AwesomeDataviz

Cesium

WebGL 3D globes and maps.

Website GitHubnpm
GitHub stars
15.8K#35 in the directory
npm downloads / week
570.1K
Commits, last 12 months
3,159
Contributors
311
Last commit
Latest release
1.146Oct 1, 2026

Overview

Cesium is an open-source JavaScript mapping library released under the Apache-2.0 license. Its GitHub repository has 15,798 stars, 3,882 forks, and 311 contributors. It is actively developed with 3,159 commits in the last 12 months. The latest release, 1.146, was published on Oct 1, 2026. On npm it is downloaded about 570.1K times per week.

Its GitHub description: An open-source JavaScript library for world-class 3D globes and maps

GitHub topics: 3dgeospatialgis3d-tilescesium3d-globegltfczmlwebgl

Install

npm
npm install cesium
v1.146.0

Development activity

Commits per month to the default branch over the last 12 complete months.

0200400600 Oct 2025 Nov Dec Jan 2026 Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep
0200400600 Oct 2025 Jan 2026 Apr Jul
3,159 commits from Oct 2025 to Sep 2026.
Show data as a table
MonthCommits
Oct 2025271
Nov 202599
Dec 202585
Jan 2026191
Feb 2026392
Mar 2026527
Apr 2026369
May 2026274
Jun 2026236
Jul 2026189
Aug 2026349
Sep 2026177

Popularity among JavaScript map & geospatial visualization libraries

Leaflet 45.7K Cesium 15.8K Deck.gl 14.6K OpenLayers 12.6K MapLibre GL JS 11.8K react-map-gl 8.5K Potree 5.6K
Leaflet 45.7K Cesium 15.8K Deck.gl 14.6K OpenLayers 12.6K MapLibre GL JS 11.8K react-map-gl 8.5K Potree 5.6K
GitHub stars for Cesium and the most-starred alternatives.
Show data as a table
ToolStars
Leaflet45,702
Cesium15,798
Deck.gl14,623
OpenLayers12,602
MapLibre GL JS11,801
react-map-gl8,503
Potree5,628

Alternatives to Cesium

  • Leaflet

    JavaScript library for mobile-friendly interactive maps.

    45.7K starsJavaScriptBSD-2-ClauseCesium vs Leaflet

  • Deck.gl

    WebGL framework for visual exploratory data analysis of large datasets.

    14.6K starsTypeScriptMITCesium vs Deck.gl

  • OpenLayers

    Library for interactive web maps with support for many data sources, formats and projections.

    12.6K starsJavaScriptBSD-2-ClauseCesium vs OpenLayers

  • MapLibre GL JS

    WebGL-based interactive vector tile maps in the browser; community fork of Mapbox GL JS.

    11.8K starsTypeScriptBSD-3-ClauseCesium vs MapLibre GL JS

  • react-map-gl

    React components for MapLibre GL JS and Mapbox GL JS, maintained by vis.gl.

    8.5K starsTypeScriptMIT

  • Potree

    WebGL point cloud viewer for large datasets such as LiDAR scans.

    5.6K starsJavaScriptOther

More comparisons: Cesium vs Leaflet · Cesium vs Deck.gl · Cesium vs OpenLayers · Cesium vs MapLibre GL JS

Cesium FAQ

Is Cesium open source?

Yes. Cesium is released under the Apache-2.0 license, and its source code is on GitHub.

Is Cesium still maintained?

Yes. Cesium is actively developed, with 3,159 commits in the last 12 months and the latest commit 2 days ago.

How do I install Cesium?

From npm: npm install cesium.

What are the best alternatives to Cesium?

The most popular alternatives listed in JavaScript map & geospatial visualization libraries are Leaflet, Deck.gl, and OpenLayers. See the full ranking.

What language is Cesium written in?

Cesium is primarily written in JavaScript, according to GitHub.

Data: GitHub API, npm. Updated Oct 4, 2026.