SHSelfHostIndex

OpenStreetMap Carto vs Tangram

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 TA Tangram Flexible WebGL map rendering engine
FeatureOpenStreetMap CartoTangram
Deploy effortRead-the-docs projectRead-the-docs project
Health score81 · Excellent50 · Fair
CategoryMaps & GISMaps & GIS
LicenseCC0-1.0MIT
LanguageCartoCSSJavaScript
Setup difficultyHardMedium
Min. RAM4,096 MB128 MB
Deploymentbare-metal, sourcesource
GitHub stars★ 1,730★ 2,334
First released20122013
ReplacesGoogle MapsMapbox GL JS, Google Maps

What are OpenStreetMap Carto and Tangram?

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

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

OpenStreetMap Carto vs Tangram: key differences

OpenStreetMap Carto is written in CartoCSS, while Tangram is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — CC0-1.0 for OpenStreetMap Carto versus MIT for Tangram. Tangram is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 4,096 MB for OpenStreetMap Carto.

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 Tangram if…

  • Released under the MIT license
  • Active community (2.3k GitHub stars)
  • Written in JavaScript
  • Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Tangram details

Frequently asked questions

Is OpenStreetMap Carto or Tangram better?

Tangram 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 Tangram free and open-source?

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

Can I run OpenStreetMap Carto and Tangram with Docker?

OpenStreetMap Carto: check the project docs for container support. Tangram: check the project docs for container support.

Which is lighter on resources, OpenStreetMap Carto or Tangram?

Tangram has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 4,096 MB for OpenStreetMap Carto. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.

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