Softwr

Maps · head to head

deck.gl vs Lonboard

deck.gl logo

deck.gl

Maps

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Lonboard logo

Lonboard

Maps

Python map rendering in Jupyter that skips GeoJSON and moves millions of features without choking

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: deck.gl open source framework with no commercial support tier available; support relies on community and GitHub issues; Lonboard it is a notebook visualisation library, not a mapping application, so there is no editing, no layout, no map export for print and no sharing beyond distributing the notebook or an HTML file
  • They diverge on capability: deck.gl covers Core Functionality, Lonboard covers GeoArrow binary transfer.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where deck.gl and Lonboard differ
Attributedeck.glLonboard
Pricing modelopen-sourceOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWebLinux, macOS, Windows

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 deck.gl

  • Core Functionality
  • User Interface

Only in Lonboard

  • GeoArrow binary transfer
  • GeoPandas input
  • deck.gl layers
  • Jupyter widget
  • Large dataset handling
  • Styling by attribute
  • Open source licence

What people use each for

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

deck.gl

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

Lonboard

  • An analyst exploring a national road or parcel dataset in a notebook where pydeck or ipyleaflet becomes unusable at that sizenot deck.gl
  • A researcher publishing a reproducible analysis where the visualisation must run from the same script as the processingnot deck.gl
  • A data scientist joining spatial data to model outputs in pandas and needing to see the result immediately without exporting to a GISnot deck.gl
  • A team building an internal analysis pipeline on GeoParquet that wants rendering without a serialisation step in the middlenot deck.gl

Where each one falls short

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

deck.gl

  • Open source framework with no commercial support tier available; support relies on community and GitHub issues
  • Maintained by community contributors (vis.gl contributors), not by a dedicated company support team

Lonboard

  • It is a notebook visualisation library, not a mapping application, so there is no editing, no layout, no map export for print and no sharing beyond distributing the notebook or an HTML file
  • Maintenance sits with Development Seed as an open source side output of a consultancy, so roadmap priorities follow client projects and there is no support contract to buy
  • Layer coverage is a subset of deck.gl, so an analyst needing a less common layer type has to drop to pydeck or write JavaScript rather than staying in Python
  • It expects data already in GeoPandas or Arrow form, which means the performance benefit depends on the rest of your pipeline being Arrow-friendly; reading a large Shapefile is still the slow step
  • Rendering happens in the browser, so very large datasets are ultimately limited by the client machine's memory and GPU rather than by the server, and a laptop will still fail on data a workstation handles

Pricing, plan by plan

deck.gl

Free

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

Lonboard

Free
  • LonboardFree
    • Open source, no licence fee
    • No usage limits
    • Installed from PyPI or conda

Which should you pick?

Choose deck.gl if

  • You need core functionality.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want user interface.
deck.gl review

Choose Lonboard if

  • You need geoarrow binary transfer.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want geopandas input.
Lonboard review

Questions people ask

Is deck.gl or Lonboard better?
Neither clearly leads. deck.gl starts at Free and Lonboard at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, deck.gl or Lonboard?
deck.gl starts at Free and Lonboard at Free.
Does deck.gl or Lonboard run on more platforms?
deck.gl runs on Web. Lonboard runs on Linux, macOS, Windows.
Can I use deck.gl for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is deck.gl best used for?
deck.gl is most often used for gpu-accelerated visualisation of large geospatial datasets in the browser, composing map overlays from reusable layers, adding data layers on top of google maps or mapbox basemaps, high-precision plotting using 64-bit gpu computation. Of those, gpu-accelerated visualisation of large geospatial datasets in the browser and composing map overlays from reusable layers are not what Lonboard is typically brought in for.
What can deck.gl do that Lonboard cannot?
deck.gl covers Core Functionality, User Interface. Lonboard covers GeoArrow binary transfer, GeoPandas input, deck.gl layers, Jupyter widget.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

deck.gl: How much does deck.gl cost?

deck.gl is completely free to use. It is an open source framework maintained by the OpenJS Foundation and community contributors. The project is available on GitHub for anyone to use, modify, and contribute to without cost.

Source
Lonboard: Why not just use pydeck?

pydeck serialises geometry to GeoJSON to reach the browser. Lonboard uses a binary GeoArrow pipeline, which is the reason it handles far larger datasets in the same notebook.

deck.gl: Is deck.gl open source?

Yes, deck.gl is open source software maintained by the OpenJS Foundation and vis.gl contributors. The source code is publicly available, and the framework can be used freely in any project.

Source
Lonboard: Who maintains it?

Development Seed, a geospatial engineering consultancy, as an open source project. There is no commercial support offering.

Lonboard: Does it work outside Jupyter?

It is built as a Jupyter widget. Exporting to standalone HTML is possible, but the intended environment is a notebook.

Lonboard: Is it free for commercial use?

Yes, it is open source with no licence fee.

Share

Related pages

More on deck.gl

More on Lonboard

Keep looking

Other head to heads