While searching for plugins related to Google Maps on WordPress, I came across Google Charts and Google Maps. While it was clear that Google Maps is a service that displays maps, as the name suggests, hearing the term “Google Charts” raised the question, “What does charts have to do with maps?” In conclusion, both support map functionality. However, they are different.
Introduction
In this article, we’ll explore the differences between the two and examine the top WordPress plugin options related to them.
Google Maps Overview
When we hear the word “map,” we typically think of a depiction showing roads, major landmarks, and geographical features. Google Maps is a service that provides such a typical map display and offers the Google Maps API to be used on various platforms. The Google Maps plugin for WordPress is developed to enable the use of this API within the WordPress platform.
Searching for Maps in WordPress yields map plugins like WP Go Maps and Snazzy Maps ranking at the top. Snazzy Maps allows users to apply various designs to Google Maps and edit them to their desired maps. Although it has a significant user base, it hasn’t been updated in three years. On the other hand, WP Go Maps, with a higher number of active installations, was updated just a month ago and seems to be consistently maintained. Of course, recent updates don’t necessarily guarantee quality.
WP Go Maps Website
When you visit the WP Go Maps website, you’ll see a map displayed with markers and additional information, as shown below. This map is generated using Google Maps. It’s useful for transforming maps into various formats. WP Go Maps is a plugin that provides a user interface and tools for editing maps.
Snazzy Maps Website
When you visit the Snazzy Maps website, you’ll also see a typical map displayed in various styles, as shown below. Snazzy Maps places more emphasis on offering various styles and sharing them using JavaScript style arrays. It seems to focus more on sharing map designs created by others, which looks very promising.
Google Chart Overview
While plugins related to Google Maps display detailed maps, Google Chart approaches map visualization from a slightly different perspective.
Google Chart primarily focuses on visualizing information using charts or graphs. Therefore, the maps provided by Google Chart are schematic maps. Below is a part of the map creation screen of the WordPress plugin called ‘Interactive world maps’.
Google Chart plugins don’t have as many users as Google Maps plugins. These maps are likely to be more commonly used by businesses or corporations. You can configure highlighted areas to navigate to specific pages when clicked, or change the color of certain parts when hovered over.
Plugins that create such maps are not easily noticeable when searching for “Maps” or “Chart” in the ‘WordPress New Plugin Registration Window.’ Only ‘Interactive World Maps’ and ‘Interactive Geo Maps’ were found after scrolling down. The quality of the UI provided by each plugin varies greatly. It seems prudent to try out several plugins before deciding which one to use.
Conclusion
Difference between Google Maps and Google Chart
Through WordPress plugins, we’ve briefly examined how map data provided by Google Maps and Google Chart differs. When you need information about various landmarks or facilities related to a location, Google Maps is the way to go. If you want to visually represent regions for easy understanding, Google Chart is the tool to use.