Minecraft and Google Maps: What Actually Works in 2026
“Minecraft Google Maps” covers four different wishes. This guide sorts them out, says which ones are possible, and names the tool for each, with the real limits, costs and Minecraft versions.
Quick Answer
There is no button that exports Google Maps to Minecraft, and Google's terms don't allow its maps or 3D buildings to be saved as a world. What does work: build a real place from OpenStreetMap with Arnis (free, desktop) or CartoVoxel (browser, from $3.50); tour Google Earth's 3D cities live on a Voxel Earth server; or show your own Minecraft world as a Google Maps-style web map with BlueMap, Dynmap or squaremap. Google's Minecraft easter egg is in Google Search, not Maps.
Why You Can't Export Google Maps or Google Earth to Minecraft
Google's Map Tiles API policies cover the photorealistic 3D cities you see in Google Earth. They prohibit pre-fetching, storing or caching that content offline, and using it for geodata extraction. A Minecraft world file is exactly that: a permanent offline copy.
That is why the widely shared Reddit project that pulled New York, Tokyo and London out of Google Earth with RenderDoc and Blender was never released: its creator said distributing Google's data breaks the terms. Voxel Earth avoids the problem by converting tiles on a live server instead of saving them.
OpenStreetMap is different. It is published under the Open Database License, so a world built from it can be kept and shared as long as you credit “© OpenStreetMap contributors”. Arnis, Terra++ and CartoVoxel all build from it.
Tools That Turn a Real Place into a Minecraft World
All of these build from open data, mostly OpenStreetMap plus elevation, so the world is yours to keep. They differ in setup, cost and what you get.
| Tool | How it works | Best for / watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Arnis | Free, open-source (Apache 2.0) desktop app. You select an area, it downloads OSM data and writes a Java world. Bedrock .mcworld output was added in v2.4. | Best if you have a capable PC and want it free. Large areas take a lot of RAM and time. See the Arnis guide. |
| CartoVoxel | Browser tool with an Arnis-derived engine. Search an address or paste coordinates, draw up to 500 km², and the world is generated in the cloud. | No install, and Bedrock files work for phone and tablet players. Paid by area: $3.50 up to 1 km², $26.50 at 25 km², $34.90 at 250 km². New accounts get 200 credits, so a first map up to 1 km² costs $1.50. See pricing. |
| Terra++ (Build the Earth) | Forge mod for Minecraft 1.12.2 with CubicChunks. It generates the whole Earth at 1:1 as you explore, from OSM and public elevation data. | The base of the Build the Earth project, where volunteers build detailed buildings by hand. An old modded version, and the generated buildings are outlines to build on, not finished models. |
| WorldPainter | Desktop map editor. You import a real-world heightmap (elevation data) and paint terrain, biomes and water on it. | Great for realistic mountains and landscapes. No automatic roads or buildings. See WorldPainter alternatives. |
| Voxel Earth | Server plugin that converts Google's photorealistic 3D tiles into blocks live. | The closest to Google Earth's look. You need to run a server, and the result can't be exported as a world file. |
Try it on your street
Turn the Place You Found on Google Maps into a World
Paste coordinates or an address, draw the area, and get a Java or Bedrock world built from OpenStreetMap.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Found the Spot on Google Maps? Build It.
Paste the coordinates or the address, draw your area, and CartoVoxel builds it from OpenStreetMap in the cloud.