React Leaflet Maps vs TileServer GL
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?
React Leaflet Maps
React components for embedding Leaflet maps
VS
TileServer GL
Serve vector and raster map tiles from MBTiles
| Feature | React Leaflet Maps | TileServer GL |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Maps & GIS | Maps & GIS |
| License | Hippocratic-2.1 | BSD-2-Clause |
| Language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | source | docker, bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,598 | ★ 2,872 |
| First released | 2015 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Google Maps React, Mapbox React | Mapbox |
Why pick each one
Choose React Leaflet Maps if…
- Released under the Hippocratic-2.1 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 5.6k GitHub stars
- Written in TypeScript
Choose TileServer GL if…
- Released under the BSD-2-Clause license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.9k GitHub stars)
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is React Leaflet Maps or TileServer GL better?
React Leaflet Maps is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider TileServer GL if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are React Leaflet Maps and TileServer GL free and open-source?
Yes. React Leaflet Maps is licensed under Hippocratic-2.1 and TileServer GL under BSD-2-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run React Leaflet Maps and TileServer GL with Docker?
React Leaflet Maps: check the project docs for container support. TileServer GL: yes.