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Apache Baremaps vs OpenMetadata

A side-by-side editorial comparison of Apache Baremaps and OpenMetadata — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

Apache Baremaps vs OpenMetadata: at a glance

FeatureApache BaremapsOpenMetadata
SectorAnalyticsAnalytics
Velocity score0.05.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesgeospatial, vector-tiles, openstreetmap, apache-incubatordata-catalog, lineage, connectors, data-quality
Last editorial update3mo ago4h ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is Apache Baremaps?

Baremaps got geoparquet and hillshading, then went quiet for eighteen months in incubation

Apache Baremaps is a pipeline for building vector map tiles from OpenStreetMap and raster sources, still carrying the incubating designation across every release in this window. The work splits between format support and the tile-serving path: geoparquet reading arrived in 0.8.1 along with vector contours and hillshades generated from raster tiles, while 0.8.2 fixed a Postgres tile store performance issue and added a materialized-views refresher. Release notes open with the same appeal for new contributors every time, which is itself a signal about the size of the community.

Read the full Apache Baremaps trajectory →

What is OpenMetadata?

OpenMetadata 2.0.8 widens Hex, Sigma and BigQuery coverage while 2.1 waits in release candidates.

OpenMetadata is still in 2.0.x maintenance mode, shipping a release every one to two weeks. 2.0.8 on November 13 is the broadest yet: Hex and Sigma ingestion now build data models and column lineage, BigQuery date-sharded tables can be grouped into one logical table, Power BI and Snowflake ingestion stop leaving stale or runaway jobs, and MCP authentication and access controls were tightened. The 2.1.0 line sits at rc2, whose only published change is a tag-resolution fix.

Read the full OpenMetadata trajectory →

Apache Baremaps vs OpenMetadata: editorial side-by-side

A0.0

Baremaps got geoparquet and hillshading, then went quiet for eighteen months in incubation

◆ Current state

Apache Baremaps is a pipeline for building vector map tiles from OpenStreetMap and raster sources, still carrying the incubating designation across every release in this window. The work splits between format support and the tile-serving path: geoparquet reading arrived in 0.8.1 along with vector contours and hillshades generated from raster tiles, while 0.8.2 fixed a Postgres tile store performance issue and added a materialized-views refresher. Release notes open with the same appeal for new contributors every time, which is itself a signal about the size of the community.

◆ Where it's heading

Two threads are visible. One is broadening what Baremaps can read and produce — geoparquet in, terrain-derived vector layers out — which pushes it past OSM-to-tiles toward a general geospatial pipeline. The other is making the Postgres-backed tile store hold up under load, with version-dependent query generation and materialized view refreshing suggesting real deployments hit its limits. Cadence has been slowing throughout: roughly nine months between 0.7.1 and 0.7.2, eleven to 0.8.1, then two months to 0.8.2, and nothing published since February 2025.

◆ Prediction

The entries offer no roadmap statement, and eighteen months without a release makes the incubation status the open question rather than the feature set; nothing here indicates whether graduation or dormancy is the more likely next step.

O
OpenMetadata
ANALYTICS
5.0

OpenMetadata 2.0.8 widens Hex, Sigma and BigQuery coverage while 2.1 waits in release candidates.

◆ Current state

OpenMetadata is still in 2.0.x maintenance mode, shipping a release every one to two weeks. 2.0.8 on November 13 is the broadest yet: Hex and Sigma ingestion now build data models and column lineage, BigQuery date-sharded tables can be grouped into one logical table, Power BI and Snowflake ingestion stop leaving stale or runaway jobs, and MCP authentication and access controls were tightened. The 2.1.0 line sits at rc2, whose only published change is a tag-resolution fix.

◆ Where it's heading

Each 2.0.x release repairs connectors and lineage that 2.0 left incomplete, and the fixes increasingly touch accuracy (correct table identity, lineage that ends at the right model) rather than crashes. MCP keeps appearing in the security sections, which suggests OpenMetadata expects AI tools to read the catalog and is locking that path down before 2.1.

◆ Prediction

A 2.1.0 final is the next visible step, since two release candidates are out; the entries do not yet say what features 2.1 adds beyond the fixes backported to 2.0.x.

Alternatives to Apache Baremaps and OpenMetadata

Other Analytics products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either Apache Baremaps or OpenMetadata.

See all Apache Baremaps alternatives → · See all OpenMetadata alternatives →

Recent activity from Apache Baremaps and OpenMetadata

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 22h agoOpenMetadata2.0.8: Hex and Sigma lineage, BigQuery shard grouping, MCP auth
  2. 1d agoOpenMetadata2.1.0 rc2: fix for tags removed when resolving tag tasks
  3. 14d agoOpenMetadata2.1.0 rc1 appears, with notes covering only a UI fix
  4. 17d agoOpenMetadata2.0.7: Pub/Sub, SQL Server and Unity Catalog connector fixes
  5. 23d agoOpenMetadata2.0.6: ingestion accuracy, safer upgrades, multi-pod fixes
  6. 1mo agoOpenMetadata2.0.5 restores metadata lost to 2.0 ingestion regressions
  7. 1y agoApache BaremapsBaremaps 0.8.2 fixes Postgres tile store performance
  8. 1y agoApache BaremapsBaremaps 0.8.1 adds geoparquet, contours and hillshades
  9. 2y agoApache BaremapsBaremaps 0.7.2 is release packaging and dependency upkeep
  10. 3y agoApache BaremapsBaremaps ships its first release under the Apache Foundation

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Apache Baremaps and OpenMetadata?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. OpenMetadata is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 0.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.

Is Apache Baremaps better than OpenMetadata?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. OpenMetadata is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 0.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Analytics products to evaluate alongside.

What are the best alternatives to Apache Baremaps?

Top Apache Baremaps alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Apache Baremaps alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/baremaps for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to OpenMetadata?

Top OpenMetadata alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "OpenMetadata alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/openmetadata for the full list with editorial commentary on each.