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Software · head to head

deck.gl vs Nominatim

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
Nominatim logo

Nominatim

Software

Open-source geocoding tool for OpenStreetMap data, providing address search and reverse geocoding capabilities

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Nominatim the public API allows an absolute maximum of 1 request per second

Where they differ

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

Attributes where deck.gl and Nominatim differ
Attributedeck.glNominatim

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (freemium), free tier (No), 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 deck.gl

Nothing recorded that Nominatim does not also cover.

Only in Nominatim

Nothing recorded that deck.gl 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.

deck.gl

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

Nominatim

  • Geocoding addresses to coordinates from OpenStreetMap datanot deck.gl
  • Reverse geocoding coordinates to a place namenot deck.gl
  • Self hosting a geocoder over an OSM extractnot deck.gl

Where each one falls short

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

Nominatim

  • The public API allows an absolute maximum of 1 request per second
  • Bulk geocoding must run in a single thread and cannot be distributed across machines
  • Scripts running longer than a day or on a schedule are limited to 4 requests per minute
  • Autocomplete search against the public API is explicitly prohibited
  • Systematic queries such as grid based reverse lookups and complete data downloads are prohibited
  • Reselling geocoding results or acting as an API intermediary is prohibited
  • Every request must send a valid HTTP Referer or User-Agent identifying the application, and default library headers are rejected
  • Results must be cached client side, and repeated identical queries can lead to blocking
  • Attribution to OpenStreetMap under ODbL must be displayed

Pricing, plan by plan

deck.gl

On request

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

Nominatim

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Nominatim review.

Which should you pick?

Choose deck.gl if

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

deck.gl review

Choose Nominatim if

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

Nominatim review

Questions people ask

Is deck.gl or Nominatim better?
Neither clearly leads. deck.gl starts at On request and Nominatim at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, deck.gl or Nominatim?
deck.gl starts at On request and Nominatim at On request.
Does deck.gl or Nominatim run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
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 Nominatim is typically brought in for.
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Related pages

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