MapTiler SDK vs Tangram
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted maps & gis options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | MapTiler SDK | Tangram |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 74 · Good | 50 · Fair |
| Category | Maps & GIS | Maps & GIS |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | source | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 147 | ★ 2,334 |
| First released | 2022 | 2013 |
| Replaces | Google Maps Platform, Mapbox GL JS | Mapbox GL JS, Google Maps |
What are MapTiler SDK and Tangram?
MapTiler SDK
MapLibre GL JS extension SDK is an open-source toolkit for rendering interactive vector maps in the browser. It builds on the MapLibre rendering engine with extra controls and helpers for self-hosted map apps.
- Vector map rendering
- Built on MapLibre
- Map controls and helpers
- Browser-based
Tangram
Tangram is an open-source map rendering engine that draws 2D and 3D maps using WebGL with fully customizable styling. It works with vector tiles and is designed for creative cartographic experiments.
- WebGL rendering
- 2D and 3D maps
- Custom styling
- Vector tile support
MapTiler SDK vs Tangram: key differences
MapTiler SDK is written in TypeScript, while Tangram is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — BSD-3-Clause for MapTiler SDK versus MIT for Tangram. Tangram is the more established project (first released 2013), while MapTiler SDK arrived in 2022. Tangram has the considerably larger community, at 2,334 GitHub stars versus 147.
Why pick each one
Choose MapTiler SDK if…
- Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
- Written in TypeScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Choose Tangram if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Active community (2.3k GitHub stars)
- Written in JavaScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is MapTiler SDK or Tangram better?
Neither is universally better. Tangram has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are MapTiler SDK and Tangram free and open-source?
Yes. MapTiler SDK is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and Tangram under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run MapTiler SDK and Tangram with Docker?
MapTiler SDK: check the project docs for container support. Tangram: check the project docs for container support.