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Protomaps vs Martin: catalog facts
Protomaps	Martin
Best for: Web developers self-hosting OpenStreetMap basemaps cheaply	Best for: Self-hosting vector map tiles for your own web or mobile maps
Free + paid options Software and planet download are free; the hosted API is free for noncommercial use and needs GitHub sponsorship… Full pricing details for Protomaps Software and planet download are free; the hosted API is free for noncommercial use and needs GitHub sponsorship for commercial use.	Free Free and open source, developed under the MapLibre organisation.
Web, Self-hosted, Command line	Self-hosted, Command line
Serves maps from a single static file with no tile server Free OpenStreetMap basemap for the whole planet All 4 strengths for Protomaps Serves maps from a single static file with no tile server Free OpenStreetMap basemap for the whole planet CLI can extract just the area you need Works with MapLibre through a plugin	Serves tiles from PostGIS, MBTiles and PMTiles Includes tile generation and MBTiles tooling All 4 strengths for Martin Serves tiles from PostGIS, MBTiles and PMTiles Includes tile generation and MBTiles tooling Lightweight server that is quick to deploy Active project under the MapLibre organisation
Aimed at developers building web maps, not end users Commercial use of the hosted API requires sponsorship	Needs some GIS and server knowledge to set up A backend only, with no map viewer for end users
Downloadable app, Self-hosted, Hosted service	Downloadable app, Self-hosted
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License not stated
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Protomaps protomaps.com Catalog checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Martin github.com/maplibre/martin Catalog checked September 23, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.