GraphHopper vs Valhalla
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted maps & gis options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
GraphHopper
Fast and flexible open-source routing engine
VS
Valhalla
Open-source routing engine with multimodal support
| Feature | GraphHopper | Valhalla |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 83 · Excellent | 91 · Excellent |
| Category | Maps & GIS | Maps & GIS |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Java | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 8,192 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, binary | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,701 | ★ 6,247 |
| First released | 2012 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Google Directions API | Google Directions API |
What are GraphHopper and Valhalla?
GraphHopper
GraphHopper is an open-source routing engine that calculates routes for cars, bikes, and pedestrians using OpenStreetMap data. It supports turn-by-turn navigation, isochrones, and route optimization.
- Multi-profile routing
- Turn-by-turn navigation
- Isochrones
- Route optimization
Valhalla
Valhalla is an open-source routing engine and accompanying libraries for use with OpenStreetMap data. It supports car, bicycle, pedestrian, and transit routing along with isochrones and map matching.
- Multimodal routing
- Isochrone generation
- Map matching
- Tiled routing data
GraphHopper vs Valhalla: key differences
GraphHopper is written in Java, while Valhalla is built with C++. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for GraphHopper versus MIT for Valhalla. GraphHopper is the lighter option, starting around 4,096 MB of RAM against 8,192 MB for Valhalla. GraphHopper is the more established project (first released 2012), while Valhalla arrived in 2015.
Why pick each one
Choose GraphHopper if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 6.7k GitHub stars
- Written in Java
Choose Valhalla if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 6.2k GitHub stars
- Written in C++
Frequently asked questions
Is GraphHopper or Valhalla better?
GraphHopper is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Valhalla if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are GraphHopper and Valhalla free and open-source?
Yes. GraphHopper is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Valhalla under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run GraphHopper and Valhalla with Docker?
GraphHopper: yes. Valhalla: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, GraphHopper or Valhalla?
GraphHopper has the smaller minimum footprint at 4,096 MB of RAM, compared to about 8,192 MB for Valhalla. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.