Mine View Tool vs The Explorer's Friend

Mine View Tool is a free web viewer for navigating Minecraft worlds in 2D and 3D. Users can upload a .mcworld file, a .zip Java world, or files from a Bedrock world’s db folder, then inspect the surface, caves, or underwater landscape. Resource selection can highlight locations such as Diamond Ore or Ancient Debris. Navigation supports rotation, panning, zooming, arrow-key movement, and clicking the map to jump to a location. If the uploaded files contain them, the viewer can display the Nether and the End. Uploads are limited to 200 MB. The home page says uploaded files are stored for no more than 24 hours; the privacy policy describes storage on a server reached through a unique random ID, periodic deletion, and no transfer to third parties. The provider says it uses commercially acceptable protection measures but cannot guarantee absolute security. Google Analytics data, including IP addresses, is transmitted to Google in the United States. Mine View Tool is based in Bucharest, Romania. Terms prohibit automated-script use and state that users must be over 18.

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.