mcmap vs Pl3xMap

mcmap creates isometric pixel-art maps from Minecraft save files. It reads saves from the standard folders on Linux, macOS and Windows, and produces a PNG image by default; an option divides maps into square image tiles. Rendering settings include circular or coordinate-bounded areas, dimension selection, shading, lighting, water and beacon toggles, and map direction. A JSON color file lets users customize block colors and rendering types. The renderer uses all computer threads and processes terrain in batches. Rendering a whole map at once may require 10+ GB of RAM, and a fragment-size option can manage batch size. Use is through a terminal or PowerShell, with an experimental GUI available for Windows. The v3.0.0 release specifies Minecraft 1.13+ support. The project is distributed under GPL-3.0, with precompiled binaries and source code available for free. Building it uses CMake and depends on zlib, PNG, fmt and spdlog. The project notes that merged batches can produce visible lines in oceans; changing fragment size or water rendering settings may help.

Pl3xMap is a free, MIT-licensed world map viewer for Minecraft servers, using the game's vanilla rendering style. It presents a top-down 2D map designed for navigation, with live updates, dimension maps, and markers or waypoints. Player markers can show yaw rotation, health and armor. Built-in render types include basic, night, biomes, inhabited and flowermap, and the browser interface uses Leaflet. The project lists CraftBukkit, Spigot, Paper, Purpur and Fabric as supported server platforms; Fabric requires Fabric API. Additional compatibility listings include Bukkit, Folia, Forge and Quilt. Pl3xMap installs as a jar in the server's plugins or mods directory and includes an internal web server that defaults to port 8080. Some server hosts restrict ports, so setup may depend on what the host permits. Integrations can hide vanished players, show world borders, or display public homes and warps. Addons can show claim areas, banners, signs, loaded mobs and player death spots, though addon support is not guaranteed. Developers can import the Pl3xMap API through Gradle or Maven; the project directs users to Discord for help.