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Libraries · head to head

Koha vs Potree

Koha logo

Koha

Libraries

The world's first free and open source library system

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Potree logo

Potree

Maps

Open source WebGL viewer for publishing very large point clouds in a browser

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; 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: Koha covers Circulation management, Potree covers Octree streaming.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Koha and Potree actually diverge.

Attributes where Koha and Potree differ
AttributeKohaPotree
Pricing modelopen-sourceOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWeb, ApiWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux
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 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.

Koha

  • Libraries self-hosting an open source integrated library system for cataloging and circulation without vendor licensing feesnot 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 Koha
  • A heritage or archaeology project publishing a scanned site for public access without paying per-gigabyte hosting to a commercial platformnot Koha
  • An engineering consultancy embedding a point cloud viewer inside its own client portal without licensing a commercial web viewernot Koha
  • A university or research group that needs measurement and profiling in a shareable viewer for a dataset too large to emailnot 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

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

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

Potree

Free
  • PotreeFree
    • BSD-style open source licence
    • Unlimited datasets and viewers
    • Self-hosted on any static web server

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 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.
Potree review

Questions people ask

Is Koha or Potree better?
Neither clearly leads. Koha 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, Koha or Potree?
Koha starts at Free and Potree at Free.
Does Koha or Potree run on more platforms?
Koha runs on Web, Api. Potree runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux.
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 Potree is typically brought in for.
What can Koha do that Potree cannot?
Koha covers Circulation management, MARC21/UNIMARC cataloging, Acquisitions, Serials management. Potree covers Octree streaming, Large dataset rendering, Measurement tools, Clipping and profiles.

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
Potree: Does Potree cost anything?

No. It is open source and free. You supply the hosting, which for a static viewer is inexpensive.

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
Potree: Is there commercial support?

No. There is no vendor and no support contract. Support is GitHub issues and the community.

Potree: 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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