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Maps · head to head

Leaflet vs Lonboard

Leaflet logo

Leaflet

Maps

Leading open-source JavaScript library for mobile-friendly interactive maps, used by millions of developers worldwide

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: Leaflet 2D only with no support for 3D features, tilt, or rotation; 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: Leaflet covers Core Functionality, Lonboard covers GeoArrow binary transfer.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Leaflet and Lonboard actually diverge.

Attributes where Leaflet and Lonboard differ
AttributeLeafletLonboard
Pricing modelUnknownOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWebLinux, macOS, Windows

Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 Leaflet

  • Core Functionality
  • User Interface

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.

Leaflet

  • Embedding interactive maps in a web pagenot Lonboard
  • Mobile-friendly map interfaces across desktop and mobile browsersnot Lonboard
  • Mapping where bundle size matters, at roughly 42 KB of JavaScriptnot Lonboard
  • Extending a basic map with plugins rather than adopting a full platformnot Lonboard

Lonboard

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

Where each one falls short

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

Leaflet

  • 2D only with no support for 3D features, tilt, or rotation
  • Performance degrades when rendering large datasets of complex vector geometries without optimization
  • Limited dynamic styling support; style is fixed on the server when using raster tiles
  • Lacks native support for WMS features; requires plugins like Leaflet.WMS and complex feature identification is cumbersome
  • Requires external tile service for map imagery; does not provide map tiles natively

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

Leaflet

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Leaflet review.

Lonboard

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Leaflet if

  • You need core functionality.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want user interface.
Leaflet 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 Leaflet or Lonboard better?
Neither clearly leads. Leaflet 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, Leaflet or Lonboard?
Leaflet starts at Free and Lonboard at Free.
Does Leaflet or Lonboard run on more platforms?
Leaflet runs on Web. Lonboard runs on Linux, macOS, Windows.
Can I use Leaflet for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Leaflet best used for?
Leaflet is most often used for embedding interactive maps in a web page, mobile-friendly map interfaces across desktop and mobile browsers, mapping where bundle size matters, at roughly 42 kb of javascript, extending a basic map with plugins rather than adopting a full platform. Of those, embedding interactive maps in a web page and mobile-friendly map interfaces across desktop and mobile browsers are not what Lonboard is typically brought in for.
What can Leaflet do that Lonboard cannot?
Leaflet covers Core Functionality, User Interface. Lonboard covers GeoArrow binary transfer, GeoPandas input, deck.gl layers, Jupyter widget.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Leaflet: Is Leaflet free and open source?

Yes. Leaflet is open-source JavaScript library licensed for free use. Over 400 plugins add capabilities like marker clustering, heatmaps, drawing tools, geocoding, and routing.

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.

Leaflet: How do I include Leaflet in my project via CDN?

Leaflet is available on multiple free CDNs including unpkg, cdnjs, and jsDelivr. Include the CSS stylesheet from https://unpkg.com/[email protected]/dist/leaflet.css and JavaScript from https://unpkg.com/[email protected]/dist/leaflet.js in your HTML head.

Source
Lonboard: Who maintains it?

Development Seed, a geospatial engineering consultancy, as an open source project. There is no commercial support offering.

Leaflet: What mapping services does Leaflet support?

Leaflet integrates seamlessly with various mapping services including OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, Bing, and other custom tile providers, allowing developers to choose the best base layer.

Source
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.

Leaflet: What is the file size of Leaflet?

Leaflet weighs about 42 KB of JavaScript.

Source
Lonboard: Is it free for commercial use?

Yes, it is open source with no licence fee.

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