MapLibre GL JS vs Overpass API
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?
MapLibre GL JS
Open-source interactive vector map library for the web
VS
Overpass API
Read-only query API for OpenStreetMap data
| Feature | MapLibre GL JS | Overpass API |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Maps & GIS | Maps & GIS |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | source, bare-metal | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 11,304 | ★ 911 |
| First released | 2020 | 2011 |
| Replaces | Mapbox GL JS, Google Maps JavaScript API | Google Places API |
Why pick each one
Choose MapLibre GL JS if…
- Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
- Mature project with 11.3k GitHub stars
- Written in TypeScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is MapLibre GL JS or Overpass API better?
MapLibre GL JS is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Overpass API if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are MapLibre GL JS and Overpass API free and open-source?
Yes. MapLibre GL JS is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and Overpass API under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run MapLibre GL JS and Overpass API with Docker?
MapLibre GL JS: check the project docs for container support. Overpass API: check the project docs for container support.