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Maps & Navigation · head to head

CesiumJS vs OpenLayers

CesiumJS logo

CesiumJS

Maps & Navigation

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
OpenLayers logo

OpenLayers

Maps & Navigation

High-performance, feature-packed JavaScript library for creating interactive maps on the web with

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; OpenLayers free and open source under the 2-clause BSD License, with no commercial tier

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CesiumJS and OpenLayers actually diverge.

Attributes where CesiumJS and OpenLayers differ
AttributeCesiumJSOpenLayers
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelopen-sourcefreemium
Free tierYesNo

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

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 OpenLayers does not also cover.

Only in OpenLayers

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 OpenLayers
  • Tiling and hosting large geospatial and reality capture datasetsnot OpenLayers

OpenLayers

No use cases recorded yet. See the OpenLayers review.

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

OpenLayers

  • Free and open source under the 2-clause BSD License, with no commercial tier

Pricing, plan by plan

CesiumJS

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the CesiumJS review.

OpenLayers

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the OpenLayers review.

Which should you pick?

Choose CesiumJS if

  • You want to start without paying.
CesiumJS review

Choose OpenLayers if

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

OpenLayers review

Questions people ask

Is CesiumJS or OpenLayers better?
Neither clearly leads. CesiumJS starts at Free and OpenLayers at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CesiumJS or OpenLayers?
CesiumJS has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for CesiumJS and On request for OpenLayers.
Does CesiumJS or OpenLayers 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. OpenLayers 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 OpenLayers is typically brought in for.
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