PMTiles
Overview
PMTiles is a file format for storing and serving tiled map data in a single, compact file, optimized for efficient access and rendering in web mapping applications. PMTiles enables serverless tile hosting by using HTTP range requests to fetch only needed tiles.
Key Concepts
Single file contains all tiles in one archive. HTTP range requests retrieve individual tiles without server-side logic. Tile addressing uses Z/X/Y coordinates to locate tiles. Compression reduces file size (gzip supported). Cloud-native works directly from object storage.
Advantages
| Advantage | Description |
|---|---|
| Serverless | No tile server required |
| Static hosting | Works with any HTTP server |
| Cost-effective | Use cheap object storage |
| Portable | Single file to deploy |
Comparison
| Format | Files | Server Required |
|---|---|---|
| PMTiles | 1 | No |
| MBTiles | 1 | Yes (SQLite) |
| XYZ tiles | Many | No |
Appendix
Created: 2025-12-13 | Modified: 2025-12-13