Mimirsbrunn 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.
| Feature | Mimirsbrunn | Overpass API |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 0 · At risk | 47 · Fair |
| Status | Archived | Actively maintained |
| Category | Maps & GIS | Maps & GIS |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Rust | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7 | ★ 925 |
| First released | 2016 | 2011 |
| Replaces | Google Places API | Google Places API |
What are Mimirsbrunn and Overpass API?
Mimirsbrunn
Mimirsbrunn is an open-source geocoding system that powers fast autocomplete and address search over geographic data. It indexes OpenStreetMap and other datasets into Elasticsearch for self-hosted lookup.
- Autocomplete geocoding
- Elasticsearch indexing
- OpenStreetMap ingest
- Rust performance
Overpass API
Overpass API is a self-hostable, read-only database and query engine for OpenStreetMap data. It lets users run powerful spatial and attribute queries to extract custom map datasets.
- Powerful OSM query language
- Spatial and tag filtering
- Custom data extraction
- Self-hostable database
Mimirsbrunn vs Overpass API: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Mimirsbrunn's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Overpass API is actively maintained. Mimirsbrunn is written in Rust, while Overpass API is built with C++. Overpass API is the more established project (first released 2011), while Mimirsbrunn arrived in 2016. Overpass API has the considerably larger community, at 925 GitHub stars versus 7. Mimirsbrunn lists first-class Docker deployment; Overpass API does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Mimirsbrunn if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Rust
Frequently asked questions
Is Mimirsbrunn or Overpass API better?
Neither is universally better. Overpass API has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Mimirsbrunn and Overpass API free and open-source?
Yes. Mimirsbrunn is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Overpass API under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mimirsbrunn and Overpass API with Docker?
Mimirsbrunn: yes. Overpass API: check the project docs for container support.