docker-staticmaps

docker-staticmaps is an open-source REST API for rendering static map images from tile providers and custom tiles. It provides programmatic generation of map snapshots with overlays, designed for embedding map images in websites, emails, or applications.

Key Features

• Generate static map images with markers, polygons, circles, polylines and text overlays
• Support for multiple basemaps (OpenStreetMap, Esri, Stamen, Carto and custom tile servers)
• Simple REST API interface for easy integration with frontends and backend services
• Docker-ready deployment for quick, portable installation
• Tile and image caching to improve performance and reduce upstream tile requests
• Built-in per-IP rate limiting to protect against abuse
• Interactive playground and example endpoints for testing and integration

Use Cases

• Produce map thumbnails or static map embeds for websites, emails, reports or PDFs
• Server-side generation of map images for mobile or low-resource clients that cannot render dynamic maps
• Create map-based visualizations (routes, areas, points of interest) for automated reports and dashboards

Limitations and Considerations

• Licensed under GPL v3, which imposes copyleft obligations that may affect integration or redistribution in proprietary projects
• Relies on external tile providers by default; users must ensure tile usage complies with provider terms or run a self-hosted tile server
• High-volume use may require additional caching, scaling or a dedicated tile backend to avoid performance bottlenecks

docker-staticmaps is a focused tool for producing high-quality static map images via a lightweight API. It is suitable for developers needing predictable, server-side map rendering with caching and usage controls, while considerations around licensing and tile-provider usage should be evaluated before production deployment.