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Maps · head to head

OSRM vs Potree

O

OSRM

Maps

High-performance open-source routing engine designed for OpenStreetMap data, providing fast route calculations

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: OSRM free and open source routing engine under the 2-clause BSD license, no commercial tier; 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: OSRM 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 OSRM and Potree actually diverge.

Attributes where OSRM and Potree differ
AttributeOSRMPotree
Pricing modelopen-sourceOpen 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 OSRM

  • 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.

OSRM

  • Calculating efficient delivery routes across continental-sized road networks in millisecondsnot Potree
  • Building navigation features for mobile apps without constructing routing infrastructurenot Potree
  • Customizing route optimization for car, bicycle, and pedestrian transportation modesnot Potree
  • Integrating OpenStreetMap data for real-time routing in web applicationsnot 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 OSRM
  • A heritage or archaeology project publishing a scanned site for public access without paying per-gigabyte hosting to a commercial platformnot OSRM
  • An engineering consultancy embedding a point cloud viewer inside its own client portal without licensing a commercial web viewernot OSRM
  • A university or research group that needs measurement and profiling in a shareable viewer for a dataset too large to emailnot OSRM

Where each one falls short

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

OSRM

  • Free and open source routing engine under the 2-clause BSD license, no commercial tier

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

OSRM

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the OSRM 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 OSRM if

  • You need core functionality.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want user interface.
OSRM 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 OSRM or Potree better?
Neither clearly leads. OSRM 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, OSRM or Potree?
OSRM starts at Free and Potree at Free.
Does OSRM or Potree run on more platforms?
OSRM runs on Web. Potree runs on Web, Windows, macOS, Linux.
Can I use OSRM for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is OSRM best used for?
OSRM is most often used for calculating efficient delivery routes across continental-sized road networks in milliseconds, building navigation features for mobile apps without constructing routing infrastructure, customizing route optimization for car, bicycle, and pedestrian transportation modes, integrating openstreetmap data for real-time routing in web applications. Of those, calculating efficient delivery routes across continental-sized road networks in milliseconds and building navigation features for mobile apps without constructing routing infrastructure are not what Potree is typically brought in for.
What can OSRM do that Potree cannot?
OSRM covers Core Functionality, User Interface. Potree covers Octree streaming, Large dataset rendering, Measurement tools, Clipping and profiles.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

OSRM: How much does Project OSRM cost?

Project OSRM is completely free and open source, distributed under the permissive 2-clause BSD license with no licensing costs or fees.

Source
Potree: Does Potree cost anything?

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

Potree: Is there commercial support?

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

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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