Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

MapStyle VS Stamen Maps

Compare MapStyle VS Stamen Maps and see what are their differences

MapStyle logo MapStyle

MapStyle is a huge library providing a plethora of options for styling the map with detailed customization support.

Stamen Maps logo Stamen Maps

Turn any OpenStreetMap location into a watercolor painting
  • MapStyle Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-09-07
  • Stamen Maps Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-11

MapStyle features and specs

  • Customization
    MapStyle offers a high degree of customization, allowing users to modify various aspects of Google Maps such as colors, visibility of certain map elements, and text styles to match a specific design requirement.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The platform provides an intuitive interface that makes it easy for users to create and implement personalized map styles without needing advanced technical skills.
  • Integration with Google Maps Platform
    MapStyle seamlessly integrates with the broader Google Maps Platform, ensuring that custom styles are easy to implement and work well with existing Google Maps features and APIs.
  • Real-Time Preview
    Users can see real-time changes as they adjust map styles, allowing them to efficiently experiment and hone their designs without guesswork.

Possible disadvantages of MapStyle

  • Limited to Google Maps
    Customization options are limited to Google Maps, potentially restricting use for projects that need integration with other mapping services.
  • Complexity for Advanced Features
    While the tool is user-friendly for basic customizations, implementing more advanced features might require familiarity with the Google Maps API and JavaScript.
  • Dependence on Google Infrastructure
    Utilizing MapStyle ties users to the Google ecosystem, which can be a disadvantage for those looking to diversify their technological dependencies or concerned about privacy.
  • Usage Costs
    As part of the Google Maps Platform, there might be associated usage costs if the styled maps exceed Google's free tier, which is a consideration for budget-conscious projects.

Stamen Maps features and specs

  • Artistic Styles
    Stamen Maps offer unique and visually appealing map styles such as watercolor, toner, and terrain, which are great for design-focused projects and presentations.
  • Open Source
    Stamen Maps are built on open-source technology, which allows for flexibility and customization. Users can modify and adapt the maps to suit their specific needs.
  • Free Access
    The maps are available for free for both personal and commercial use within reasonable limits, providing budget-friendly mapping solutions.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The website is easy to navigate, enabling users to quickly access different map styles and integrate them into their projects.

Possible disadvantages of Stamen Maps

  • Limited Detail
    Stamen Maps may lack detailed geographical information compared to more comprehensive mapping services like Google Maps, which can be a limitation for certain applications.
  • Scale Restrictions
    The artistic nature of the maps can make them less effective at certain zoom levels, especially when precise, detailed information is required.
  • Data Updates
    Being a smaller project, Stamen may not update their maps as frequently as larger companies like Google, leading to potential discrepancies in fast-changing areas.
  • Performance
    The artistic rendering of maps, particularly the watercolor style, may result in longer loading times compared to simpler, more data-focused maps.

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to MapStyle and Stamen Maps)
Maps & Navigation
47 47%
53% 53
Maps
35 35%
65% 65
Web Mapping
35 35%
65% 65
Tool
51 51%
49% 49

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Stamen Maps should be more popular than MapStyle. It has been mentiond 13 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.

MapStyle mentions (7)

  • Serverless maps at 1/700 the cost of Google Maps API
    I will say I'm for this setup, but what you're saying is not exactly true. You can customize what is shown with the styling wizard, and completely remove types of markers from maps you create. https://mapstyle.withgoogle.com/. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • How to change custom map style
    I have a custom map that I use for a game, and I would like to change it's style to a dark one, like the one we can find on https://mapstyle.withgoogle.com/, or on https://console.cloud.google.com/. However, when trying to edit my map, I only have 6 styling options (default, satellite, landmass, etc...), none of those being dark. Is there any way I could add a dark style? Maybe with the "JSON" you can generate... Source: over 2 years ago
  • Complete Map of the Known World, AR 101 (Stand Still, Stay Silent)
    To that end, I took screenshots using Google's Map Style App. Really handy tool for getting a good sense of scale without having to deal with city names and other labels. I put those into GIMP as a base layer and edited the whole thing from there. It ended up being a way bigger project than I anticipated! I worked at it on and off for a couple months and finalized it with two versions of the map: the one you see... Source: over 2 years ago
  • Finished my dad's Christmas present just in time
    I start by styling google maps to get the extra garbage out of there. Then I screen capture it and I finesse it with Photoshop or GIMP (free) to get the pics in a usable state for the laser cutter. Then I used LightBurn to actually make the cuts and etches. Source: over 2 years ago
  • costanera course (editing explained below)
    To make this map I first used styling wizard and took a screenshot of the city, then opened inkscape to vectorise the image (to get vector quality). Source: over 2 years ago
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Stamen Maps mentions (13)

  • Are there any good tools for making a modern map?
    I have used http://maps.stamen.com to good effect. Source: about 2 years ago
  • I finished my first film photography zine!
    Thanks!! It was actually pretty easy. I got the map background from Stamen Maps (free), and for the vellum overlay I just traced all the points by hand and wrote the title on with a metallic gold marker. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Self Hosting a Google Maps Alternative with OpenStreetMap
    The barriers to adopting vector-everywhere are social and commercial, not technical. There are a couple great public raster services like osm.org's default style and http://maps.stamen.com. These are 100% free to use, so they get used everywhere, but incur significant expense to the organizations running (paying) for them. There aren't equivalent solutions in vector-land yet... I wrote a bit about this previously:... - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • A map zoom effect for a video I'm editing. Something I can improve?
    Thanks for the feedback. The map is from maps.stamen.com . When I re-watch the clip I also notice that the text is way to fast. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Why are maps so hard to make?
    The Stamen toner map may work well for you: http://maps.stamen.com/#toner/14/37.8024/-122.2645 Also checkout their watercolor rendering... Probably my favorite basemap that I never get to use. If you do use QGIS, you can get the Quick Map Services plugin that will connect you with these Stamen basemaps as well (and tons of other basemaps, a must-have plugin). - Source: Hacker News / almost 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing MapStyle and Stamen Maps, you can also consider the following products

Snazzy Maps - Simple & Free To Use Themes for Google Maps

United themes Colored Google Maps - United themes Colored Google Maps is a map styling program, making it possible to add an indefinite number of pins and shapes in whatever colors you want.

EasyMapMaker - Map multiple locations from Excel (xls) spreadsheet data on a custom google map. Create free customized Google maps. View maps on Mobile, Tablet, and Computers. Easily create a map in seconds.

MapSVG - MapSVG is a WordPress map plugin and content manager. Create custom content and show it on a vector, Google or image maps.

WP Google Maps - WP Google Maps is a map plugin for WordPress that is fast, responsive, lightweight, and easy to use.

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.