Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Leaflet VS Google My Maps

Compare Leaflet VS Google My Maps and see what are their differences

Leaflet logo Leaflet

Leaflet is a modern, lightweight open-source JavaScript library for mobile-friendly interactive maps.

Google My Maps logo Google My Maps

Create your own custom maps using Google Maps.
  • Leaflet Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-13
  • Google My Maps Landing page
    Landing page //
    2020-06-28

Leaflet features and specs

  • Lightweight
    Leaflet is designed to be easy on resources, making it fast to load and suitable for performance-critical applications.
  • Ease of Use
    The API is straightforward and well-documented, which makes it accessible for developers of all experience levels.
  • Open Source
    Being open-source means it is free to use and has a collaborative community contributing to its improvement.
  • Extensible
    Leaflet supports a wide range of plugins for additional functionality, allowing for customization and extension based on specific requirements.
  • Support for Mobile
    Leaflet is optimized for mobile browsers and touch devices, including multi-touch support.
  • Customizable
    It allows for extensive customization with a variety of map projections, tile layers, and interactive overlays.

Possible disadvantages of Leaflet

  • Limited Built-in Features
    Compared to some other mapping libraries, Leaflet has fewer built-in features out of the box.
  • Performance with Large Data Sets
    Rendering large data sets (such as many markers or complex geometries) can impact performance.
  • Steeper Learning Curve for Advanced Customization
    While basic use is straightforward, more advanced customizations can be challenging and may require deeper knowledge of JavaScript and Leaflet's architecture.
  • Limited 3D Support
    Leaflet is primarily designed for 2D maps, and doesn't natively support 3D visualizations, which may be a limitation for some applications.
  • Dependence on Third-party Services
    For certain functionalities like tile layers, geocoding, and routing, you may need to rely on third-party services, which can involve additional costs and dependencies.

Google My Maps features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Google My Maps offers an intuitive and easy-to-use interface that allows users of all levels to create and customize maps without needing extensive technical knowledge.
  • Integration with Google Services
    Being part of the Google ecosystem, My Maps integrates seamlessly with other Google services like Google Drive and Google Maps, facilitating easy sharing and access.
  • Customization Options
    Users can personalize maps with various markers, lines, and shapes, as well as import data from spreadsheets to create customized layers and visualizations.
  • Collaboration Features
    My Maps supports multiple users working on the same map, making it ideal for team projects and collaborative planning.
  • Offline Accessibility
    Maps created with Google My Maps can be accessed offline, which is useful for travel planning in areas with limited internet connectivity.

Possible disadvantages of Google My Maps

  • Limited Advanced Features
    Google My Maps lacks some advanced GIS features that are available in professional mapping software, limiting its use for complex geospatial analyses.
  • Data Privacy Concerns
    As with many Google products, there are concerns about data privacy and how location data and user information might be used by Google.
  • Import File Limitations
    There are limitations on the size and type of files that can be imported, which can be restrictive for users needing to work with large datasets.
  • Performance Issues
    Performance might degrade with maps containing a large number of layers or data points, leading to longer loading times and reduced functionality.
  • Dependency on Internet
    While maps can be viewed offline, initial map creation and significant editing tasks require a stable internet connection, which can be a disadvantage in remote areas.

Analysis of Leaflet

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Leaflet is a solid choice for creating interactive maps on the web, especially when performance and simplicity are priorities.

Why this product is good

  • Leaflet is considered a good JavaScript library for interactive maps due to its simplicity, performance, and ease of use. It provides an intuitive API, is lightweight, and works across various devices and browsers. Developers appreciate its extensibility through plugins and its active community that continuously supports and improves the library.

Recommended for

  • Web developers looking for an easy-to-use mapping solution.
  • Projects requiring lightweight and fast interactive maps.
  • Applications where mobile responsiveness is important.
  • Developers who want to extend functionality using a wide range of plugins.

