Google Maps API vs Google Maps Engine?

Question

I'm brand new to web technologies, and in researching a web app that I want to create I got a little bogged down. I want to be able to use a Google Map on my site, including the functionality that allows you to use layers and draw shapes and lines on top of it, but I'm confused at the difference between the Google Maps API and Google Maps Engine and which one would best suit me.

Is one of those a better option for me? There seems to be a lot of red tape on getting Maps Engine for a site, but I'm unclear on if Maps API has all the functionality I'd want.

Sorry for the beginner question, but I haven't found any sort of FAQ that's addressed this. I'd really appreciate any insight. Thanks!

Answer 1

So Google actually offers three different products.

• Google Maps JavaScript API is intended for developers, and it lets you take Google's base maps and draw on them programmatically by writing your own JavaScript that calls the API.
• Google Maps Engine is for creating your own base maps. You could use it to render shapes and lines on top of a map, but if that's all you want to do, it's probably overkill (and it's not free).
• Google Maps Engine Lite is the new boy in town, and it's still beta as I type this, but it might fit your use case the best: you can draw by hand on top of Google's standard maps, import a variety of formats with geo data, and then share your results or embed them on your website, all without having to write a lick of JavaScript.

Answer 2

It all depends on how comfortable you are with coding. Google Maps API requires the application to be built in JavaScript.

As Google Maps Engine has now been shelved by Google I would suggest taking a look at MangoMap. It allows maps to be built using only an interface, you can built really powerful web ma applications without writing a single line of code.

Disclaimer: I'm the CEO of MangoMap ;-)

Answer 3

With Google Maps API, Google supplies a blank map and you add points, line, polygons, etc. to the map via JavaScript. This is great until you start having to add thousands of map objects.

With Google Maps Engine, (now deprecated), you upload, store, and process the geometry data on Google's servers for optimal rendering. You can turn a large group of points and lines into image files with transparent backgrounds which can display quickly on a map.