TileServer GL
Serve vector and raster map tiles from MBTiles with GL styles, including WMTS endpoints, static images, and a built-in map preview for common web GIS clients.
TileServer GL is a map tile server for serving vector tiles and rendered raster tiles styled with Mapbox GL style specifications. It can serve tiles from MBTiles sources and provides endpoints compatible with popular web mapping libraries and GIS clients, with optional server-side rasterization.
Key Features
- Serves vector tiles and styled raster tiles from MBTiles sources
- Server-side raster rendering powered by MapLibre GL Native (in the full build)
- Built-in web preview for styles, tiles, and sources
- Standards-friendly endpoints including WMTS capabilities
- Supports static image rendering and static file hosting for map assets
- Configuration-driven setup (styles, data sources, fonts) with reload support
- Deployable via Docker or as a Node.js application
Use Cases
- Self-hosted basemap and thematic map tile delivery for web apps using MapLibre GL JS
- Providing WMTS services for desktop GIS tools and enterprise mapping stacks
- Serving styled raster tiles or static map images for systems that cannot render vector tiles
Limitations and Considerations
- Full server-side raster rendering requires native dependencies; the “light” variant is pure JavaScript but does not rasterize tiles on the server
TileServer GL is a practical option when you need a configurable, container-friendly tile server that can serve both vector tiles and rendered map outputs from common MBTiles datasets. It fits well in self-hosted GIS deployments where compatibility with multiple clients and protocols is important.