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Modest Maps VS Leaflet

Compare Modest Maps VS Leaflet and see what are their differences

Modest Maps logo Modest Maps

Modest Maps is a small, extensible, and free library for designers and developers who want to use...

Leaflet logo Leaflet

Leaflet is a modern, lightweight open-source JavaScript library for mobile-friendly interactive maps.
  • Modest Maps Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-12-15
  • Leaflet Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-13

Modest Maps features and specs

  • Lightweight
    Modest Maps is designed to be a lightweight library, focusing on simplicity and efficiency, making it suitable for projects where minimal resource usage is important.
  • Easy to Use
    The library offers a straightforward API, which is easy to understand and implement, especially for developers who need to quickly integrate basic mapping functionality.
  • Customizability
    Modest Maps provides options for customization, allowing developers to tailor the maps according to their project needs while maintaining the library's simplicity.
  • Open Source
    Being open source, Modest Maps allows developers to contribute to its development and adapt its code to better fit individual requirements.

Possible disadvantages of Modest Maps

  • Limited Features
    Compared to more comprehensive mapping libraries, Modest Maps lacks advanced features such as real-time data layering, in-depth analytics, and extensive interaction capabilities.
  • Small Community
    As a niche tool, Modest Maps has a smaller user and developer community, which may result in less support and fewer resources for troubleshooting and development compared to larger libraries.
  • Less Frequent Updates
    Updates and new features may be implemented less frequently, potentially missing out on newer web technologies or mapping advancements that larger platforms might adopt.
  • Basic Documentation
    Although the documentation covers the main aspects, it might not be as comprehensive or detailed as that of larger libraries, posing a challenge for developers needing in-depth guidance.

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.

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.

Modest Maps videos

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Leaflet videos

leaflet review

More videos:

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

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Modest Maps and Leaflet)
Maps
5 5%
95% 95
Web Mapping
9 9%
91% 91
Mapping And GIS
8 8%
92% 92
Javascript UI Libraries
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 Modest Maps and Leaflet

Modest Maps Reviews

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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

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.

Modest Maps mentions (0)

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

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

What are some alternatives?

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

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

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

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

React Native - A framework for building native apps with React

OpenStreetCam - OpenStreetCam that was also known as OpenStreetView, is a service dedicated to offering the real images of the most of the locations of the world.

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