Software Alternatives & Reviews

OpenStreetMap VS Mapbox

Compare OpenStreetMap VS Mapbox and see what are their differences

OpenStreetMap logo OpenStreetMap

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

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.
  • OpenStreetMap Cover Photo
    Cover Photo //
    2024-01-08
  • Mapbox Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-06

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

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 OpenStreetMap and Mapbox)
Maps
36 36%
64% 64
Web Mapping
37 37%
63% 63
Driving Navigation
100 100%
0% 0
Mapping And GIS
11 11%
89% 89

User comments

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Reviews

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

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...

Mapbox Reviews

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...
Farewell, Google Maps
Mapbox has more resources to its disposal - 400 employees according to LinkedIn, compared to MapTiler's 7 team members - thanks to Softbank's $164m investment. On the other hand, having acquired that much capital, the company is branching out in several directions (autonomous driving, VR...) which for a user dependent on its maps service might be somehow concerning....

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, OpenStreetMap seems to be a lot more popular than Mapbox. While we know about 129 links to OpenStreetMap, we've tracked only 12 mentions of Mapbox. 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.

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 / 3 months 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: 6 months 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: 6 months 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 / 6 months ago
  • Coffee Decor Pikmin
    Pikmin Bloom sources Decor locations from OpenStreetMap, it’s not always 100%, but it’s close enough. Source: 6 months ago
View more

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 1 year 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 1 year 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 1 year 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: over 1 year ago
  • How is this map made?
    They are using mapbox.com service and their API to build this map. Source: about 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

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

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

HERE WeGo - HERE WeGo - Maps - Routes - Directions - All ways from A to B in one

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

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

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.

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