SHSelfHostIndex

MapLibre GL JS vs OpenLayers

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?
MA MapLibre GL JS Open-source interactive vector map library for the web VS OP OpenLayers High-performance library for all kinds of web maps
FeatureMapLibre GL JSOpenLayers
Deploy effortRead-the-docs projectRead-the-docs project
Health score93 · Excellent94 · Excellent
CategoryMaps & GISMaps & GIS
LicenseBSD-3-ClauseBSD-2-Clause
LanguageTypeScriptJavaScript
Setup difficultyMediumMedium
Min. RAM256 MB256 MB
Deploymentsource, bare-metalsource, bare-metal
GitHub stars★ 11,722★ 12,588
First released20202006
ReplacesMapbox GL JS, Google Maps JavaScript APIGoogle Maps JavaScript API

What are MapLibre GL JS and OpenLayers?

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

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

MapLibre GL JS vs OpenLayers: key differences

MapLibre GL JS is written in TypeScript, while OpenLayers is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — BSD-3-Clause for MapLibre GL JS versus BSD-2-Clause for OpenLayers. OpenLayers is the more established project (first released 2006), while MapLibre GL JS arrived in 2020.

Why pick each one

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
MapLibre GL JS details

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
OpenLayers details

Frequently asked questions

Is MapLibre GL JS or OpenLayers better?

Neither is universally better. OpenLayers has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are MapLibre GL JS and OpenLayers free and open-source?

Yes. MapLibre GL JS is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and OpenLayers under BSD-2-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run MapLibre GL JS and OpenLayers with Docker?

MapLibre GL JS: check the project docs for container support. OpenLayers: check the project docs for container support.

Related comparisons