BlueMap vs Worldlens

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.

Worldlens is a TypeScript port of BlueMap for rendering Minecraft worlds into 3D maps and browsing them. The project describes a Windows desktop app, two container images, and a separate Wharf desktop app for deploying a container locally or over SSH. The desktop app can render local worlds offline using BlueMap’s Java renderer, which requires Java, or connect to remote BlueMap servers through a token-gated proxy. A standalone CLI renders and serves the map web app, with a watch mode for map updates. Rendering can also run on another machine over SSH, in Docker, or through GitHub Actions. Documented integrations include Docker, SSH, GitHub Actions, GitHub Pages, remote BlueMap servers, and Home Assistant boolean entities for scheduled settings. The stated target world versions range from Minecraft 1.12.2 through 26.x. The repository is MIT licensed. Its public 1.0 compatibility contract is Windows-only, and Windows releases are unsigned and may prompt a SmartScreen unknown-publisher warning. An add-on system, static export, and multi-server dashboard are listed as future work.