{"id":45653,"date":"2020-11-23T09:38:47","date_gmt":"2020-11-23T15:38:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gisgeography.com\/?p=45653"},"modified":"2025-04-05T10:48:59","modified_gmt":"2025-04-05T15:48:59","slug":"web-mapping","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gisgeography.com\/web-mapping\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Best Web Mapping Platforms – The Battle of Web GIS"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Web<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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ArcGIS Online vs Carto vs Mapbox vs Mango Map vs GIS Cloud<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Web mapping is in an arm’s race<\/strong> – and the war is in the cloud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We’ve hit a hinge point<\/strong> in GIS. But only a few competitors lead the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who stands out in the Battle of Web GIS<\/strong>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We’ve battle-tested the best web mapping platforms. But who takes the top spot? Let’s go for a deep dive into web GIS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jump To:<\/strong> Overview<\/a> | Pricing<\/a> | Functionality<\/a> | Popularity<\/a> | Visualization<\/a> | Extras<\/a> | Suitability<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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1. Overview<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

ArcGIS Online<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Esri has a death grip<\/strong> on the GIS industry. It’s not only GIS desktop software, but it’s now mapping in the cloud. ArcGIS Online (AGOL)<\/a> is Esri’s cloud service with loads of functionality. It’s ideal for large organizations because it’s easy to integrate. And the best part of all – it’s targeted towards non-programmers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"ArcGIS<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Carto<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Carto’s secret sauce is how you work in Postgres + PostGIS<\/strong> as a web service. That means you gain control of a fully managed database, without the need to set up, backup, or perform updates. Although Carto<\/a> is tailored to programmers, no development is needed for some of its solution-based web mapping platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Carto<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Mapbox<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Mapbox<\/a> is the cool kid on the block. Foursquare, Pinterest, and major newspapers use Mapbox because you can map with a swagger<\/strong>. It’s programmer-centric like Carto. The display is smooth and pleasing to the eyes. Mapbox is tile-focused. It’s speedy, scalable, and fully customizable. This makes it a top choice for high-traffic websites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Mapbox<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Mango Map<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While other cloud mapping platforms focus on packing as much punch as they can, Mango Map<\/a> takes a different approach. Instead, they offer the simplest way to publish a web map. They rethink the user interface, putting usability ahead of complexity<\/strong>. Unlike Mapbox and Carto, no coding is required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Mango<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

GIS Cloud<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

GIS Cloud<\/a> is not an alternative to ArcGIS Online. Not by any means. But it does have a bit of an ArcGIS Online vibe to it, without a lot of the key functionality. The tab interface is a nice touch giving it a desktop GIS look and feel<\/strong>. Although its user base has grown to 70,000+ users, it’s been a bit of an uphill battle with all the other elephants in the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"GIS<\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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2. Pricing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Web<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

ArcGIS Online<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

ArcGIS Online costs 2500$ for a single-user subscription. Esri also has a credit currency<\/a> for advanced functionality. Yet the only drawback is that without credits you don’t have the same functionality as the full-fledged ArcGIS Online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carto<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Carto has reasonable value for what you pay for. The monthly pricing for Carto<\/a> ranges anywhere from free to 200$. The difference you pay is based on the number of datasets, map loads, and API access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mapbox<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For Mapbox, you only pay for what you use. All Mapbox pricing<\/a> falls in tiers based on usage, making it one of the most flexible web mapping platforms. It has an excellent free tier, meaning you won’t have to pay anything at all depending on usage. No wonder CNN, Bloomberg, and the Washington Post leverage Mapbox.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mango Map<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Mango Map pricing<\/a> ranges from 50-500$ per month. You only pay as needed and can cancel anytime. Discounts are available for a longer commitment. It also has a free trial, if you want to test it out before purchasing a plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GIS Cloud<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

GIS Cloud has very competitive pricing for its functionality. Basically, you pay for how<\/em> you want to use it<\/strong>. For its mobile data collection and app, a single user costs just 20$ per month. The map editor adds capabilities for real-time editing for 55$. Other options are available in the GIS Cloud pricing<\/a>, including volume discounts.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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3. Functionality<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

