Compare software

VersaTiles vs Protomaps: catalog facts
VersaTiles	Protomaps
Best for: Organisations that want self-hosted web maps without a commercial provider	Best for: Web developers self-hosting OpenStreetMap basemaps cheaply
Free Free and open source, funded by sponsors and donations.	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.
Web, Self-hosted, Command line	Web, Self-hosted, Command line
No API keys, usage fees or user tracking Covers tile generation, serving and styling All 3 strengths for VersaTiles No API keys, usage fees or user tracking Covers tile generation, serving and styling Ready-made tile downloads and a public tile server to try	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
Running your own server requires technical setup Based on OpenStreetMap data, so map coverage depends on it	Aimed at developers building web maps, not end users Commercial use of the hosted API requires sponsorship
Downloadable app, Self-hosted	Downloadable app, Self-hosted, Hosted service
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License not stated
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for VersaTiles versatiles.org Catalog checked October 1, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Protomaps protomaps.com Catalog checked September 23, 2026

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