MapTools
Google Open Buildings
vs
Natural Earth

Google Open Buildings: Open building footprints detected from satellite imagery. Natural Earth: Public domain map data at small scales.

Google Open BuildingsNatural Earth
CategoryOpen Geodata SourcesOpen Geodata Sources
Pricing modelFreeFree
Starts atFreeFree
Free tier——
Open sourceNoNo
Software licence——
API——
PlatformsData downloadData download
Made byGoogle Research—
Commercial useAllowedAllowed
Export / print imagesAllowedAllowed
Offline / cachingCheck termsAllowed
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Google Open Buildings features

  • Building footprints with confidence
  • Large regional coverage
  • Earth Engine and download

CC BY-4.0 and ODbL dual licence.

Google Open Buildings alternatives

Natural Earth features

  • Admin boundaries
  • Physical features
  • Three scales
  • Public domain

Public domain. No permission needed; credit appreciated.

Natural Earth alternatives

Summary based on public information. Check each provider's current pricing and terms.