Maplibre-Geoman vs Mapbox-GL-Draw
A 2025 comparison between the modern, actively-maintained Maplibre-Geoman and the legacy Mapbox-GL-Draw libraries.
Overview of the projects
Maplibre-Geoman is brought to you by the same team who developed Leaflet-Geoman, the leading drawing and editing tool for Leaflet. Maplibre-Geoman brings CAD-like, high-precision geospatial tools to Maplibre. It is designed for applications where the map is the product and there are high performance and precision requirements. Maplibre-Geomam comes with an open source license and a more feature-rich commercial license.
Mapbox-gl-draw is a legacy plug-in for the Mapbox ecosystem that also works with Maplibre. It is community maintained and offers basic plus some advanced drawing functionality. For simple drawing and editing requirements, it does the job, but for production applications in 2025, Maplibre-Geoman is the better choice.
Feature Comparison
| Category | Maplibre-Geoman | Mapbox-gl-draw |
|---|---|---|
| Active development | Yes, Maplibre-Geoman is actively maintained by a commercial organization | Yes, community-maintained |
| Advanced editing tools | Yes, e.g scaling, measurement, spatial analysis | Some advanced editing (e.g. merging, custom modes) |
| UI controls | Flexible and customizable UI controls | Basic control available, limited customization |
| Best for projects | Best for commercial projects | Best for hobby projects |
| Professional Support | Email & priority support available | Community only |
| Licensing | Opensource plus feature-rich paid license | Opensource |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Maplibre-Geoman and mapbox-gl-draw? ▼
Maplibre-Geoman is a feature-rich, actively-maintained drawing and editing geospatial plugin for Maplibre with advanced tools aimed at commercial projects. Mapbox-gl-draw is community maintained drawing plugin that is great for hobby projects.
Which Maplibre drawing library supports advanced editing tools while drawing and editing? ▼
Maplibre-Geoman supports advanced editing tools such as measuring, autotracing and spatial analysis. Mapbox-gl-draw offers mostly basic drawing functionality with limited advanced features.
Which Maplibre plugin is ready for apps in production in 2025? ▼
For applications that require precision, advanced editing, and great user experinces, Maplibre-Geoman is the right choice. Mapbox-gl-draw is great for hobby projects, but offers no professional support.
Is Maplibre-Geoman actively maintained? ▼
Yes, in 2025 Maplibre-Geoman is actively maintained by a commercial team with new features, bug fixes, and a Pro version with addtional advanced features. Mapbox-gl-draw is a community-maintained opensource project.