MapTiler Cloud vs StoryMapJS

MapTiler Cloud is a maps API for developers building web and mobile applications. It lets users adjust language, colors, and fonts for branded maps, upload raster or vector geodata for processing, and publish maps online. Supported file types include GeoTIFF, GeoJSON, and Shapefile. The map editor can add points, lines, polygons, and annotations for use through an API. Location services include search and geocoding between place names or addresses and coordinates. The platform offers APIs for maps, tiles, static maps, geocoding, elevation, weather, IP geolocation, coordinates, and data. It supports raster tiles with Leaflet, OpenLayers, or XYZ, vector tiles with MapTiler SDK, and WMTS for QGIS or ArcGIS. Swift and Kotlin SDKs are available for native iOS and Android apps. The Free plan is for testing, personal, or non-commercial use and includes 5 GB storage, 5k sessions per month, and 100k API requests per month. Paid plans start at $30/mo. If a Free quota is reached, service pauses until the next month unless the account is upgraded.

StoryMapJS is a free, open-source web tool for building narratives tied to place. A story is arranged as slides, each representing a segment and carrying a map location that readers can follow. Slides can contain photos, video, sound, tweets, and other embedded media. Authors search for locations by name and adjust the position by dragging a map pin. Stories may use ordinary cartographic maps or large images, including gigapixel maps. Basemap choices include OpenStreetMap Standard and Cooper Hewitt Watercolor, with Mapbox maps also supported. OpenStreetMap Standard is listed as a no-cost option; Mapbox and Stadia basemaps may have usage-based fees. The publishing tool supplies HTML for embedding a finished StoryMap on another website. The authoring tool asks permission to store files in the user’s Google Drive. StoryMapJS runs on the web, supports custom data import and built-in location data, and offers interactive output, web embedding, HTML export, and brand customization. Knight Lab describes it for journalists and storytellers whose work depends on place.