MapStore vs QGIS
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?
MapStore
Open-source framework for creating web map portals
VS
QGIS
Free and open-source geographic information system
| Feature | MapStore | QGIS |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Maps & GIS | Maps & GIS |
| License | BSD-2-Clause | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | binary, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 654 | ★ 14,183 |
| First released | 2015 | 2002 |
| Replaces | ArcGIS Online, Carto | ArcGIS |
Why pick each one
Choose MapStore if…
- Released under the BSD-2-Clause license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in JavaScript
Choose QGIS if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Mature project with 14.2k GitHub stars
- Written in C++
Frequently asked questions
Is MapStore or QGIS better?
Neither is universally better. QGIS has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are MapStore and QGIS free and open-source?
Yes. MapStore is licensed under BSD-2-Clause and QGIS under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run MapStore and QGIS with Docker?
MapStore: yes. QGIS: check the project docs for container support.