GraphHopper vs Tileserver Mapnik
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?
GraphHopper
Fast and flexible open-source routing engine
VS
Tileserver Mapnik
Render and serve raster map tiles from a database
| Feature | GraphHopper | Tileserver Mapnik |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Maps & GIS | Maps & GIS |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Java | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, binary | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,619 | ★ 318 |
| First released | 2012 | 2008 |
| Replaces | Google Directions API | Mapbox Tiles, Google Maps tiles |
Why pick each one
Choose GraphHopper if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 6.6k GitHub stars
- Written in Java
Choose Tileserver Mapnik if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in C++
Frequently asked questions
Is GraphHopper or Tileserver Mapnik better?
GraphHopper is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Tileserver Mapnik if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are GraphHopper and Tileserver Mapnik free and open-source?
Yes. GraphHopper is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Tileserver Mapnik under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run GraphHopper and Tileserver Mapnik with Docker?
GraphHopper: yes. Tileserver Mapnik: yes.