OpenMapTiles 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 | OpenMapTiles | Protomaps |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 79 · Good | 84 · Excellent |
| Category | Maps & GIS | Maps & GIS |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | PLpgSQL | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 8,192 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker | binary, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,170 | ★ 3,056 |
| First released | 2016 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Mapbox | Mapbox, Google Maps |
What are OpenMapTiles and Protomaps?
OpenMapTiles
OpenMapTiles is an open-source toolset for self-hosting the entire pipeline of generating vector map tiles from OpenStreetMap data. It produces ready-to-use tiles and styles for serving custom maps.
- Full vector tile pipeline
- OSM data import
- Multiple map styles
- Self-hosted tile generation
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
OpenMapTiles vs Protomaps: key differences
OpenMapTiles is written in PLpgSQL, while Protomaps is built with TypeScript. Protomaps is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 8,192 MB for OpenMapTiles. OpenMapTiles is the more established project (first released 2016), while Protomaps arrived in 2021. OpenMapTiles lists first-class Docker deployment; Protomaps does not.
Why pick each one
Choose OpenMapTiles if…
- Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3.2k GitHub stars)
- Written in PLpgSQL
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 OpenMapTiles or Protomaps better?
Neither is universally better. OpenMapTiles 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 OpenMapTiles and Protomaps free and open-source?
Yes. OpenMapTiles is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and Protomaps under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run OpenMapTiles and Protomaps with Docker?
OpenMapTiles: yes. Protomaps: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, OpenMapTiles or Protomaps?
Protomaps has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 8,192 MB for OpenMapTiles. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.