ArcGIS Online
Cloud-based GIS platform for creating and sharing interactive maps and geospatial analysis
GeoServer
Serve, share, and edit geospatial data via OGC standards
GeoServer publishes and edits spatial data from any source using OGC‑compliant services, enabling interoperable web mapping and analysis for developers and organizations.
Overview
Overview
GeoServer is a Java‑based server that lets developers and GIS professionals share, edit, and visualize geospatial data through standardized web services. It targets organizations that need reliable, standards‑compliant access to vector, raster, and coverage datasets across browsers and applications.
Capabilities & Deployment
The platform implements OGC Web Feature Service (WFS), Web Coverage Service (WCS), Web Map Service (WMS), Catalog Service for the Web (CSW) and Web Processing Service (WPS). It can ingest data from major sources such as PostGIS, Oracle, shapefiles, GeoTIFFs, and more, exposing them via RESTful endpoints. Deployment is flexible: run the bundled Jetty container, integrate with existing servlet containers, or containerize with Docker. Community‑driven documentation, Maven‑based builds, and a public issue tracker support ongoing development and troubleshooting.
Highlights
Full OGC compliance: WFS, WMS, WCS, CSW, and WPS
Supports a wide range of data sources and formats
Extensible plugin architecture for custom processing
Web‑based admin UI for configuration and monitoring
Pros
- Standards‑first implementation ensures interoperability
- Active global community provides support and extensions
- Java ecosystem offers robustness and scalability
- Highly configurable for diverse GIS workflows
Considerations
- Requires a Java runtime, adding operational overhead
- Advanced configuration can be complex for newcomers
- Web UI feels dated compared with modern SaaS tools
- Performance tuning may be needed for high‑load scenarios
Managed products teams compare with
When teams consider GeoServer, these hosted platforms usually appear on the same shortlist.
Looking for a hosted option? These are the services engineering teams benchmark against before choosing open source.
Fit guide
Great for
- Organizations needing OGC‑standard map and feature services
- Developers building web GIS applications with custom data
- Public agencies publishing open geospatial datasets
- Research projects that require on‑the‑fly spatial processing
Not ideal when
- Simple static map sites that only need pre‑rendered tiles
- Teams without Java expertise or infrastructure
- Low‑resource environments where heavyweight servers are impractical
- Projects seeking a turnkey cloud‑hosted GIS SaaS solution
How teams use it
National cadastral data publishing
Expose land parcel vectors via WFS for public and internal use
Satellite imagery delivery
Serve multi‑band raster data through WCS for analysis platforms
Dynamic web map tiles
Generate on‑demand map images with WMS for a public portal
Spatial analysis workflows
Execute custom geoprocessing scripts via WPS for research pipelines
Tech snapshot
Java92%
Scheme3%
JavaScript2%
HTML1%
FreeMarker1%
XSLT1%
Frequently asked questions
How do I install GeoServer?
Download the binary distribution from geoserver.org, unzip, and run the startup script; Docker images are also available.
Which data formats are supported?
GeoServer reads vector formats like Shapefile, PostGIS, Oracle, and raster formats such as GeoTIFF, NetCDF, and many others.
Can GeoServer work with PostgreSQL/PostGIS?
Yes, it includes native support for PostGIS layers, allowing direct database queries and publishing.
How can I secure my services?
Use built‑in authentication mechanisms, role‑based access control, and HTTPS configuration to protect endpoints.
Where can I get community help?
Visit the Community Support page on geoserver.org for mailing lists, forums, and the issue tracker on JIRA.
Project at a glance
Active- Stars
- 4,244
- Watchers
- 4,244
- Forks
- 2,277
Repo age14 years old
Last commit2 days ago
Primary languageJava
Last synced 2 days ago