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Maps · head to head

GraphHopper vs WhiteboxTools

GraphHopper logo

GraphHopper

Maps

Open-source routing engine for road networks, providing fast route calculations, turn-by-turn navigation

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
WhiteboxTools logo

WhiteboxTools

Maps

Open source geospatial analysis engine with several hundred raster, LiDAR and hydrological tools

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only WhiteboxTools has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: GraphHopper the free plan is non commercial use only; WhiteboxTools there is no vendor and no commercial support contract, so an organisation whose regulatory or client obligations require an answerable supplier cannot use it for that work no matter how good the algorithms are.
  • They diverge on capability: GraphHopper covers Core Functionality, WhiteboxTools covers Hydrological analysis.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which GraphHopper and WhiteboxTools actually diverge.

Attributes where GraphHopper and WhiteboxTools differ
AttributeGraphHopperWhiteboxTools
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelfreemiumOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWindows, macOS, Linux

Identical on both: 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 GraphHopper

  • Core Functionality
  • User Interface

Only in WhiteboxTools

  • Hydrological analysis
  • LiDAR processing
  • Terrain derivatives
  • Raster analysis
  • Image processing
  • Python and R front ends
  • QGIS plugin
  • MIT licence

What people use each for

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

GraphHopper

  • Routing, distance matrix and route optimisation over an APInot WhiteboxTools
  • Map matching GPS traces and generating isochronesnot WhiteboxTools

WhiteboxTools

  • A hydrologist who needs depression breaching rather than filling on a large DEM, because filling destroys the drainage structure the model depends onnot GraphHopper
  • A forestry or environmental team processing airborne LiDAR into canopy height and terrain models without buying a point cloud licence per analystnot GraphHopper
  • A GIS developer embedding terrain analysis into a commercial product, where the MIT licence avoids the copyleft obligations of GRASS or SAGAnot GraphHopper
  • A university teaching geomorphometry where every student needs the full toolset on their own laptop at zero costnot GraphHopper

Where each one falls short

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

GraphHopper

  • The free plan is non commercial use only
  • Free allows 500 credits a day, 5 locations per request and a single vehicle
  • Request complexity is capped per plan, at 30 locations and 2 vehicles on Basic at 69 EUR a month, rising to 200 locations and 20 vehicles on Premium at 479 EUR
  • Isochrone range is limited by plan, at 15 minutes on Basic and 30 on Premium
  • Credits are a daily allowance, so a busy day cannot draw on a quiet one

WhiteboxTools

  • There is no vendor and no commercial support contract, so an organisation whose regulatory or client obligations require an answerable supplier cannot use it for that work no matter how good the algorithms are.
  • Maintenance depends on a single academic research group and effectively on one professor, which is a real continuity risk for anything embedded in a production pipeline for a decade.
  • It is command line first; the QGIS plugin and Python bindings help, but analysts who expect a graphical workflow with previews and undo find it unforgiving.
  • Documentation is a reference manual rather than a set of worked workflows, so knowing which of 450 tools to chain for a given problem requires domain knowledge the software does not supply.
  • Naming and behaviour overlap confusingly with the older Whitebox GAT, a separate GPL-licensed desktop GIS from the same group, and adopters regularly install or cite the wrong one.

Pricing, plan by plan

GraphHopper

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the GraphHopper review.

WhiteboxTools

Free
  • WhiteboxTools open coreFree
    • MIT licence
    • Over 450 geospatial tools
    • Python, R and QGIS front ends

Which should you pick?

Choose GraphHopper if

  • You need core functionality.
  • You also want user interface.
GraphHopper review

Choose WhiteboxTools if

  • You need hydrological analysis.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want lidar processing.
WhiteboxTools review

Questions people ask

Is GraphHopper or WhiteboxTools better?
Neither clearly leads. GraphHopper starts at On request and WhiteboxTools at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GraphHopper or WhiteboxTools?
WhiteboxTools has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for GraphHopper and Free for WhiteboxTools.
Does GraphHopper or WhiteboxTools run on more platforms?
GraphHopper runs on Web. WhiteboxTools runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
Can I use WhiteboxTools for free?
Yes. WhiteboxTools has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. GraphHopper starts at On request.
What is GraphHopper best used for?
GraphHopper is most often used for routing, distance matrix and route optimisation over an api, map matching gps traces and generating isochrones. Of those, routing, distance matrix and route optimisation over an api and map matching gps traces and generating isochrones are not what WhiteboxTools is typically brought in for.
What can GraphHopper do that WhiteboxTools cannot?
GraphHopper covers Core Functionality, User Interface. WhiteboxTools covers Hydrological analysis, LiDAR processing, Terrain derivatives, Raster analysis.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

GraphHopper: Is the free plan actually usable for production?

No. The free tier is limited to non-commercial use only and includes 500 daily credits. To use GraphHopper in production, you need a paid plan starting at 69 euros per month.

Source
WhiteboxTools: Is WhiteboxTools free for commercial use?

Yes. It is MIT licensed, which permits commercial use and embedding without a copyleft obligation.

GraphHopper: What happens if I exceed my daily credit limit?

The page does not specify. Each tier has a daily credit limit (500 for free, 5,000 for Basic, 15,000 for Standard, 50,000 for Premium), but no overage policy is documented.

Source
WhiteboxTools: Is there paid support?

No general commercial support contract is offered. Support is GitHub issues and community forums. Budget internal expertise instead.

GraphHopper: Does GraphHopper offer a trial period?

No. There is no trial period. You can start with the free plan to test, but commercial use requires a paid subscription.

Source
WhiteboxTools: Who maintains it?

Professor John Lindsay and the Geomorphometry and Hydrogeomatics Research Group at the University of Guelph, Canada.

GraphHopper: How much does the Premium plan cost and what do I get?

Premium is 479 euros per month and includes 50,000 daily credits, up to 200 locations per request, up to 20 vehicles, email and phone support, and access to all APIs including routing and optimization.

Source
WhiteboxTools: How is it different from Whitebox GAT?

Whitebox GAT is an older GPL-licensed desktop GIS from the same group. WhiteboxTools is the newer Rust command line engine with a permissive licence. They are not the same product.

GraphHopper: Is there a discount if I link back to GraphHopper?

Yes. A 20% discount is available with proper attribution. The page also mentions a 99.5% uptime SLA on paid plans only.

Source
WhiteboxTools: Can I use it from QGIS?

Yes, through a plugin, and also from Python and R.

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