Leaflet videos

leaflet review

More videos:

  • Review - Labour Party Leaflet Review
  • Demo - Liberal Democrats Party Leaflet Review

Google My Maps videos

No Google My Maps videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Leaflet and Google My Maps)
Maps
85 85%
15% 15
Web Mapping
76 76%
24% 24
Mapping And GIS
69 69%
31% 31
Javascript UI Libraries
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

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

Leaflet Reviews

Top 15 Price Monitoring Tools For E-Commerce In 2022
Leaflet.js is the most popular open-source JavaScript library for providing mobile-friendly interactive maps. With a simple, easy-to-use interface, it is the perfect solution for all of your data management needs. It operates well right out of the box on all major platforms and devices. The platform offers the following services:
Source: adscale.com
Top 5 Open-Source Google Maps Alternatives in 2022
The Leaflet is another open source interactive maps software that comes with self-hosting capabilities. This map application is lightweight and easy to use. Above all, it is available for all desktop and mobile platforms such as Android, IOS, and web. Further, this offline maps app is highly extensible and offers a well-documented API for third-party integrations. This open...
The Best Data Visualization Tools - Top 30 BI Software
Leaflet leverages OpenStreetMap data and adds HTML5/CSS3 visualizations and interactivity on top to ensure everything is responsive and mobile ready. Its extensive plugin repository lets you add heatmaps , masks and animated markers. Leaflet is open source JavaScript library designed for creating interactive mobile-friendly maps and ships at only 33kb. This Javascript...
Source: improvado.io
Farewell, Google Maps
On a positive note we were impressed by the quality of open source code for operating maps (Leaflet). Some advanced functions which we had implement ourselves on Google side were readily available in Leaflet.
Survey of the Best Online Mapping Tools for Web Developers: The Roadmap to Roadmaps
It is safe to say that Leaflet was born as a reaction to OpenLayersรขย€ย™ bloat, clutter and complexity. Vladimir Agafonkin was asked to build a wrapper around OpenLayers, but he instead created a simple and lightweight OpenLayers alternative, and in May 2011 Leaflet was born. Vladimir focused on simplicity, performance and usability for this online map tool. The core library...
Source: www.toptal.com

Google My Maps Reviews

The Best Map Makers For 2022
Google My Maps is best used for adding markers and creating custom routes (for driving, biking or walking) between these markers. Each of these are organized within layers. I find it especially useful for creating biking and walking routes:

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Leaflet seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 140 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.

Leaflet mentions (140)

  • Understanding Map Zoom Levels and XYZ Tile Coordinates
    When working with interactive maps, two concepts sit at the foundation: zoom levels and tiles. Without them, platforms like Google Maps, Leaflet, or MapLibre GL would be impossible. Instead of loading one massive image, modern maps are composed of tiles โ€” small 256ร—256 px squares that fit together in a grid. As you zoom in, the number of tiles grows exponentially, providing more detail at higher levels. - Source: dev.to / 18 days ago
  • Ask HN: What are you working on (August 2025)?
    I'm building Concert Map [1], an interactive map of live music events all over the world. I was frustrated with how difficult it was to find concerts and festivals when travel plans are flexible. Questions like: - Is there any show I could catch on my next cross country road trip? - I want an excuse to visit Seattle this summer, is there a good weekend I could pick where I could see live music there or along the... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • One Million Screenshots
    It is implemented using web maps technology (https://leafletjs.com/), similar to e.g. The Google Maps satellite view. The screenshots are then served pre-assembled into quadratic map tiles at different zoom levels. This way the client only ever has to load and display a hand ful of relevant tiles. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 months ago
  • Step-by-Step: Leaflet Custom Marker with Geoapify Icons
    Leaflet is a lightweight and powerful JavaScript library for building interactive maps. By default, Leaflet comes with simple map markers, but in many applicationsโ€”especially those involving points of interest, events, or brandingโ€”youโ€™ll want to customize how those markers look. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Creating a Custom Map From Images in Leaflet
    In this tutorial, weโ€™ll walk through how to create a custom map using a large image in Leaflet, a lightweight JavaScript library for building interactive maps in web applications. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
View more

Google My Maps mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Google My Maps yet. Tracking of Google My Maps recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Leaflet and Google My Maps, you can also consider the following products

jQuery - The Write Less, Do More, JavaScript Library.

mamap.io - Easily create and embed a customizable, interactive map with markers, images and search functionality in just a few minutes. Enhance your user experience and streamline navigation.

React Native - A framework for building native apps with React

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

Babel - Babel is a compiler for writing next generation JavaScript.

Atlist - Atlist makes it easy to create beautiful, custom Google Maps with multiple markers. No code required.