMap

OpenStreetMap is a map of the world, created by people like you and free to use under an open license.
  • D3.js Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-11

D3 allows you to bind arbitrary data to a Document Object Model (DOM), and then apply data-driven transformations to the document. For example, you can use D3 to generate an HTML table from an array of numbers. Or, use the same data to create an interactive SVG bar chart with smooth transitions and interaction.

D3 is not a monolithic framework that seeks to provide every conceivable feature. Instead, D3 solves the crux of the problem: efficient manipulation of documents based on data. This avoids proprietary representation and affords extraordinary flexibility, exposing the full capabilities of web standards such as HTML, SVG, and CSS. With minimal overhead, D3 is extremely fast, supporting large datasets and dynamic behaviors for interaction and animation. D3’s functional style allows code reuse through a diverse collection of official and community-developed modules.

  • OpenStreetMap Cover Photo
    Cover Photo //
    2024-01-08

D3.js features and specs

  • Powerful Visualization
    D3.js allows for the creation of highly customized and interactive data visualizations, harnessing the full power of web standards like SVG, Canvas, and HTML.
  • Data Binding
    It offers robust support for data-driven transformations and binding, enabling intuitive connections between data sets and DOM elements.
  • Community and Ecosystem
    A large and active community contributes to tutorials, plugins, and tools, which can significantly simplify the development process.
  • Flexibility
    D3.js is highly flexible, providing low-level manipulation capabilities without being tied to any specific chart types or patterns.
  • Performance
    It is highly optimized for performance, allowing for efficient rendering of complex visualizations even with large data sets.

Possible disadvantages of D3.js

  • Steep Learning Curve
    D3.js has a steep learning curve due to its low-level nature and requires a solid understanding of JavaScript, DOM manipulation, and data concepts.
  • Complexity
    Creating complex visualizations can be time-consuming and require a significant amount of custom code, making it less approachable for quick, simple tasks.
  • Browser Compatibility
    Although widely supported, some D3.js features may have inconsistent behavior across different browsers, requiring additional testing and debugging.
  • Documentation
    While extensive, D3.js documentation can be challenging for beginners to navigate and understand, causing misunderstandings and slower development times.
  • Dependency Management
    The library itself is modular, but managing dependencies and integrating D3.js with other JavaScript frameworks or libraries can sometimes be problematic.

OpenStreetMap features and specs

  • Open Source
    OpenStreetMap (OSM) is an open-source project, allowing free access to map data and the ability to contribute and modify the maps. This encourages widespread collaboration and innovation.
  • Up-to-date Information
    Due to its large community of contributors, OSM often has up-to-date and detailed information, especially in urban areas. Users can quickly add new roads, businesses, and other updates.
  • Customization
    Users have the flexibility to customize maps for specific needs, such as creating specialized maps for hiking, cycling, or public transportation.
  • Global Coverage
    OSM offers extensive global coverage, which can be especially useful in regions where commercial map services might be limited or outdated.
  • Ethical and Transparent
    Being community-driven and open, OSM provides a more ethical choice compared to commercial alternatives that may have hidden data collection practices.

Possible disadvantages of OpenStreetMap

  • Data Quality Variability
    The quality and detail of the data can vary significantly between different regions depending on the number and expertise of local contributors.
  • Learning Curve
    For new users, especially those unfamiliar with GIS (Geographic Information System) concepts, there can be a learning curve to effectively use and contribute to OSM.
  • Lack of Professional Support
    Unlike commercial map services, OSM does not offer professional customer support, which can be a disadvantage for businesses requiring reliable assistance.
  • Potential for Inaccuracies
    As a crowd-sourced project, there is a potential for inaccuracies or vandalism, which might not be immediately corrected.
  • Performance
    Some users may experience slower performance when loading large datasets or using complex features, due to reliance on third-party servers and tools.

D3.js videos

Data Visualization with D3.js - Full Tutorial Course

More videos:

  • Review - Let's learn D3.js - D3 for data visualization (full course)

OpenStreetMap videos

OpenStreetMap: The map that saves lives | CNBC International

More videos:

  • Review - Switching away from Google Maps : Here Maps, Bing Maps, OpenStreetMap...
  • Review - OpenStreetMap Download / Installation On Garmin Edge 520 GPS Device. Bike Computer

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to D3.js and OpenStreetMap)
Charting Libraries
100 100%
0% 0
Maps
0 0%
100% 100
Data Visualization
100 100%
0% 0
Web Mapping
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 D3.js and OpenStreetMap

