Leaflet vs MapLibre GL JS
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted maps & gis options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Leaflet | MapLibre GL JS |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 81 · Excellent | 93 · Excellent |
| Category | Maps & GIS | Maps & GIS |
| License | BSD-2-Clause | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | source, bare-metal | source, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 45,662 | ★ 11,733 |
| First released | 2011 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Google Maps JavaScript API | Mapbox GL JS, Google Maps JavaScript API |
What are Leaflet and MapLibre GL JS?
Leaflet
Leaflet is a leading open-source JavaScript library for building mobile-friendly interactive maps. It is small, simple, and works with many tile providers and a large plugin ecosystem.
- Tiny footprint
- Mobile-friendly
- Huge plugin ecosystem
- Works with any tile source
MapLibre GL JS
MapLibre GL JS is an open-source JavaScript library for displaying interactive, customizable vector maps in the browser. It is a community-driven fork of Mapbox GL JS and renders maps with WebGL.
- WebGL vector rendering
- Custom map styles
- Open and free
- Mapbox GL compatible
Leaflet vs MapLibre GL JS: key differences
Leaflet is written in JavaScript, while MapLibre GL JS is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — BSD-2-Clause for Leaflet versus BSD-3-Clause for MapLibre GL JS. Leaflet is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for MapLibre GL JS. Leaflet is the more established project (first released 2011), while MapLibre GL JS arrived in 2020. Leaflet has the considerably larger community, at 45,662 GitHub stars versus 11,733.
Why pick each one
Choose Leaflet if…
- Tiny library footprint
- Huge plugin ecosystem
- Mobile-friendly by default
Watch out for
- Tile provider needed
- No built-in 3D
Choose MapLibre GL JS if…
- Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
- Mature project with 11.7k GitHub stars
- Written in TypeScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Leaflet or MapLibre GL JS better?
Leaflet is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider MapLibre GL JS if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Leaflet and MapLibre GL JS free and open-source?
Yes. Leaflet is licensed under BSD-2-Clause and MapLibre GL JS under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Leaflet and MapLibre GL JS with Docker?
Leaflet: check the project docs for container support. MapLibre GL JS: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Leaflet or MapLibre GL JS?
Leaflet has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for MapLibre GL JS. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.