Softwr

Software · head to head

exactEarth vs Leaflet

exactEarth logo

exactEarth

Software

Advanced satellite AIS data services

From
$1000/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Leaflet logo

Leaflet

Software

Leading open-source JavaScript library for mobile-friendly interactive maps, used by millions of developers worldwide

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Leaflet has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: exactEarth exactEarth's own homepage, as captured by the Internet Archive on 28 December 2021, carried a banner stating: 'We are happy to announce that exactEarth is now part of Spire Global,' confirming in the vendor's own words that exactEarth was absorbed into Spire (now sold as Kpler's spireMT product); no independent exactEarth pricing survives; Leaflet 2D only with no support for 3D features, tilt, or rotation
  • They diverge on capability: exactEarth covers Satellite AIS data, Leaflet covers Core Functionality.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which exactEarth and Leaflet actually diverge.

Attributes where exactEarth and Leaflet differ
AttributeexactEarthLeaflet
Starting price$1000/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsApi, WebWeb
Founded2009Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in exactEarth

  • Satellite AIS data
  • Global vessel tracking
  • Historical data archive
  • Anomaly detection
  • API
  • Data feeds
  • GIS platforms
  • Api support

Only in Leaflet

  • Core Functionality
  • User Interface

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

exactEarth

No use cases recorded yet. See the exactEarth review.

Leaflet

  • Embedding interactive maps in a web pagenot exactEarth
  • Mobile-friendly map interfaces across desktop and mobile browsersnot exactEarth
  • Mapping where bundle size matters, at roughly 42 KB of JavaScriptnot exactEarth
  • Extending a basic map with plugins rather than adopting a full platformnot exactEarth

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

exactEarth

  • exactEarth's own homepage, as captured by the Internet Archive on 28 December 2021, carried a banner stating: 'We are happy to announce that exactEarth is now part of Spire Global,' confirming in the vendor's own words that exactEarth was absorbed into Spire (now sold as Kpler's spireMT product); no independent exactEarth pricing survives

Leaflet

  • 2D only with no support for 3D features, tilt, or rotation
  • Performance degrades when rendering large datasets of complex vector geometries without optimization
  • Limited dynamic styling support; style is fixed on the server when using raster tiles
  • Lacks native support for WMS features; requires plugins like Leaflet.WMS and complex feature identification is cumbersome
  • Requires external tile service for map imagery; does not provide map tiles natively

Pricing, plan by plan

exactEarth

$1000/month
  • Enterprise$5000/month
    • Global AIS data
    • Historical archive
    • Custom analytics

Leaflet

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Leaflet review.

Which should you pick?

Choose exactEarth if

  • You need satellite ais data.
  • You work on Api, Web.
  • You also want global vessel tracking.
exactEarth review

Choose Leaflet if

  • You need core functionality.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want user interface.
Leaflet review

Questions people ask

Is exactEarth or Leaflet better?
Neither clearly leads. exactEarth starts at $1000/month and Leaflet at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, exactEarth or Leaflet?
Leaflet has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $1000/month for exactEarth and Free for Leaflet.
Does exactEarth or Leaflet run on more platforms?
exactEarth runs on Api, Web. Leaflet runs on Web.
Can I use Leaflet for free?
Yes. Leaflet has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. exactEarth starts at $1000/month.
What can exactEarth do that Leaflet cannot?
exactEarth covers Satellite AIS data, Global vessel tracking, Historical data archive, Anomaly detection. Leaflet covers Core Functionality, User Interface.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Leaflet: Is Leaflet free and open source?

Yes. Leaflet is open-source JavaScript library licensed for free use. Over 400 plugins add capabilities like marker clustering, heatmaps, drawing tools, geocoding, and routing.

Source
Leaflet: How do I include Leaflet in my project via CDN?

Leaflet is available on multiple free CDNs including unpkg, cdnjs, and jsDelivr. Include the CSS stylesheet from https://unpkg.com/leaflet@1.9.4/dist/leaflet.css and JavaScript from https://unpkg.com/leaflet@1.9.4/dist/leaflet.js in your HTML head.

Source
Leaflet: What mapping services does Leaflet support?

Leaflet integrates seamlessly with various mapping services including OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Bing, and other custom tile providers, allowing developers to choose the best base layer.

Source
Leaflet: What is the file size of Leaflet?

Leaflet weighs about 42 KB of JavaScript.

Source
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on exactEarth

More on Leaflet

Keep looking

Other head to heads