Mapbox, the location data platform, does not work in China by default. Mapbox does not support signups or provide support for users located in China due to China’s regulatory restrictions, so their mapping APIs and tools do not work as expected within the country. 

If you’re using Mapbox and need your website to be accessible in China, you may consider some of the alternatives outlined in this guide.

Note: Mapbox is just one of hundreds of third-party resources that can cause issues with the way a website loads in China. The way these resources work in China also differs and evolves over time so there is no one-off list, making it challenging to detect and identify why a site might not be loading quickly or fully in China.

So, what are some alternatives to Mapbox that work in China?

Baidu Maps

Overview

Baidu Maps is one of China’s most popular and widely used mapping services. It is developed specifically for the Chinese market, meaning the map data (including road networks, landmarks, and real-time traffic) is highly detailed and localized.

Baidu Maps logo

Features

Baidu offers a suite of web and mobile APIs that support mapping, navigation, geocoding, and traffic information. These APIs are built to handle China’s unique geographic and regulatory requirements.

Considerations

Documentation and developer resources are primarily in Chinese, so non-Chinese-speaking teams may face a language barrier, although it’s possible to register as a developer to access API keys from overseas. Additionally, integrations often require compliance with local regulations. Consider connecting with a local agency if you’re looking to use Baidu Maps more extensively on your website. It is also important to note that the platform has some differences to Google maps in terms of location - even if the same longitude and latitude are added in. It appears commonly that the location pin itself tends to be offset by design.

Tencent Maps

Overview

Powered by Tencent (the company behind WeChat and QQ), Tencent Maps is another major player in the Chinese mapping market. It benefits from deep integration with Tencent’s ecosystem, which is familiar to many local users.

Tencent Maps logo

Features

The platform offers mapping and location-based services including detailed maps, navigation, and real-time traffic data. Tencent offers a location SDK for developers to integrate location features into their web and mobile applications.

Considerations

Like Baidu, most of the documentation and support are in Chinese so you may want to consider connecting with a local agency if you’re looking to use Tencent Maps extensively on your website. The platform is particularly strong in urban areas and works well within Tencent’s broader ecosystem.

Gaode

Overview

Also known as Amap, Gaode Maps has accurate and detailed map data in China. It is part of the Alibaba ecosystem, which adds to its local relevance and trust.

Gaode Maps logo

Features

Gaode offers a comprehensive Web Service API that allows developers to integrate various mapping functionalities into their websites, such as map display, geocoding, and traffic data retrieval.

Considerations

Although it provides excellent local data quality, the majority of its technical documentation is in Chinese. To use the Gaode API, developers need to register for an API account and obtain an API key. As with the previous two alternatives, developers may need local expertise or translation support to fully leverage Gaode’s capabilities.

Bing Maps

Overview

Microsoft’s Bing Maps is a global mapping service that, compared to other Western mapping providers, has comparatively reasonable data coverage and accuracy in China. It isn’t exclusively designed for the Chinese market but is one of the few international platforms that performs reasonably well there, although with some limitations.

Bing maps logo

Features

Bing Maps provides APIs for embedding maps, geocoding, routing, and traffic data. It is integrated with Microsoft’s broader ecosystem and can sometimes offer a more consistent performance for users in China than other non-local providers.

Considerations

Even though Bing Maps can be more accessible from within China than some Western alternatives, its accuracy and reliability may not be as strong as those offered by domestic providers like Baidu, Tencent, or Gaode. From our experience, Bing Maps can work sufficiently when being used as a single pinned location, but more complex use cases can introduce inaccuracies.

Using Chinafy to optimize a website for China

At Chinafy we combine both in-person and platform-level features to detect and replace third-party resources that cause loading delays, including Mapbox.

If your site isn’t working in China and you’re looking for a solution, get in touch with Chinafy today for more information.