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Software · head to head

Mapbox Government vs CitizenLab

Mapbox Government logo

Mapbox Government

Software

Maps and Location for Government

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
CitizenLab logo

CitizenLab

Software

Digital Democracy Platform

From
$500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Mapbox Government has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Mapbox Government the Navigation SDK free tier covers only up to 10 monthly active users, and 11 or more requires contacting sales; CitizenLab citizenLab has rebranded to Go Vocal and the product now sells under govocal.com
  • They diverge on capability: Mapbox Government covers Custom Map Design, CitizenLab covers Participatory Budgeting.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mapbox Government and CitizenLab actually diverge.

Attributes where Mapbox Government and CitizenLab differ
AttributeMapbox GovernmentCitizenLab
Starting priceFree$500/month
Pricing modelusage-basedsubscription
Free tierYesNo
Founded20102015

Identical on both: platforms (Web, Ios, Android), 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 Mapbox Government

  • Custom Map Design
  • Navigation SDK
  • Geocoding
  • Spatial Analysis
  • Offline Maps
  • AWS
  • Azure
  • Google Cloud

Only in CitizenLab

  • Participatory Budgeting
  • Idea Management
  • Online Consultations
  • Surveys & Polls
  • AI-powered Analysis
  • Single Sign-On
  • Open Data Portals
  • GIS Systems

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Mapbox Government

  • Embedding maps and turn by turn navigation in government applicationsnot CitizenLab
  • Routing and geocoding for public sector fleet and field operationsnot CitizenLab
  • Custom cartography for agency web and mobile appsnot CitizenLab

CitizenLab

  • Running community consultation and participatory budgeting for a citynot Mapbox Government
  • Collecting resident input through surveys, ideation, mapping and votingnot Mapbox Government
  • Centralising engagement data across multiple municipal departmentsnot Mapbox Government

Where each one falls short

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

Mapbox Government

  • The Navigation SDK free tier covers only up to 10 monthly active users, and 11 or more requires contacting sales
  • Volume pricing beyond the published free tiers is not listed and requires contacting sales for a discount
  • Pricing is metered per product, so Directions API, Navigation SDK and map loads are each billed on their own meter

CitizenLab

  • CitizenLab has rebranded to Go Vocal and the product now sells under govocal.com
  • No prices are published on the plans page; every tier requires scheduling a demo
  • The Essential plan allows only 1 active project and 1 admin seat, with no project manager seats
  • Standard is limited to 4 admin seats and 5 project manager seats, and Premium to 8 admin seats and 25 project manager seats
  • Standard restricts Sensemaking to Light, capped at 30 inputs; auto-insights require Premium
  • The integrated Konveio document annotation and Echo blended engagement methods are excluded from Standard and require Premium
  • Auto-translation on Premium is limited to 3 languages
  • Custom fonts and other premium styling options are Premium only
  • Priority support is Premium only
  • Plans are split by population band, with separate ladders for cities under and over 100K population

Pricing, plan by plan

Mapbox Government

Free
  • GovernmentFree
    • Custom Maps
    • Navigation
    • Geocoding

CitizenLab

$500/month
  • Government$500/month
    • Participatory Budgeting
    • Idea Collection
    • Surveys

Which should you pick?

Choose Mapbox Government if

  • You need custom map design.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want navigation sdk.
Mapbox Government review

Choose CitizenLab if

  • You need participatory budgeting.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want idea management.
CitizenLab review

Questions people ask

Is Mapbox Government or CitizenLab better?
Neither clearly leads. Mapbox Government starts at Free and CitizenLab at $500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mapbox Government or CitizenLab?
Mapbox Government has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Mapbox Government and $500/month for CitizenLab.
Does Mapbox Government or CitizenLab run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Mapbox Government for free?
Yes. Mapbox Government has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. CitizenLab starts at $500/month.
What is Mapbox Government best used for?
Mapbox Government is most often used for embedding maps and turn by turn navigation in government applications, routing and geocoding for public sector fleet and field operations, custom cartography for agency web and mobile apps. Of those, embedding maps and turn by turn navigation in government applications and routing and geocoding for public sector fleet and field operations are not what CitizenLab is typically brought in for.
What can Mapbox Government do that CitizenLab cannot?
Mapbox Government covers Custom Map Design, Navigation SDK, Geocoding, Spatial Analysis. CitizenLab covers Participatory Budgeting, Idea Management, Online Consultations, Surveys & Polls. Both handle Web support, Ios support, Android support.
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Related pages

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