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Libraries · head to head

Koha vs Lonboard

Koha logo

Koha

Libraries

The world's first free and open source library system

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: Koha no pricing published; Koha is free and open source with no commercial licensing fee; 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: Koha covers Circulation management, Lonboard covers GeoArrow binary transfer.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Koha and Lonboard actually diverge.

Attributes where Koha and Lonboard differ
AttributeKohaLonboard
Pricing modelopen-sourceOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWeb, ApiLinux, macOS, Windows
CategoryLibrariesMaps
Founded1999Unknown

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 Koha

  • Circulation management
  • MARC21/UNIMARC cataloging
  • Acquisitions
  • Serials management
  • Patron management
  • OPAC with faceted search
  • Reports and statistics
  • Z39.50 support

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.

Koha

  • Libraries self-hosting an open source integrated library system for cataloging and circulation without vendor licensing feesnot Lonboard

Lonboard

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

Where each one falls short

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

Koha

  • No pricing published; Koha is free and open source with no commercial licensing fee

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

Koha

Free
  • Self-HostedFree
    • Full ILS functionality
    • Circulation management
    • Cataloging (MARC21/UNIMARC)
  • Hosted (via partners)$150/month
    • Everything in Self-Hosted
    • Managed hosting
    • Professional support

Lonboard

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Koha if

  • You need circulation management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want marc21/unimarc cataloging.
Koha 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 Koha or Lonboard better?
Neither clearly leads. Koha 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, Koha or Lonboard?
Koha starts at Free and Lonboard at Free.
Does Koha or Lonboard run on more platforms?
Koha runs on Web, Api. Lonboard runs on Linux, macOS, Windows.
Can I use Koha for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Koha best used for?
Koha is most often used for libraries self-hosting an open source integrated library system for cataloging and circulation without vendor licensing fees. Of those, libraries self-hosting an open source integrated library system for cataloging and circulation without vendor licensing fees is not what Lonboard is typically brought in for.
What can Koha do that Lonboard cannot?
Koha covers Circulation management, MARC21/UNIMARC cataloging, Acquisitions, Serials management. Lonboard covers GeoArrow binary transfer, GeoPandas input, deck.gl layers, Jupyter widget.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Koha: How much does Koha cost?

Koha is free and open source. There is no software licensing fee. Development is sponsored by libraries, volunteers, and support companies worldwide.

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.

Koha: Are there paid support options available?

While no specific pricing is detailed on the main site, Koha mentions paid support options available from support companies, but exact costs require contacting providers directly.

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.

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