kepler.gl vs QGIS
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted maps & gis options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | kepler.gl | QGIS |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 94 · Excellent | 94 · Excellent |
| Category | Maps & GIS | Maps & GIS |
| License | MIT | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | binary, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 12,023 | ★ 14,425 |
| First released | 2018 | 2002 |
| Replaces | Tableau, ArcGIS | ArcGIS |
What are kepler.gl and QGIS?
kepler.gl
kepler.gl is an open-source, high-performance web application for visualizing large-scale geospatial datasets. It can be self-hosted to explore location data with maps, heatmaps, and 3D layers.
- Large dataset visualization
- Heatmaps and 3D layers
- No coding required
- Browser-based
QGIS
QGIS is a professional, full-featured geographic information system for creating, editing, analyzing, and visualizing spatial data. It runs on the desktop and supports many data formats and plugins.
- Full GIS analysis toolkit
- Many data format support
- Large plugin ecosystem
- Map composer
kepler.gl vs QGIS: key differences
Kepler.gl is written in TypeScript, while QGIS is built with C++. Licensing differs — MIT for kepler.gl versus GPL-2.0 for QGIS. Kepler.gl is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 4,096 MB for QGIS. QGIS is the more established project (first released 2002), while kepler.gl arrived in 2018.
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 QGIS if…
- Free professional GIS
- Huge plugin ecosystem
- Reads nearly any spatial format
Watch out for
- Desktop app, not a server
- Steep learning curve
Frequently asked questions
Is kepler.gl 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 kepler.gl and QGIS free and open-source?
Yes. kepler.gl is licensed under MIT and QGIS under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run kepler.gl and QGIS with Docker?
kepler.gl: check the project docs for container support. QGIS: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, kepler.gl or QGIS?
kepler.gl has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 4,096 MB for QGIS. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.