MapTiler Server and TileServer GL compared
This article provides a comparison of the MapTiler Server and the TileServer GL. It gives a comparison of the different concepts and strives to offer information that helps users decide which product is more suitable for their use case.
TileServer GL
TileServer GL is an open-source map server made for vector tiles, and able to render into raster tiles with MapLibre GL Native engine on the server side. TileServer GL provides maps to the web and mobile applications. The following technologies are supported: MapLibre GL JS, Android SDK, iOS SDK, Leaflet, OpenLayers, HighDPI/Retina, GIS via WMTS, etc. TileServer GL was designed to serve vector tiles and provide rasterization of raster tiles directly on the server as well. It is a raw rendering tool and it does not contain any caching.
TileServer GL supports both serving vector tiles as well as raster tiles (through Mapbox GL Native). It is also providing a WMTS endpoint. For more information, dive into the main documentation for TileServer GL.
The development history of TileServer GL is very rich and there are many independent contributors who helped the product grow. Make sure to check the “Useful links” section below this article and explore the rich list of sources pointing towards many open source resources tied to TileServer GL.
MapTiler Server
MapTiler Server benefits people who have their own data and want to serve this data from their own infrastructure. Companies with strict security policies, government organizations working with classified information, or simply individuals or organizations working at locations without an internet connection can now set up their own map server within a minute.
Raster and vector data in various formats including TIFFs, JPEGs, ECW, MrSID, ShapeFiles, or PostGIS data for regions, countries, or the entire world can be turned into map tiles using the MapTiler Engine. Maps are served from tiled GeoPackage or MBTiles files.
A simple installer sets up the software in less than a minute, after which you can start adding in your own geodata. All datasets are visible via a web interface in the browser. It is easy to back up and/or move config files to a different server instance.
MapTiler Server can also be launched behind Nginx or Apache servers. This is the recommended setup for deployment in the production environment. On Linux, it is possible to run MapTiler Server as a systemd service. For more information, read the how-to.
Conclusion
TileServer GL set the foundations for the development of MapTiler Server more than 5 years ago. Since that time, MapTiler Server outgrew its older brother in many ways and it has become the backbone of many major commercial on-prem deployments, such as commercial airlines, public transport, weather forecast, and business intelligence.
MapTiler Server is a full-featured commercial product developed by MapTiler, provided in several tiers, together with MapTiler Data. MapTiler Server (compared to TileServer GL) offers additional professional technical support and extensive documentation managed directly by the MapTiler development and support teams.
If one were to choose either product, our recommendation is: “Choose MapTiler Server!” You get a more advanced product with better support and continuous development that you can actually influence by submitting new product feature ideas. Help us develop an even better map server!
Useful links
MapTiler Server Documentation
TileServer GL Docker image
TileServer GL Documentation Manual
TileServer GL GitHub repository
Serve OpenMapTiles with TileServerGL
TileServer GL at FOSS4G 2016 Video
TileServer GL in the MapTiler News (2016)