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Maps · head to head

CARTO vs Potree

CARTO logo

CARTO

Maps

Location Intelligence Platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Potree logo

Potree

Maps

Open source WebGL viewer for publishing very large point clouds in a browser

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Potree has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: CARTO no prices are published; the committed tiers are all quote-only; Potree there is no vendor, no support contract and no service level, so anything you build on Potree is your organisation’s responsibility to maintain when a browser update breaks rendering.
  • They diverge on capability: CARTO covers Spatial Analysis, Potree covers Octree streaming.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CARTO and Potree actually diverge.

Attributes where CARTO and Potree differ
AttributeCARTOPotree
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux
Founded2012Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Maps).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in CARTO

  • Spatial Analysis
  • Interactive Maps
  • Data Observatory
  • Workflows
  • APIs
  • Snowflake
  • BigQuery
  • PostgreSQL

Only in Potree

  • Octree streaming
  • Large dataset rendering
  • Measurement tools
  • Clipping and profiles
  • Annotations
  • Attribute colouring
  • PotreeDesktop
  • Self-hosting

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

CARTO

  • Spatial analysis over data already in a cloud warehousenot Potree
  • Building interactive maps and location dashboardsnot Potree
  • Geocoding and routing through location data servicesnot Potree
  • Site selection and territory planningnot Potree
  • Self-hosted geospatial analytics for regulated environmentsnot Potree

Potree

  • A drone survey firm delivering a point cloud to a client who has no desktop software, by publishing a browser viewer link instead of a 40 GB LAZ filenot CARTO
  • A heritage or archaeology project publishing a scanned site for public access without paying per-gigabyte hosting to a commercial platformnot CARTO
  • An engineering consultancy embedding a point cloud viewer inside its own client portal without licensing a commercial web viewernot CARTO
  • A university or research group that needs measurement and profiling in a shareable viewer for a dataset too large to emailnot CARTO

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

CARTO

  • No prices are published; the committed tiers are all quote-only
  • Metered on four separate axes: workflow runs, map loads, API calls and location data service operations
  • API access and tokens are limited on pay-as-you-go and unlimited only from the Strategic tier
  • Self-hosting is available on Enterprise and included only on the Custom tier
  • The 14 day trial explicitly forbids production use

Potree

  • There is no vendor, no support contract and no service level, so anything you build on Potree is your organisation’s responsibility to maintain when a browser update breaks rendering.
  • Conversion is a separate manual step with PotreeConverter, and building an automated publishing pipeline around it is engineering work the project does not provide.
  • Rendering quality and performance depend on the client machine and WebGL support, so a client on a locked-down corporate laptop with poor graphics may see a viewer that stutters or fails outright.
  • A WebGPU rewrite, Potree-Next, is in progress and is not a drop-in upgrade, so current integrations face an eventual migration with no vendor to manage it.
  • There is no access control, user management or audit layer; anyone with the URL sees the data unless you build authentication around the static files yourself, which is a real problem for confidential sites.

Pricing, plan by plan

CARTO

On request
  • Pay As You Go$null/mo
    • Metered, capped location data services
    • Limited API access and tokens
    • Standard support
  • Enterprise$null/mo
    • Limited location data services with quota
    • Limited API access and tokens
    • Standard or Premium support
  • Strategic$null/mo
    • Unlimited API access and tokens
    • Premium or Elite support
    • Custom branding
  • Custom$null/mo
    • Up to unlimited location data services
    • Unlimited API access and tokens
    • Elite support

Potree

Free
  • PotreeFree
    • BSD-style open source licence
    • Unlimited datasets and viewers
    • Self-hosted on any static web server

Which should you pick?

Choose CARTO if

  • You need spatial analysis.
  • You also want interactive maps.
CARTO review

Choose Potree if

  • You need octree streaming.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want large dataset rendering.
Potree review

Questions people ask

Is CARTO or Potree better?
Neither clearly leads. CARTO starts at On request and Potree at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CARTO or Potree?
Potree has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for CARTO and Free for Potree.
Does CARTO or Potree run on more platforms?
CARTO runs on Web. Potree runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux.
Can I use Potree for free?
Yes. Potree has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. CARTO starts at On request.
What is CARTO best used for?
CARTO is most often used for spatial analysis over data already in a cloud warehouse, building interactive maps and location dashboards, geocoding and routing through location data services, site selection and territory planning. Of those, spatial analysis over data already in a cloud warehouse and building interactive maps and location dashboards are not what Potree is typically brought in for.
What can CARTO do that Potree cannot?
CARTO covers Spatial Analysis, Interactive Maps, Data Observatory, Workflows. Potree covers Octree streaming, Large dataset rendering, Measurement tools, Clipping and profiles.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CARTO: What CARTO pricing tiers are available?

CARTO offers Pay As You Go (monthly, consumption-based), Enterprise (annual commitment with limited quotas), Strategic (annual with unlimited API access), and Custom (annual with full services for large enterprises). Enterprise and higher require contacting sales.

Source
Potree: Does Potree cost anything?

No. It is open source and free. You supply the hosting, which for a static viewer is inexpensive.

CARTO: Does CARTO have a free version?

CARTO does not advertise a free tier. The Pay As You Go plan requires monthly payments based on consumption with capped services.

Source
Potree: Is there commercial support?

No. There is no vendor and no support contract. Support is GitHub issues and the community.

CARTO: What is included in the CARTO Strategic plan?

Strategic tier includes unlimited API access and tokens, premium or elite support, custom branding, audit logs, and usage metrics. It requires an annual commitment and custom pricing quote.

Source
Potree: Who maintains it?

It originated at TU Wien and is maintained principally by Markus Schütz, with community contributions.

Potree: Can it handle very large clouds?

Yes, hundreds of millions of points, because PotreeConverter builds a multi-resolution octree that streams only what is visible.

Potree: Is my data private?

Only if you make it so. Potree serves static files with no built-in authentication, so access control is entirely your responsibility.

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