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Maps · head to head

Leaflet vs Potree

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

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Leaflet and Potree actually diverge.

Attributes where Leaflet and Potree differ
AttributeLeafletPotree
Pricing modelUnknownOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWebWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux

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 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.

Leaflet

  • Embedding interactive maps in a web pagenot Potree
  • Mobile-friendly map interfaces across desktop and mobile browsersnot Potree
  • Mapping where bundle size matters, at roughly 42 KB of JavaScriptnot Potree
  • Extending a basic map with plugins rather than adopting a full platformnot 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 Leaflet
  • A heritage or archaeology project publishing a scanned site for public access without paying per-gigabyte hosting to a commercial platformnot Leaflet
  • An engineering consultancy embedding a point cloud viewer inside its own client portal without licensing a commercial web viewernot Leaflet
  • A university or research group that needs measurement and profiling in a shareable viewer for a dataset too large to emailnot 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

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

Leaflet

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Leaflet review.

Potree

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

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 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 Leaflet or Potree better?
Neither clearly leads. Leaflet 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, Leaflet or Potree?
Leaflet starts at Free and Potree at Free.
Does Leaflet or Potree run on more platforms?
Leaflet runs on Web. Potree runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux.
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 Potree is typically brought in for.
What can Leaflet do that Potree cannot?
Leaflet covers Core Functionality, User Interface. Potree covers Octree streaming, Large dataset rendering, Measurement tools, Clipping and profiles.

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
Potree: Does Potree cost anything?

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

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
Potree: Is there commercial support?

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

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
Potree: Who maintains it?

It originated at TU Wien and is maintained principally by Markus Schütz, with community contributions.

Leaflet: What is the file size of Leaflet?

Leaflet weighs about 42 KB of JavaScript.

Source
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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