BlueMap vs The Explorer's Friend

BlueMap reads Minecraft Java Edition world files and turns them into 3D surface maps that people can view in a browser. It can run as a Spigot/Paper or Sponge plugin, a Fabric or Forge mod, or a standalone command-line tool without a Minecraft server. The CLI documentation also covers Docker use. Plugin and mod installations render asynchronously relative to the Minecraft server thread, and the render-thread count is configurable. After the first conversion, BlueMap tracks world changes and processes only changed chunks. Maps can be stored in files or an SQL server. Configuration files can add or remove maps, with settings for display names and web app ordering. An API lets third-party plugins, mods, resource packs, and external tools integrate features. BlueMap is free: the listed plan is free. Server plugin and mod use requires Java 25 or later; the standalone CLI documentation lists Java 21 or later. BlueMap does not support Bedrock worlds. Its integrated webserver has no SSL or built-in authentication; the FAQ suggests using an external webserver for those functions.

The Explorer's Friend renders a live topographic map of a Minecraft world and serves it from an embedded web server. It runs on a server using Fabric, Quilt, NeoForge, Spigot or Paper, with different builds depending on the platform and Minecraft version. Explored chunks appear as players move through the world; full renders read region files on worker threads without loading chunks. Players can open the map in a browser using vanilla Minecraft clients, without installing a client mod. Separate layers show claims, player positions, markers and Waystones. Claim data can connect to several protection systems or be imported from JSON. Server administrators can disable or round player positions; invisible players and spectators are hidden by default. The server binds to 127.0.0.1 by default and has no built-in account system, so the project recommends a reverse proxy for public maps. Its optional outbound connection downloads the official vanilla client JAR once and verifies it by SHA-1. The MIT-licensed project is free, with live updates, dimension maps and read-only HTTP endpoints.