SHSelfHostIndex

OpenStreetMap Carto vs openstreetmap-tile-server

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?
OP OpenStreetMap Carto The standard map style for OpenStreetMap rendering VS OP openstreetmap-tile-server Dockerized OpenStreetMap raster tile server
FeatureOpenStreetMap Cartoopenstreetmap-tile-server
Deploy effortRead-the-docs projectUnder-an-hour setup
Health score81 · Excellent15 · At risk
CategoryMaps & GISMaps & GIS
LicenseCC0-1.0MIT
LanguageCartoCSSShell
Setup difficultyHardMedium
Min. RAM4,096 MB4,096 MB
Deploymentbare-metal, sourcedocker
GitHub stars★ 1,730★ 1,449
First released20122017
ReplacesGoogle MapsGoogle Maps

What are OpenStreetMap Carto and openstreetmap-tile-server?

OpenStreetMap Carto

OpenStreetMap Carto is the CartoCSS map stylesheet used to render the standard map layer on openstreetmap.org. It is used with renderers like Mapnik to produce raster tiles from OSM data.

  • Standard OSM map style
  • Mapnik rendering
  • Detailed cartography
  • Widely reused base style

openstreetmap-tile-server

openstreetmap-tile-server is a Docker image that bundles everything needed to run an OpenStreetMap raster tile server. It imports OSM data and renders standard map tiles with a single container.

  • All-in-one tile server
  • OSM data import
  • Standard map rendering
  • Single Docker container

OpenStreetMap Carto vs openstreetmap-tile-server: key differences

OpenStreetMap Carto is written in CartoCSS, while openstreetmap-tile-server is built with Shell. Licensing differs — CC0-1.0 for OpenStreetMap Carto versus MIT for openstreetmap-tile-server. OpenStreetMap Carto is the more established project (first released 2012), while openstreetmap-tile-server arrived in 2017. Openstreetmap-tile-server lists first-class Docker deployment; OpenStreetMap Carto does not.

Why pick each one

Choose OpenStreetMap Carto if…

  • Released under the CC0-1.0 license
  • Active community (1.7k GitHub stars)
  • Written in CartoCSS
OpenStreetMap Carto details

Choose openstreetmap-tile-server if…

  • Released under the MIT license
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Active community (1.4k GitHub stars)
  • Written in Shell
openstreetmap-tile-server details

Frequently asked questions

Is OpenStreetMap Carto or openstreetmap-tile-server better?

Neither is universally better. OpenStreetMap Carto has the larger community, while openstreetmap-tile-server is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.

Are OpenStreetMap Carto and openstreetmap-tile-server free and open-source?

Yes. OpenStreetMap Carto is licensed under CC0-1.0 and openstreetmap-tile-server under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run OpenStreetMap Carto and openstreetmap-tile-server with Docker?

OpenStreetMap Carto: check the project docs for container support. openstreetmap-tile-server: yes.

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