Maps & Navigation · head to head
OpenLayers vs CesiumJS
OpenLayers
Maps & Navigation
High-performance, feature-packed JavaScript library for creating interactive maps on the web with
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
CesiumJS
Maps & Navigation
Open-source JavaScript library for creating 3D globes and 2D maps with support
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only CesiumJS has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: OpenLayers free and open source under the 2-clause BSD License, with no commercial tier; CesiumJS the free Community tier does not permit commercial use
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which OpenLayers and CesiumJS actually diverge.
| Attribute | OpenLayers | CesiumJS |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | freemium | open-source |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Maps & Navigation).
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 OpenLayers
Nothing recorded that CesiumJS does not also cover.
Only in CesiumJS
Nothing recorded that OpenLayers does not also cover.
Both cover
- Core Functionality
- User Interface
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
OpenLayers
No use cases recorded yet. See the OpenLayers review.
CesiumJS
- Streaming 3D terrain, imagery and building data into web applicationsnot OpenLayers
- Tiling and hosting large geospatial and reality capture datasetsnot OpenLayers
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
OpenLayers
- Free and open source under the 2-clause BSD License, with no commercial tier
CesiumJS
- The free Community tier does not permit commercial use
- The cheapest commercial plan is $149 a month for an individual and $524 for a team
- Team accounts are capped at 5 members on both the Commercial and Premium plans
- Three separate quotas apply at once, being storage, monthly streaming and monthly reality modelling gigapixels, and exceeding any one of them constrains the account
- Streaming is capped at 15 GB a month on the free tier
Pricing, plan by plan
OpenLayers
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the OpenLayers review.
CesiumJS
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the CesiumJS review.
Which should you pick?
Choose OpenLayers if
Nothing in the data separates OpenLayers from CesiumJS on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is OpenLayers or CesiumJS better?
- Neither clearly leads. OpenLayers starts at On request and CesiumJS at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, OpenLayers or CesiumJS?
- CesiumJS has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for OpenLayers and Free for CesiumJS.
- Does OpenLayers or CesiumJS run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use CesiumJS for free?
- Yes. CesiumJS has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. OpenLayers starts at On request.