Maps · head to head
GRASS GIS vs Lonboard
GRASS GIS
Maps
Long-running open source geospatial analysis engine for raster, vector and terrain processing
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Lonboard
Maps
Python map rendering in Jupyter that skips GeoJSON and moves millions of features without choking
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: GRASS GIS the location and mapset data model requires importing data into a structured database with a fixed coordinate system before analysis, which is a real barrier for anyone used to opening files directly.; 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: GRASS GIS covers Raster analysis, Lonboard covers GeoArrow binary transfer.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which GRASS GIS and Lonboard actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Open source, no licence fee), 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 GRASS GIS
- Raster analysis
- Hydrological modelling
- Terrain analysis
- Vector topology
- Temporal framework
- Image processing
- Python API
- QGIS integration
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.
GRASS GIS
- A hydrologist delineating watersheds and modelling flow accumulation over a large digital elevation modelnot Lonboard
- A research group building a reproducible time series analysis of satellite imagery that must be rerunnable years laternot Lonboard
- An environmental agency running viewshed and solar radiation analysis for planning assessments without buying commercial GIS seatsnot Lonboard
- A QGIS user who needs a specific processing algorithm that only exists in the GRASS toolboxnot Lonboard
Lonboard
- An analyst exploring a national road or parcel dataset in a notebook where pydeck or ipyleaflet becomes unusable at that sizenot GRASS GIS
- A researcher publishing a reproducible analysis where the visualisation must run from the same script as the processingnot GRASS GIS
- A data scientist joining spatial data to model outputs in pandas and needing to see the result immediately without exporting to a GISnot GRASS GIS
- A team building an internal analysis pipeline on GeoParquet that wants rendering without a serialisation step in the middlenot GRASS GIS
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
GRASS GIS
- The location and mapset data model requires importing data into a structured database with a fixed coordinate system before analysis, which is a real barrier for anyone used to opening files directly.
- The native graphical interface is dated and inconsistent compared with QGIS or ArcGIS, so most users end up running GRASS through QGIS and never learn the tool they are actually depending on.
- There is no vendor, so contractual support, service levels and liability do not exist by default and must be arranged with an independent consultancy that may not cover your jurisdiction.
- Cartographic output and map layout are weak relative to the analysis capability, meaning a second tool is always needed to produce a publishable map.
- Module naming and argument conventions are idiosyncratic and long-standing, so scripts are durable but the learning curve is steep and transferable skills from other GIS packages help less than expected.
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
GRASS GIS
Free- GRASS GISFree
- GNU GPL licence
- All modules included
- No user or seat limits
Lonboard
Free- LonboardFree
- Open source, no licence fee
- No usage limits
- Installed from PyPI or conda
Which should you pick?
Choose GRASS GIS if
- You need raster analysis.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Linux, Windows, macOS.
- You also want hydrological modelling.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is GRASS GIS or Lonboard better?
- Neither clearly leads. GRASS GIS 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, GRASS GIS or Lonboard?
- GRASS GIS starts at Free and Lonboard at Free.
- Does GRASS GIS or Lonboard run on more platforms?
- GRASS GIS runs on Linux, Windows, macOS. Lonboard runs on Linux, macOS, Windows.
- Can I use GRASS GIS for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is GRASS GIS best used for?
- GRASS GIS is most often used for a hydrologist delineating watersheds and modelling flow accumulation over a large digital elevation model, a research group building a reproducible time series analysis of satellite imagery that must be rerunnable years later, an environmental agency running viewshed and solar radiation analysis for planning assessments without buying commercial gis seats, a qgis user who needs a specific processing algorithm that only exists in the grass toolbox. Of those, a hydrologist delineating watersheds and modelling flow accumulation over a large digital elevation model and a research group building a reproducible time series analysis of satellite imagery that must be rerunnable years later are not what Lonboard is typically brought in for.
- What can GRASS GIS do that Lonboard cannot?
- GRASS GIS covers Raster analysis, Hydrological modelling, Terrain analysis, Vector topology. Lonboard covers GeoArrow binary transfer, GeoPandas input, deck.gl layers, Jupyter widget.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
GRASS GIS: Who maintains GRASS GIS?
An international volunteer and academic developer community under the Open Source Geospatial Foundation. It originated at the US Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratory in 1982.
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.
GRASS GIS: Can I buy commercial support?
Not from a vendor. Independent consultancies in the OSGeo ecosystem offer paid support and development, and availability varies by region.
Lonboard: Who maintains it?
Development Seed, a geospatial engineering consultancy, as an open source project. There is no commercial support offering.
GRASS GIS: Do I need to use its interface?
No. Most people run GRASS algorithms through the QGIS processing toolbox or from Python.
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.
GRASS GIS: Is it suitable for production use?
Yes for analysis pipelines, and it is used by agencies and research institutions. Plan for community support rather than a service level agreement.
Lonboard: Is it free for commercial use?
Yes, it is open source with no licence fee.
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