Leaflet vs OpenLayers
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted maps & gis options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Leaflet | OpenLayers |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 81 · Excellent | 94 · Excellent |
| Category | Maps & GIS | Maps & GIS |
| License | BSD-2-Clause | BSD-2-Clause |
| Language | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | source, bare-metal | source, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 45,662 | ★ 12,589 |
| First released | 2011 | 2006 |
| Replaces | Google Maps JavaScript API | Google Maps JavaScript API |
What are Leaflet and OpenLayers?
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
OpenLayers
OpenLayers is a powerful open-source JavaScript library for displaying map data in web browsers. It supports vector and raster layers, many projections, and advanced geospatial features.
- Vector and raster layers
- Many map projections
- Advanced geospatial features
- OGC service support
Leaflet vs OpenLayers: key differences
Both projects are written in JavaScript. Leaflet is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for OpenLayers. OpenLayers is the more established project (first released 2006), while Leaflet arrived in 2011. Leaflet has the considerably larger community, at 45,662 GitHub stars versus 12,589.
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 OpenLayers if…
- Released under the BSD-2-Clause license
- Mature project with 12.6k GitHub stars
- Written in JavaScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Leaflet or OpenLayers better?
Leaflet is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider OpenLayers if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Leaflet and OpenLayers free and open-source?
Yes. Leaflet is licensed under BSD-2-Clause and OpenLayers under BSD-2-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Leaflet and OpenLayers with Docker?
Leaflet: check the project docs for container support. OpenLayers: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Leaflet or OpenLayers?
Leaflet has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for OpenLayers. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.