---
id: presentation/cesiumjs
about:
  label: CesiumJS
  description: >-
    Open-source JavaScript library from Cesium for 3D globes and maps in the
    browser; streams 3D Tiles, terrain, imagery and time-dynamic data on a WGS84
    globe.
  tags:
    - 3d globe
    - web
    - javascript
    - 3d tiles
    - open source
    - visualization
tool:
  form: open-source JavaScript library
  group: 3D cities and mapping
  homepage: 'https://cesium.com/platform/cesiumjs/'
  licence: Apache-2.0
  cost: free
domains:
  - places
open:
  source: open
  data: unknown
  api: 'yes'
  participation: open
  licence: Apache-2.0
provenance:
  origin: agent
  sources:
    - title: CesiumJS – Cesium
      url: 'https://cesium.com/platform/cesiumjs/'
    - title: GitHub - CesiumGS/cesium
      url: 'https://github.com/CesiumGS/cesium'
  created: '2026-10-19'
  reviewed: '2026-10-19'
  reviewed_by: 'Claude, from the sources listed'
  status: draft
---
CesiumJS is Cesium's open-source JavaScript library for 3D globes and maps on the web. It draws on a WGS84 globe and streams in 3D Tiles, the open specification for buildings, photogrammetry and point clouds, as well as glTF models, imagery and terrain layers, and vector data in KML, GeoJSON and CZML. It has first-class support for time-dynamic visualisation, live telemetry and 4D views, and can show the same scene in 3D, 2D and a 2.5D Columbus view.

It installs from npm and is released under the Apache 2.0 licence, free for commercial and non-commercial use; the company says it has been open source since 2012. Tiles can be streamed from Cesium ion, the company's hosted service, or from any other source. The repository on GitHub takes contributions.

Many of the published city twins on this site are viewed through CesiumJS or through a viewer built on it, which makes it the usual first choice when a twin needs a 3D view in a browser.