TileCat and MapTiler Cloud both build on OpenStreetMap data and serve MapLibre-compatible vector tiles. The difference is mostly in how usage gets counted and billed.
| TileCat | MapTiler Cloud | |
|---|---|---|
| Free quota | 50,000 loads / month | 5,000 map sessions / month |
| Logo/attribution required (free) | Yes | Yes |
| First paid plan | €25/month → 1M loads | $30/month → 25,000 sessions |
| Billing unit | One: map load | Several: map, search, 3D sessions, API requests |
| Past the paid plan | Custom quote (Enterprise) | $2.50/1,000 sessions, then Custom quote |
| Map design customization | Customizable colors (Growth plan) | 5 custom styles (free) up to 20+ (Flex) |
MapTiler splits billing into several distinct units — map sessions, search sessions, 3D sessions, API requests, data uploads — each with its own quota and overage rate. That makes sense for a platform that also does search, 3D and geodata hosting, but it means several lines to watch on your bill. TileCat has exactly one meter: the map load.
On the entry paid plan, the volume gap is stark too: 25€/month buys 1M loads on TileCat, versus 25,000 sessions for $30/month on MapTiler (Flex) — with overage billed at $2.50/1,000 sessions beyond that.
On design, MapTiler goes further on the number of custom styles included per plan. TileCat stays simpler: colors are customized directly from the dashboard and apply immediately to maps served by the API on the Growth plan, with no need to juggle several styles at once.
Both free plans require visible attribution (MapTiler's or TileCat's logo, depending on which you use) — that's not an edge for either side, just the industry norm for a free tier. Both build on OSM and serve MapLibre GL JS-compatible vector tiles.
MapTiler goes further than TileCat in several areas: advanced 3D terrain rendering and export, MapTiler Engine for generating your own raster tiles from your own data, a built-in search/geocoding API on the same platform, and packaged self-hosted deployment options for enterprise. If you need those extra pieces under one subscription, MapTiler bundles more. TileCat stays focused on one problem: simple basemaps, at a price that doesn't complicate the decision.