D3.js Reviews

6 JavaScript Charting Libraries for Powerful Data Visualizations in 2023
Depending on your requirements, the best JavaScript library is D3.js, as it’s by far the most customizable. However, it’s also really complex and difficult to master. Plus, it’s not as compatible with TypeScript as it is with JavaScript, which can be off-putting for some developers. If you’d prefer a less complex library that you can use with TypeScript, ECharts, and...
Source: embeddable.com
15 JavaScript Libraries for Creating Beautiful Charts
When we think of charting today, D3.js is the first name that comes up. Being an open source project, D3.js definitely brings many powerful features that were missing in most of the existing libraries. Features like dynamic properties, Enter and Exit, powerful transitions, and syntax familiarity with jQuery make it one the best JavaScript libraries for charting. Charts in...
Top 20 Javascript Libraries
D3 stands for Data-Driven Documents. With D3, you can apply data-driven transformations to DOM objects. The keyword with D3 is ‘data-driven,’ which means documents are manipulated depending on the data received. Data can be received in any format and bound with DOM objects. D3 is very fast and supports dynamic behavior for animation and interactions. There are plenty of...
Source: hackr.io
20+ JavaScript libraries to draw your own diagrams (2022 edition)
D3.js is a JavaScript library for manipulating documents based on data. Right now, I would say is the most popular library of its kind.
15 data science tools to consider using in 2021
Another open source tool, D3.js is a JavaScript library for creating custom data visualizations in a web browser. Commonly known as D3, which stands for Data-Driven Documents, it uses web standards, such as HTML, Scalable Vector Graphics and CSS, instead of its own graphical vocabulary. D3's developers describe it as a dynamic and flexible tool that requires a minimum amount...

OpenStreetMap Reviews

7 Alternatives to Google Maps for Navigation
OpenStreetMap (OSM) is a free, open-source, community-driven mapping and navigation app. OSM was created in 2005. It has grown to include a global mapping community with activists and thousands of volunteers.
18 Top Google Places API Alternatives for Points of Interest Data in 2022
OpenStreetMap offers a free, open-source map of the world with which you can access information about businesses, transport and points of interest. Planet OSM is a feature of OpenStreetMap that lets you extract millions of points of interest for free.
Source: traveltime.com
Top 15 Google Maps Alternatives (2024 Edition)
Maps.me is an open-source mobile-only service and an excellent alternative to Google Maps. It uses the OpenStreetMap database and helps you download maps to use them offline. Therefore, you can save a lot on your mobile data if you use this service.
9 Google Maps Alternatives to Use in 2022
OpenStreetMap is a simple web mapping tool stuffed with all the features you would expect with any web mapping service. The vivid maps explain different layers, help in accurate route planning, and provide cycling and walking routes.
Source: geekflare.com
Top 5 Open-Source Google Maps Alternatives in 2022
Last but not least, Qwant Map is one of those Google Maps alternatives that is open source and free. Just like Google Maps, this interactive maps software offers rich search capabilities. In addition, you can search for places such as restaurants, hotels, markets, and more. Moreover, it lets you search for nearby places by tracking your location. Qwant Map is based on...

Social recommendations and mentions

D3.js might be a bit more popular than OpenStreetMap. We know about 167 links to it since March 2021 and only 129 links to OpenStreetMap. 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.

D3.js mentions (167)

  • IO Devices and Latency
    Do you mean something for data visualization, or tricks condensing large data sets with cursors? https://d3js.org/ Best of luck =3. - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • 2024 Nuxt3 Annual Ecosystem Summary🚀
    Document address: D3.js Official Document. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • 100+ Must-Have Web Development Resources
    D3.js: One of the most popular JavaScript visualization libraries. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • What are npm Peer Dependencies and how to use them?
    A Dependency is an npm package that our code depends on in order to be able to run. Some popular packages that can be added as dependencies are lodash, D3, and chartjs. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • Introducing RacingBars 📊
    RacingBars is an open-source, light-weight (~45kb gzipped), easy-to-use, and feature-rich javascript library for bar chart race, based on D3.js. - Source: dev.to / 9 months ago
View more

OpenStreetMap mentions (129)

  • Waterway Map
    You can go to https://openstreetmap.org/ , zoom in and enable the map data layer. From there history is accessible. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Bike rack capacity
    Hi! I am working on a project mapping bike racks around my city on OpenStreetMap. One of the attributes that I tag is the rack's capacity, but I haven't come to a conclusion about the capacity of these wave-shaped racks:. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Get full name of a admin unit in a admin unit hierarchy like Brooklyn, Kings County, New York, United States of America
    I need the bounding boxes of all adminstrative units in a specific region from the largest (e.g. The state) to the smallest (whatever this is called) including the full name of the district. What I mean by that is what is displayed on openstreetmap.org when I search for e.g. Brooklyn: it will be displayed in the search results as "Brooklyn, Kings County, New York, United States of America" – the names joined from... Source: over 1 year ago
  • Protomaps – A free and open source map of the world
    It's OpenStreetMap (ODbL) and Natural Earth (public domain) currently * http://openstreetmap.org * http://naturalearthdata.com. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Coffee Decor Pikmin
    Pikmin Bloom sources Decor locations from OpenStreetMap, it’s not always 100%, but it’s close enough. Source: over 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing D3.js and OpenStreetMap, you can also consider the following products

Chart.js - Easy, object oriented client side graphs for designers and developers.

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

Plotly - Low-Code Data Apps

OsmAnd - Global mobile map viewing and navigation for online and offline OSM maps

Highcharts - A charting library written in pure JavaScript, offering an easy way of adding interactive charts to your web site or web application

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.