ArcGIS Online<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

ArcGIS Online is loaded with cross-platform functionality. It’s built by the leading GIS software company in the world<\/strong> so you know it’s a class above the rest. Esri users love it because it has everything you need like editing, 3D scenes, and field collection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

READ MORE:<\/strong> An Introduction to Esri ArcGIS Online (AGOL)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Building apps is easy with the Web App Builder (WAB)<\/a>. You can host in Esri’s cloud or ArcGIS Server. Then, you can edit its HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Esri’s Javascript API<\/a> opens up a ton of possibilities for customization.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"ArcGIS<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Carto<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Developers use Carto to build their own tools around the APIs. By using the SQL API<\/a>, you interact (insert, update, delete) with your tables and data through SQL statements. Then, the MAPS API<\/a> requests map tiles for display.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Data scientists, developers, and analysts use PostGIS behind the scenes for spatial queries and analysis. For example, they geoenrich data streams based on geometry such as financial, demographics, and points of interest.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Carto<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Mapbox<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

MBTiles<\/a> are 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, Mapbox Studio<\/a> is how to convert your data to tilesets and create styles. This is where Mapbox really knocks it out of the park<\/strong> for web map customization and data management.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Mapbox<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Mango Map<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Mango Map is simple and effective<\/strong>. You don’t get a whole lot of functionality like routing, story maps, or even 3D. Instead, you get an intuitive user interface with a product not aimed at programmers. No APIs or anything like that. Just simple web mapping like these examples of Mango Map<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Mango<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

GIS Cloud<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

GIS Cloud is not going to blow you away. Instead, it’s mostly solution-oriented<\/strong>. For example, its focus is on field collection, data editing, and crowdsourcing. Overall, it gets the job done for these web mapping solutions. But it won’t take you the extra mile, with some of their best examples on the GIS Cloud channel<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"GIS<\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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4. Popularity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While ArcGIS Online gets the lion’s share<\/strong> of the popularity, Mapbox is a close second place. Carto is third in the market share of popularity. Finally, Mango Map and GIS Cloud are in the rear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Web<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How did we get these numbers? Great question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We used the exact phrases that users search for over the last 12 months. To rephrase, this doesn’t equal the number of users for each web. Instead, it says how much<\/strong> people are looking for each web mapping platform<\/strong> in search engines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not the perfect metric. I admit. But if you have anything better, please provide feedback in the comments section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Web GIS Platform<\/th>Score<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
ArcGIS Online<\/td>47.2<\/td><\/tr>
Mapbox<\/td>41.3<\/td><\/tr>
Carto<\/td>10.2<\/td><\/tr>
Mango Map<\/td>0.7<\/td><\/tr>
GIS Cloud<\/td>0.6<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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5. Visualization<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

ArcGIS Online<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ironically, it’s the visualizations where ArcGIS Online lags behind its competitors. You get less control compared to Mapbox. Further, the interface is bulky compared to Mango Maps. Despite these shortfalls, it has some bright spots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

City Engine<\/a> is a stud. Nothing else is in its class. 3D scenes have come a long way. This includes LiDAR<\/a> which really resonates with your audience. Finally, Esri has built an entire scripting language (Arcade<\/a>) for customizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Esri<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Carto<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The power of Carto as a platform is how it serves underlying data as tiled web maps. It has a high level of control for cartography. The display is smooth and pleasant to the eye. Dashboards are ready to integrate and share.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carto for deck.gl<\/a> is a powerful WebGL framework for large-scale datasets. Not to mention you can also build applications with Google Maps<\/strong> and Mapbox GL<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Carto<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Mapbox<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Mapbox’s four flavors of maps<\/a> are Streets, Terrain, Traffic, and Satellite maps. You can integrate any of these into your application or project. By changing the style component, this is how you really make it your own. Finally, the Mapbox WebGL JavaScript Library<\/a> is how to interact with the properties, options, and controls on your map.<\/p>\n\n\n