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Maps · head to head

Lonboard vs Stadia Maps

Lonboard logo

Lonboard

Maps

Python map rendering in Jupyter that skips GeoJSON and moves millions of features without choking

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
S

Stadia Maps

Maps

High-performance map tiles, routing, geocoding, and search APIs for developers with reliable

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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; Stadia Maps limited customization features compared to Mapbox
  • They diverge on capability: Lonboard covers GeoArrow binary transfer, Stadia Maps covers Core Functionality.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Lonboard and Stadia Maps actually diverge.

Attributes where Lonboard and Stadia Maps differ
AttributeLonboardStadia Maps
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feeUnknown
PlatformsLinux, macOS, WindowsWeb, JavaScript
FoundedUnknown2016

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 Lonboard

  • GeoArrow binary transfer
  • GeoPandas input
  • deck.gl layers
  • Jupyter widget
  • Large dataset handling
  • Styling by attribute
  • Open source licence

Only in Stadia Maps

  • Core Functionality
  • User Interface

What people use each for

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

Lonboard

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

Stadia Maps

No use cases recorded yet. See the Stadia Maps review.

Where each one falls short

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

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

Stadia Maps

  • Limited customization features compared to Mapbox
  • Relies entirely on OpenStreetMap data, inheriting its accuracy and coverage limitations
  • Smaller service with fewer community resources and support options compared to Google Maps or Mapbox
  • Limited real-time traffic data compared to larger mapping providers like Google Maps

Pricing, plan by plan

Lonboard

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

Stadia Maps

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Stadia Maps review.

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Stadia Maps if

  • You need core functionality.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, JavaScript.
  • You also want user interface.
Stadia Maps review

Questions people ask

Is Lonboard or Stadia Maps better?
Neither clearly leads. Lonboard starts at Free and Stadia Maps at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Lonboard or Stadia Maps?
Lonboard starts at Free and Stadia Maps at Free.
Does Lonboard or Stadia Maps run on more platforms?
Lonboard runs on Linux, macOS, Windows. Stadia Maps runs on Web, JavaScript.
Can I use Lonboard for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Lonboard best used for?
Lonboard is most often used for an analyst exploring a national road or parcel dataset in a notebook where pydeck or ipyleaflet becomes unusable at that size, a researcher publishing a reproducible analysis where the visualisation must run from the same script as the processing, a data scientist joining spatial data to model outputs in pandas and needing to see the result immediately without exporting to a gis, a team building an internal analysis pipeline on geoparquet that wants rendering without a serialisation step in the middle. Of those, an analyst exploring a national road or parcel dataset in a notebook where pydeck or ipyleaflet becomes unusable at that size and a researcher publishing a reproducible analysis where the visualisation must run from the same script as the processing are not what Stadia Maps is typically brought in for.
What can Lonboard do that Stadia Maps cannot?
Lonboard covers GeoArrow binary transfer, GeoPandas input, deck.gl layers, Jupyter widget. Stadia Maps covers Core Functionality, User Interface.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Stadia Maps: What is Stadia Maps' pricing model?

Stadia Maps uses a credits-based pricing model with fixed credit pools to prevent billing shock. Starter, Standard, and Professional plans are available, with a 14-day free trial for new accounts.

Source
Lonboard: Who maintains it?

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

Stadia Maps: Does Stadia Maps have a free tier?

Yes, Stadia Maps offers a free tier for development, evaluation, and non-commercial use including academic applications.

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.

Stadia Maps: What data does Stadia Maps use?

Stadia Maps builds on OpenStreetMap data, so the coverage and accuracy depend on OSM's crowdsourced contributors.

Source
Lonboard: Is it free for commercial use?

Yes, it is open source with no licence fee.

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