Leaflet vs MapLibre GL JS
Leaflet
Lightweight interactive maps library
MapLibre GL JS
Open-source fork of Mapbox GL JS for vector maps
| Feature | Leaflet | MapLibre GL JS |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Embeddable | Embeddable |
| Sub-category | Maps | Maps |
| Maturity | mature | stable |
| Complexity | beginner | intermediate |
| Performance tier | medium | medium |
| License | BSD-2-Clause | BSD-3-Clause |
| License type | permissive | permissive |
| Pricing | fully free | fully free |
| GitHub stars | 42.0K | 7.0K |
| Contributors | 100 | 100 |
| Commit frequency | weekly | weekly |
| Plugin ecosystem | large | none |
| Docs quality | good | good |
| Backing org | Volodymyr Agafonkin | MapLibre |
| Funding model | community | community |
| Min RAM | 16 MB | 32 MB |
| Min CPU cores | 1 | 1 |
| Scaling pattern | single_node | single_node |
| Self-hostable | Yes | Yes |
| K8s native | No | No |
| Offline capable | No | No |
| Vendor lock-in | none | none |
| Languages | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| API type | SDK | SDK |
| Protocols | HTTP | HTTP |
| Deployment | npm, cdn | npm, cdn |
| SDK languages | — | — |
| Team size fit | solo, small, medium | solo, small, medium |
| First release | 2011 | 2021 |
| Latest version | — | — |
When to use Leaflet
- ✓ Embed interactive maps in web apps
- ✓ Location-based service interfaces
- ✓ Geographic data visualization
- ✓ Store locator widgets
When to use MapLibre GL JS
- ✓ Self-hosted vector maps without Mapbox
- ✓ 3D terrain visualization
- ✓ Custom styled maps for applications
Leaflet anti-patterns
- ✕ Less 3D support than MapLibre
- ✕ No built-in geocoding
- ✕ Tile server needed for custom maps
MapLibre GL JS anti-patterns
- ✕ Requires vector tile source
- ✕ More complex than Leaflet for simple maps
- ✕ GPU needed for smooth 3D