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CesiumJS vs deck.gl

CesiumJS logo

CesiumJS

Software

Open-source JavaScript library for creating 3D globes and 2D maps with support

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
deck.gl logo

deck.gl

Software

WebGL-powered framework for visual exploratory data analysis of large datasets, developed by

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only CesiumJS has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: CesiumJS the free Community tier does not permit commercial use; deck.gl deck.gl is a code library with no vendor-sold plan, no marketplace or app store listing, and no SLA; buyers get community GitHub support only, not a purchasable enterprise tier.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CesiumJS and deck.gl actually diverge.

Attributes where CesiumJS and deck.gl differ
AttributeCesiumJSdeck.gl
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelopen-sourcefreemium
Free tierYesNo

Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 CesiumJS

Nothing recorded that deck.gl does not also cover.

Only in deck.gl

Nothing recorded that CesiumJS does not also cover.

Both cover

  • Core Functionality
  • User Interface

What people use each for

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

CesiumJS

  • Streaming 3D terrain, imagery and building data into web applicationsnot deck.gl
  • Tiling and hosting large geospatial and reality capture datasetsnot deck.gl

deck.gl

  • GPU-accelerated visualisation of large geospatial datasets in the browsernot CesiumJS
  • Composing map overlays from reusable layersnot CesiumJS
  • Adding data layers on top of Google Maps or Mapbox basemapsnot CesiumJS
  • High-precision plotting using 64-bit GPU computationnot CesiumJS
  • Use from React or plain JavaScriptnot CesiumJS

Where each one falls short

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

CesiumJS

  • The free Community tier does not permit commercial use
  • The cheapest commercial plan is $149 a month for an individual and $524 for a team
  • Team accounts are capped at 5 members on both the Commercial and Premium plans
  • Three separate quotas apply at once, being storage, monthly streaming and monthly reality modelling gigapixels, and exceeding any one of them constrains the account
  • Streaming is capped at 15 GB a month on the free tier

deck.gl

  • deck.gl is a code library with no vendor-sold plan, no marketplace or app store listing, and no SLA; buyers get community GitHub support only, not a purchasable enterprise tier.

Pricing, plan by plan

CesiumJS

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the CesiumJS review.

deck.gl

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the deck.gl review.

Which should you pick?

Choose CesiumJS if

  • You want to start without paying.
CesiumJS review

Choose deck.gl if

Nothing in the data separates deck.gl from CesiumJS on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

deck.gl review

Questions people ask

Is CesiumJS or deck.gl better?
Neither clearly leads. CesiumJS starts at Free and deck.gl at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CesiumJS or deck.gl?
CesiumJS has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for CesiumJS and On request for deck.gl.
Does CesiumJS or deck.gl run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use CesiumJS for free?
Yes. CesiumJS has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. deck.gl starts at On request.
What is CesiumJS best used for?
CesiumJS is most often used for streaming 3d terrain, imagery and building data into web applications, tiling and hosting large geospatial and reality capture datasets. Of those, streaming 3d terrain, imagery and building data into web applications and tiling and hosting large geospatial and reality capture datasets are not what deck.gl is typically brought in for.
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Related pages

More on CesiumJS

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