Leaflet adoption guide: Overview, examples, and alternatives

Leaflet is a free, open-source JavaScript library created by Vladimir Agafonkin in 2011 for developing interactive and responsive web maps. It is lightweight and feature-rich, supporting core mapping functionalities like panning, zooming, markers, and popups, with the option to extend capabilities through a wide range of third-party plugins. Leaflet is data provider agnostic, allowing users to source map tiles from providers like OpenStreetMap, and it seamlessly integrates with popular frontend frameworks such as React, Angular, and Vue. The library is well-documented, easy to learn regardless of skill level, and supported by a vibrant community, ensuring regular updates and security enhancements. Compared to other mapping libraries like OpenLayers, Mapbox GL JS, Google Maps JavaScript API, and ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript, Leaflet stands out for its open-source nature, ease of use, and community-driven development, making it a preferred choice for creating 2D maps without proprietary constraints or costs.