Mapeo vs Leaflet
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted maps & gis options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Mapeo
Offline-first collaborative mapping for communities
VS
Leaflet
Lightweight JavaScript library for interactive maps
| Feature | Mapeo | Leaflet |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Maps & GIS | Maps & GIS |
| License | MIT | BSD-2-Clause |
| Language | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | source, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 25 | ★ 45,461 |
| First released | 2017 | 2011 |
| Replaces | ArcGIS, Google My Maps | Google Maps JavaScript API |
Why pick each one
Choose Mapeo if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Written in JavaScript
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Choose Leaflet if…
- Released under the BSD-2-Clause license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 45.5k GitHub stars
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Mapeo or Leaflet better?
Leaflet is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Mapeo if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Mapeo and Leaflet free and open-source?
Yes. Mapeo is licensed under MIT and Leaflet under BSD-2-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mapeo and Leaflet with Docker?
Mapeo: check the project docs for container support. Leaflet: check the project docs for container support.