GeoServer vs OpenMapTiles
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?
GeoServer
Server for sharing and editing geospatial data
VS
OpenMapTiles
Toolset for generating vector tiles from OpenStreetMap
| Feature | GeoServer | OpenMapTiles |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Maps & GIS | Maps & GIS |
| License | GPL-2.0 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | Java | PLpgSQL |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 8,192 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,428 | ★ 3,133 |
| First released | 2001 | 2016 |
| Replaces | ArcGIS Server | Mapbox |
Why pick each one
Choose GeoServer if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (4.4k GitHub stars)
- Written in Java
Choose OpenMapTiles if…
- Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3.1k GitHub stars)
- Written in PLpgSQL
Frequently asked questions
Is GeoServer or OpenMapTiles better?
GeoServer is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider OpenMapTiles if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are GeoServer and OpenMapTiles free and open-source?
Yes. GeoServer is licensed under GPL-2.0 and OpenMapTiles under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run GeoServer and OpenMapTiles with Docker?
GeoServer: yes. OpenMapTiles: yes.