Mapnik vs Protomaps
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted maps & gis options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Mapnik | Protomaps |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 89 · Excellent | 84 · Excellent |
| Category | Maps & GIS | Maps & GIS |
| License | LGPL-2.1 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | C++ | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | binary, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,961 | ★ 3,051 |
| First released | 2006 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Google Maps, Mapbox | Mapbox, Google Maps |
What are Mapnik and Protomaps?
Mapnik
Mapnik is an open-source toolkit for rendering raster map tiles from OpenStreetMap and other geospatial data using a flexible styling engine. It powers custom slippy maps without relying on commercial tile providers.
- Raster tile rendering
- Flexible styling
- OpenStreetMap data support
- No vendor lock-in
Protomaps
Protomaps is an open-source project for displaying maps from a single static file in the PMTiles format. It enables serverless map hosting on object storage or a CDN with no tile server required.
- Single-file map archives
- Serverless hosting
- Works on object storage
- Cheap to operate
Mapnik vs Protomaps: key differences
Mapnik is written in C++, while Protomaps is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — LGPL-2.1 for Mapnik versus BSD-3-Clause for Protomaps. Protomaps is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Mapnik. Mapnik is the more established project (first released 2006), while Protomaps arrived in 2021. Mapnik lists first-class Docker deployment; Protomaps does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Mapnik if…
- Released under the LGPL-2.1 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (4k GitHub stars)
- Written in C++
Choose Protomaps if…
- Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
- Active community (3.1k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Mapnik or Protomaps better?
Neither is universally better. Mapnik has the larger community, while Protomaps is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Mapnik and Protomaps free and open-source?
Yes. Mapnik is licensed under LGPL-2.1 and Protomaps under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mapnik and Protomaps with Docker?
Mapnik: yes. Protomaps: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Mapnik or Protomaps?
Protomaps has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Mapnik. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.