# Leaflet vs MapLibre GL JS

## Key differences

- Leaflet has 3.9× as many GitHub stars as MapLibre GL JS (45.7K vs 11.8K).
- MapLibre GL JS had more development activity over the last 12 months: 1,416 commits vs 184.
- Leaflet is downloaded 1.4× as often on npm (9.3M vs 6.8M per week).
- Leaflet is licensed under BSD-2-Clause; MapLibre GL JS under BSD-3-Clause.
- Leaflet is written primarily in JavaScript, MapLibre GL JS in TypeScript.
- Leaflet is the older project: its repository was created in 2010, MapLibre GL JS's in 2020.

| | Leaflet | MapLibre GL JS |
|---|---|---|
| Description | JavaScript library for mobile-friendly interactive maps. | WebGL-based interactive vector tile maps in the browser; community fork of Mapbox GL JS. |
| GitHub stars | 45,702 | 11,801 |
| Commits (12 months) | 184 | 1,416 |
| Contributors | 382 | 385 |
| License | BSD-2-Clause | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Status | Active | Active |
| Install | `npm install leaflet` | `npm install maplibre-gl` |

Source: https://awesomedataviz.com/compare/leaflet-vs-maplibre-gl-js/ · Data updated 2026-10-04 · Content: CC BY 4.0, Awesome Dataviz (https://awesomedataviz.com).