OpenStreetMap Carto 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?
OpenStreetMap Carto
The standard map style for OpenStreetMap rendering
VS
QGIS
Free and open-source geographic information system
| Feature | OpenStreetMap Carto | QGIS |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Maps & GIS | Maps & GIS |
| License | CC0-1.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | CartoCSS | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | binary, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,723 | ★ 14,183 |
| First released | 2012 | 2002 |
| Replaces | Google Maps | ArcGIS |
Why pick each one
Choose OpenStreetMap Carto if…
- Released under the CC0-1.0 license
- Active community (1.7k GitHub stars)
- Written in CartoCSS
Choose QGIS if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Mature project with 14.2k GitHub stars
- Written in C++
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenStreetMap Carto or QGIS better?
QGIS is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider OpenStreetMap Carto if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are OpenStreetMap Carto and QGIS free and open-source?
Yes. OpenStreetMap Carto is licensed under CC0-1.0 and QGIS under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run OpenStreetMap Carto and QGIS with Docker?
OpenStreetMap Carto: check the project docs for container support. QGIS: check the project docs for container support.