SHSelfHostIndex

openstreetmap-tile-server vs OpenStreetMap Website

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-tile-server Dockerized OpenStreetMap raster tile server VS OP OpenStreetMap Website The Rails application powering openstreetmap.org
Featureopenstreetmap-tile-serverOpenStreetMap Website
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupUnder-an-hour setup
Health score15 · At risk84 · Excellent
CategoryMaps & GISMaps & GIS
LicenseMITGPL-2.0
LanguageShellRuby
Setup difficultyMediumHard
Min. RAM4,096 MB4,096 MB
Deploymentdockerdocker, bare-metal
GitHub stars★ 1,449★ 2,831
First released20172006
ReplacesGoogle MapsGoogle Maps

What are openstreetmap-tile-server and OpenStreetMap Website?

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 Website

The OpenStreetMap website is the open-source Rails application that runs openstreetmap.org. It provides the map browsing interface, data editing tools, and user accounts for the collaborative world map.

  • Collaborative map editing
  • User accounts and diaries
  • Map data API
  • Open map data

openstreetmap-tile-server vs OpenStreetMap Website: key differences

Openstreetmap-tile-server is written in Shell, while OpenStreetMap Website is built with Ruby. Licensing differs — MIT for openstreetmap-tile-server versus GPL-2.0 for OpenStreetMap Website. OpenStreetMap Website is the more established project (first released 2006), while openstreetmap-tile-server arrived in 2017.

Why pick each one

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

Choose OpenStreetMap Website if…

  • Released under the GPL-2.0 license
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Active community (2.8k GitHub stars)
  • Written in Ruby
OpenStreetMap Website details

Frequently asked questions

Is openstreetmap-tile-server or OpenStreetMap Website better?

Neither is universally better. OpenStreetMap Website 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-tile-server and OpenStreetMap Website free and open-source?

Yes. openstreetmap-tile-server is licensed under MIT and OpenStreetMap Website under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

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

openstreetmap-tile-server: yes. OpenStreetMap Website: yes.

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