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Maps · head to head

MapTiler vs Potree

MapTiler logo

MapTiler

Maps

Map hosting, styling, and APIs for developers with beautiful pre-built map styles

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: MapTiler the free tier is restricted to testing, personal or non commercial use and forces a MapTiler logo on the map; 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: MapTiler 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 MapTiler and Potree actually diverge.

Attributes where MapTiler and Potree differ
AttributeMapTilerPotree
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen 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 MapTiler

  • 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.

MapTiler

  • Web and mobile mapping applicationsnot Potree
  • Vector tile and raster map hostingnot 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 MapTiler
  • A heritage or archaeology project publishing a scanned site for public access without paying per-gigabyte hosting to a commercial platformnot MapTiler
  • An engineering consultancy embedding a point cloud viewer inside its own client portal without licensing a commercial web viewernot MapTiler
  • A university or research group that needs measurement and profiling in a shareable viewer for a dataset too large to emailnot MapTiler

Where each one falls short

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

MapTiler

  • The free tier is restricted to testing, personal or non commercial use and forces a MapTiler logo on the map
  • Free is capped at 5,000 map sessions, 1,000 search sessions and 100,000 API requests a month
  • Free storage is 5 GB but limited to a single file
  • The Flex plan at $30 a month bills overage at $2.50 per 1,000 sessions and $0.15 per 1,000 API requests
  • Soft usage limits that prevent surprise overage bills are a Custom plan feature, so cheaper plans can run up charges
  • A 99.9% SLA requires the prepaid Custom contract

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

MapTiler

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 5 GB storage
    • 1 file maximum
    • 5,000 monthly sessions
  • Flex$30/monthly
    • 10 GB storage
    • 25,000 monthly sessions
    • 500,000 monthly API requests
  • Custom$null/prepaid
    • Custom storage and monthly sessions
    • Custom API request limits
    • 99.9 percent SLA

Potree

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

Which should you pick?

Choose MapTiler if

  • You need core functionality.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want user interface.
MapTiler 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 MapTiler or Potree better?
Neither clearly leads. MapTiler 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, MapTiler or Potree?
MapTiler starts at Free and Potree at Free.
Does MapTiler or Potree run on more platforms?
MapTiler runs on Web. Potree runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux.
Can I use MapTiler for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is MapTiler best used for?
MapTiler is most often used for web and mobile mapping applications, vector tile and raster map hosting. Of those, web and mobile mapping applications and vector tile and raster map hosting are not what Potree is typically brought in for.
What can MapTiler do that Potree cannot?
MapTiler covers Core Functionality, User Interface. Potree covers Octree streaming, Large dataset rendering, Measurement tools, Clipping and profiles.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

MapTiler: What happens if I exceed my session or API request limits on the Flex plan?

On the Flex plan, overage charges apply when you exceed limits. Sessions cost $2.50 per 1,000 over the monthly limit of 25,000. API requests cost $0.15 per 1,000 over the 500,000 monthly limit. Additional storage of 100 GB costs $20 per month.

Source
Potree: Does Potree cost anything?

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

MapTiler: Can I use the Free plan for commercial projects?

No, the Free plan is restricted to testing, personal, or non-commercial use only. Commercial use is only permitted on the Flex plan ($30/month) or Custom plans with prepaid volume contracts.

Source
Potree: Is there commercial support?

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

MapTiler: What is the difference between Flex and Custom plans?

The Flex plan costs $30 per month with preset limits and pay-as-you-go overages. Custom plans are negotiated per customer for high-traffic use cases and include 99.9 percent SLA, team account support, and prepaid volume contracts. All prices are in USD excluding VAT.

Source
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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