Libraries · head to head
FOLIO vs Potree
Potree
Maps
Open source WebGL viewer for publishing very large point clouds in a browser
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: FOLIO fOLIO is open source with no vendor-run SaaS from the FOLIO project itself; adopters must self-host or contract a third-party hosting partner separately.; 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: FOLIO covers Modular app architecture, Potree covers Octree streaming.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which FOLIO and Potree actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).
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 FOLIO
- Modular app architecture
- Circulation and check-out
- Inventory and cataloging
- Acquisitions and invoicing
- Electronic resource management
- User management
- Agreements and licenses
- Course reserves
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.
FOLIO
- Academic library managementnot Potree
- Custom library applicationsnot Potree
- Consortial systemsnot Potree
- Electronic resource managementnot 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 FOLIO
- A heritage or archaeology project publishing a scanned site for public access without paying per-gigabyte hosting to a commercial platformnot FOLIO
- An engineering consultancy embedding a point cloud viewer inside its own client portal without licensing a commercial web viewernot FOLIO
- A university or research group that needs measurement and profiling in a shareable viewer for a dataset too large to emailnot FOLIO
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
FOLIO
- FOLIO is open source with no vendor-run SaaS from the FOLIO project itself; adopters must self-host or contract a third-party hosting partner separately.
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
FOLIO
Free- Community EditionFree
- Modular app ecosystem
- Circulation management
- Cataloging
- Hosted (via EBSCO/Index Data)$undefined/year
- Everything in Community
- Managed hosting
- Professional 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 FOLIO if
- You need modular app architecture.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Api.
- You also want circulation and check-out.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is FOLIO or Potree better?
- Neither clearly leads. FOLIO starts at Free and Potree at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, FOLIO or Potree?
- FOLIO starts at Free and Potree at Free.
- Does FOLIO or Potree run on more platforms?
- FOLIO runs on Web, Api. Potree runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux.
- Can I use FOLIO for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is FOLIO best used for?
- FOLIO is most often used for academic library management, custom library applications, consortial systems, electronic resource management. Of those, academic library management and custom library applications are not what Potree is typically brought in for.
- What can FOLIO do that Potree cannot?
- FOLIO covers Modular app architecture, Circulation and check-out, Inventory and cataloging, Acquisitions and invoicing. Potree covers Octree streaming, Large dataset rendering, Measurement tools, Clipping and profiles.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
FOLIO: Is Folio free to use?
Yes, Folio is an open source library services platform built through community collaboration, with no licensing fees for the software itself.
SourcePotree: Does Potree cost anything?
No. It is open source and free. You supply the hosting, which for a static viewer is inexpensive.
FOLIO: Is Folio free for commercial use?
Folio is open source software with no inherent restrictions on commercial use, though the specific license terms should be reviewed for your use case.
SourcePotree: Is there commercial support?
No. There is no vendor and no support contract. Support is GitHub issues and the community.
FOLIO: Is there professional support available for Folio?
The website does not specify whether paid support contracts or professional services are available for Folio implementation and maintenance.
SourcePotree: 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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