kepler.gl vs React Leaflet Maps
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?
kepler.gl
Open-source geospatial data visualization tool
VS
React Leaflet Maps
React components for embedding Leaflet maps
| Feature | kepler.gl | React Leaflet Maps |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Maps & GIS | Maps & GIS |
| License | MIT | Hippocratic-2.1 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 11,954 | ★ 5,598 |
| First released | 2018 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Tableau, ArcGIS | Google Maps React, Mapbox React |
Why pick each one
Choose kepler.gl if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Mature project with 12k GitHub stars
- Written in TypeScript
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Choose React Leaflet Maps if…
- Released under the Hippocratic-2.1 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 5.6k GitHub stars
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is kepler.gl or React Leaflet Maps better?
Neither is universally better. kepler.gl has the larger community, while React Leaflet Maps is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are kepler.gl and React Leaflet Maps free and open-source?
Yes. kepler.gl is licensed under MIT and React Leaflet Maps under Hippocratic-2.1. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run kepler.gl and React Leaflet Maps with Docker?
kepler.gl: check the project docs for container support. React Leaflet Maps: check the project docs for container support.