Comparison
The two most popular open-source web mapping libraries solve different problems. Leaflet is a lightweight, battle-tested raster-map library with a huge plugin ecosystem. MapLibre GL JS renders vector tiles with WebGL, enabling smooth rotation, 3D and fully custom styling — at the cost of more complexity.
| MapLibre GL JS | Leaflet | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Pricing | open-source | open-source |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | BSD-2-Clause |
| GitHub stars | 11.7k | 45.7k |
| Last commit | today | 3 days ago |
| Categories | mapping, visualization, vector | mapping, visualization |
| Platforms | — | — |
| Languages | — | — |
| API style | — | — |
Choose MapLibre GL JS if…
You want vector tiles, custom styles, pitch/rotation or 3D terrain, and you're comfortable managing a style JSON and a tile pipeline.
Full MapLibre GL JS profileChoose Leaflet if…
You need a simple slippy map with markers and GeoJSON overlays, maximum plugin choice, or support for very old browsers.
Full Leaflet profile