Mapeo vs deck.gl
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted maps & gis options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Mapeo | deck.gl |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 0 · At risk | 94 · Excellent |
| Category | Maps & GIS | Maps & GIS |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 25 | ★ 14,608 |
| First released | 2017 | 2016 |
| Replaces | ArcGIS, Google My Maps | Mapbox visualization, ArcGIS |
What are Mapeo and deck.gl?
Mapeo
Mapeo is an offline-first, peer-to-peer mapping tool designed for communities to document territory and observations. It syncs map data directly between devices without a central server.
- Offline-first data collection
- Peer-to-peer sync
- Community mapping focus
- No central server
deck.gl
deck.gl is an open-source WebGL framework for visualizing large geospatial datasets as map overlays. It renders millions of points, arcs, and polygons on top of self-hosted basemaps.
- WebGL data visualization
- Large dataset rendering
- Map overlay layers
- Works with any basemap
Mapeo vs deck.gl: key differences
Mapeo is written in JavaScript, while deck.gl is built with TypeScript. Deck.gl is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Mapeo. Deck.gl has the considerably larger community, at 14,608 GitHub stars versus 25.
Why pick each one
Choose Mapeo if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Written in JavaScript
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Choose deck.gl if…
- Renders millions of points
- GPU-accelerated layers
- First-class React support
Watch out for
- Steep learning curve
- WebGL knowledge helps
Frequently asked questions
Is Mapeo or deck.gl better?
Neither is universally better. deck.gl has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Mapeo and deck.gl free and open-source?
Yes. Mapeo is licensed under MIT and deck.gl under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mapeo and deck.gl with Docker?
Mapeo: check the project docs for container support. deck.gl: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Mapeo or deck.gl?
deck.gl has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Mapeo. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.