Maps & Navigation · head to head
Leaflet vs What3words
Leaflet
Maps & Navigation
Leading open-source JavaScript library for mobile-friendly interactive maps, used by millions of developers worldwide
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
What3words
Maps & Navigation
What3words has divided the world into 3m squares and given each one
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Leaflet has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Leaflet 2D only with no support for 3D features, tilt, or rotation; What3words the free API plan includes no coordinate conversion, only AutoSuggest, and is rate limited to 5 requests per second
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Leaflet and What3words actually diverge.
| Attribute | Leaflet | What3words |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | On request |
| Pricing model | Unknown | freemium |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Category | Maps & Navigation | Unknown |
Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated).
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 Leaflet
Nothing recorded that What3words does not also cover.
Only in What3words
Nothing recorded that Leaflet does not also cover.
Both cover
- Core Functionality
- User Interface
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Leaflet
- Embedding interactive maps in a web pagenot What3words
- Mobile-friendly map interfaces across desktop and mobile browsersnot What3words
- Mapping where bundle size matters, at roughly 42 KB of JavaScriptnot What3words
- Extending a basic map with plugins rather than adopting a full platformnot What3words
What3words
- Referring to a 3 metre square location with three wordsnot Leaflet
- Adding location entry to a delivery or dispatch appnot Leaflet
- Converting between coordinates and what3words addresses via APInot Leaflet
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
What3words
- The free API plan includes no coordinate conversion, only AutoSuggest, and is rate limited to 5 requests per second
- Converting to and from what3words addresses starts on the Basic plan at $9.99 per month for 1,000 conversions
- Priority and developer support require the Standard plan at $45 per month
- 24/7 phone support requires the Plus plan at $125 per month
- Custom invoicing and annual payment require the Premium plan at $300 per month
- Overage pricing is not published; the page states only that a fair usage policy applies
- The three word address scheme is proprietary and licensed rather than open data
Pricing, plan by plan
Leaflet
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Leaflet review.
What3words
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the What3words review.
Which should you pick?
Choose What3words if
Nothing in the data separates What3words from Leaflet on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is Leaflet or What3words better?
- Neither clearly leads. Leaflet starts at Free and What3words at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Leaflet or What3words?
- Leaflet has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Leaflet and On request for What3words.
- Does Leaflet or What3words run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Leaflet for free?
- Yes. Leaflet has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. What3words starts at On request.
- What is Leaflet best used for?
- Leaflet is most often used for embedding interactive maps in a web page, mobile-friendly map interfaces across desktop and mobile browsers, mapping where bundle size matters, at roughly 42 kb of javascript, extending a basic map with plugins rather than adopting a full platform. Of those, embedding interactive maps in a web page and mobile-friendly map interfaces across desktop and mobile browsers are not what What3words is typically brought in for.
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.
SourceLeaflet: 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.
SourceLeaflet: 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.
SourceLeaflet: What is the file size of Leaflet?
Leaflet weighs about 42 KB of JavaScript.
Source