Compare software

Protomaps vs OpenMapTiles: catalog facts
Protomaps	OpenMapTiles
Best for: Web developers self-hosting OpenStreetMap basemaps cheaply	Best for: Self-hosting an OpenStreetMap base map with vector tiles
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; MapTiler sells optional hosted maps and support.
Web, Self-hosted, Command line	Self-hosted
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	Documented vector tile schema used by many projects Several free open-source map styles All 4 strengths for OpenMapTiles Documented vector tile schema used by many projects Several free open-source map styles Works with MapLibre GL, Leaflet and OpenLayers Multilingual map labels
Aimed at developers building web maps, not end users Commercial use of the hosted API requires sponsorship	Generating tiles for large areas takes significant resources Premium styles and hosting are commercial MapTiler products
Downloadable app, Self-hosted, Hosted service	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 OpenMapTiles openmaptiles.org Catalog checked September 23, 2026

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