Leaflet vs openstreetmap-tile-server
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?
Leaflet
Lightweight JavaScript library for interactive maps
VS
openstreetmap-tile-server
Dockerized OpenStreetMap raster tile server
| Feature | Leaflet | openstreetmap-tile-server |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Maps & GIS | Maps & GIS |
| License | BSD-2-Clause | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | Shell |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | source, bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 45,461 | ★ 1,452 |
| First released | 2011 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Google Maps JavaScript API | Google Maps |
Why pick each one
Choose Leaflet if…
- Released under the BSD-2-Clause license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 45.5k GitHub stars
- Written in JavaScript
Choose openstreetmap-tile-server if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.5k GitHub stars)
- Written in Shell
Frequently asked questions
Is Leaflet or openstreetmap-tile-server better?
Leaflet is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider openstreetmap-tile-server if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Leaflet and openstreetmap-tile-server free and open-source?
Yes. Leaflet is licensed under BSD-2-Clause and openstreetmap-tile-server under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Leaflet and openstreetmap-tile-server with Docker?
Leaflet: check the project docs for container support. openstreetmap-tile-server: yes.