GraphHopper vs QGIS
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
QGIS
Free and open-source geographic information system
| Feature | GraphHopper | QGIS |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Maps & GIS | Maps & GIS |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Java | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, binary | binary, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,619 | ★ 14,183 |
| First released | 2012 | 2002 |
| Replaces | Google Directions API | ArcGIS |
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 QGIS if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Mature project with 14.2k GitHub stars
- Written in C++
Frequently asked questions
Is GraphHopper or QGIS better?
Neither is universally better. QGIS has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are GraphHopper and QGIS free and open-source?
Yes. GraphHopper is licensed under Apache-2.0 and QGIS under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run GraphHopper and QGIS with Docker?
GraphHopper: yes. QGIS: check the project docs for container support.