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Libraries · head to head

Leafmap vs Preact

Leafmap logo

Leafmap

Libraries

Python package for interactive geospatial mapping and analysis inside Jupyter notebooks

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Preact logo

Preact

Web Development

3kB alternative to React with the same modern API

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Leafmap it is a Python library rather than an application, so there is nothing to buy, nothing to install for a non-technical colleague and no interface outside a notebook environment.; Preact compatibility through preact/compat is good but not total, and some React libraries break in ways that are hard to diagnose
  • They diverge on capability: Leafmap covers Multiple mapping backends, Preact covers 3kB runtime.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Leafmap and Preact actually diverge.

Attributes where Leafmap and Preact differ
AttributeLeafmapPreact
PlatformsLinux, Windows, macOSWeb
CategoryLibrariesWeb Development

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Open source, no licence fee), 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 Leafmap

  • Multiple mapping backends
  • Notebook interactivity
  • Raster and COG support
  • STAC catalogue access
  • Earth Engine integration
  • Basemap library
  • Vector data handling
  • Split map comparison

Only in Preact

  • 3kB runtime
  • preact/compat
  • Same modern API
  • Fast rendering

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Leafmap

  • A remote sensing course where students need interactive maps without learning JavaScript or a desktop GISnot Preact
  • A researcher exploring STAC-hosted satellite imagery inside a notebook before committing to a processing pipelinenot Preact
  • An analyst producing a shareable interactive map from a GeoDataFrame in a handful of linesnot Preact
  • A team prototyping a geospatial visualisation before deciding whether to build it properly in a web frameworknot Preact

Preact

  • Embedded widgets that load inside someone else’s page and must stay smallnot Leafmap
  • Marketing and content sites where JavaScript payload affects Core Web Vitalsnot Leafmap
  • Applications targeting low-bandwidth or low-powered devicesnot Leafmap

Where each one falls short

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

Leafmap

  • It is a Python library rather than an application, so there is nothing to buy, nothing to install for a non-technical colleague and no interface outside a notebook environment.
  • Maintenance rests largely on one academic maintainer with grant funding, which makes long-term continuity a real consideration for anything beyond research use.
  • The API has moved quickly across releases, so notebooks written against an older version can break on upgrade, which undermines reproducibility in exactly the research settings where it is popular.
  • It abstracts over several third-party backends, so a bug or a rendering limitation is often in ipyleaflet, folium or MapLibre rather than in Leafmap, and diagnosing it means understanding the layer underneath anyway.
  • Large datasets rendered through notebook widgets become slow or unresponsive, so it does not scale to the data volumes a dedicated tiling service or desktop GIS handles comfortably.

Preact

  • Compatibility through preact/compat is good but not total, and some React libraries break in ways that are hard to diagnose
  • Behavioural differences from React exist in edge cases, particularly around event handling
  • A much smaller community, so unusual problems have fewer existing answers than React

Pricing, plan by plan

Leafmap

Free
  • LeafmapFree
    • MIT licence
    • Installed from PyPI or conda-forge
    • No usage limits

Preact

Free
  • PreactFree
    • Full library
    • Commercial use permitted
    • No usage limits

Which should you pick?

Choose Leafmap if

  • You need multiple mapping backends.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, macOS.
  • You also want notebook interactivity.
Leafmap review

Choose Preact if

  • You need 3kb runtime.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want preact/compat.
Preact review

Questions people ask

Is Leafmap or Preact better?
Neither clearly leads. Leafmap starts at Free and Preact at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Leafmap or Preact?
Leafmap starts at Free and Preact at Free.
Does Leafmap or Preact run on more platforms?
Leafmap runs on Linux, Windows, macOS. Preact runs on Web.
Can I use Leafmap for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Leafmap best used for?
Leafmap is most often used for a remote sensing course where students need interactive maps without learning javascript or a desktop gis, a researcher exploring stac-hosted satellite imagery inside a notebook before committing to a processing pipeline, an analyst producing a shareable interactive map from a geodataframe in a handful of lines, a team prototyping a geospatial visualisation before deciding whether to build it properly in a web framework. Of those, a remote sensing course where students need interactive maps without learning javascript or a desktop gis and a researcher exploring stac-hosted satellite imagery inside a notebook before committing to a processing pipeline are not what Preact is typically brought in for.
What can Leafmap do that Preact cannot?
Leafmap covers Multiple mapping backends, Notebook interactivity, Raster and COG support, STAC catalogue access. Preact covers 3kB runtime, preact/compat, Same modern API, Fast rendering.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Leafmap: Is Leafmap a product?

No. It is an MIT-licensed Python package installed from PyPI or conda-forge. There is nothing to purchase.

Preact: Is Preact free?

Yes, open source under the MIT licence.

Leafmap: Who maintains it?

Primarily Qiusheng Wu at the University of Tennessee, with community contributors, funded through research grants rather than sales.

Preact: Can I use React libraries with Preact?

Most, through the preact/compat layer. Compatibility is good but not complete, so libraries relying on React internals can break.

Leafmap: Can I buy support?

No commercial support offering exists. Help comes from GitHub issues and the community.

Preact: Why choose Preact over React?

Bundle size, almost always. If payload is not a binding constraint, React’s ecosystem is usually the better trade.

Leafmap: Is it suitable for a production web application?

It is not designed for that. Use it for analysis and prototyping, then build production maps on MapLibre, deck.gl or a hosted service.

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