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MapServer

Powerful CGI engine for creating web‑based GIS maps and services

GIS & Mapping Platforms

MapServer delivers a configurable CGI program to generate maps, scalebars, and spatial queries, supporting numerous data formats and extensible via Python, PHP, Java, and JavaScript.

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Overview

Overview

MapServer is a mature, high‑performance CGI engine that enables developers to publish web‑based GIS applications without writing code. By configuring a simple CGI program, users can render maps, add scalebars, and perform point, area, and feature queries across a wide range of spatial data sources.

Capabilities & Deployment

The core, written in C, leverages GDAL/OGR for raster and vector support and implements OGC standards such as WMS, WFS, WCS, and SOS. MapServer can be extended through MapScript bindings for Python, PHP, Java, JavaScript, and other languages, allowing integration into existing web stacks. It runs under standard web servers (Apache, Nginx, etc.) as a CGI module, making it suitable for on‑premise, cloud VM, or containerized deployments.

Who Benefits

Ideal for organizations that need reliable, standards‑compliant map services, teams with existing GIS data pipelines, and developers comfortable managing CGI configurations. Its flexibility and extensive format support make it a solid foundation for custom web mapping solutions.

Highlights

Configurable CGI program for on‑the‑fly map rendering
Full OGC service support (WMS, WFS, WCS, SOS)
Broad data format compatibility via GDAL/OGR
Extensible with MapScript bindings for Python, PHP, Java, JavaScript

Pros

  • Mature, battle‑tested codebase
  • High performance native C core
  • Extensive format and service support
  • Flexible scripting integration

Considerations

  • Requires CGI/web server setup and configuration
  • Steeper learning curve for beginners
  • Limited out‑of‑the‑box modern REST API
  • Primary development in C may deter new contributors

Managed products teams compare with

When teams consider MapServer, these hosted platforms usually appear on the same shortlist.

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Fit guide

Great for

  • Organizations needing reliable server‑side map rendering
  • Projects requiring strict OGC standards compliance
  • Teams with existing GIS data pipelines and sysadmin resources
  • Developers comfortable with CGI and C‑based configuration

Not ideal when

  • Users seeking turnkey cloud SaaS mapping solutions
  • Projects that only need client‑side interactive maps
  • Teams without sysadmin expertise for CGI deployment
  • Developers preferring pure JavaScript or Python web frameworks

How teams use it

Publish satellite imagery via WMS

Provides a standards‑compliant map service accessible by GIS clients and web applications.

Generate printable PDF maps for field reports

Creates high‑resolution PDFs with custom symbology and layout directly from the server.

Serve dynamic feature queries from PostGIS

Delivers real‑time vector data over the web, enabling interactive querying and analysis.

Embed map tiles in a PHP web portal using MapScript

Integrates seamless map display within an existing web application without additional client libraries.

Tech snapshot

C51%
C++33%
Scheme8%
Python2%
SWIG2%
HTML1%

Tags

ogc-apiogc-servicesenginegeospatialmappingmapserverogcsoswcsgmlmapgdalwmsfoss4gspeedwebwfsweb-mappingcosgeo

Frequently asked questions

What license does MapServer use?

See the LICENSE.md file in the repository for full licensing details.

Which data formats are supported?

Through GDAL/OGR, MapServer supports a wide range of raster and vector formats, including GeoTIFF, Shapefile, PostGIS, and many others.

What OGC services does MapServer provide?

MapServer implements WMS, WFS, WCS, and SOS, allowing interoperability with standard GIS clients.

How is MapServer deployed?

It runs as a CGI program under common web servers such as Apache or Nginx, and can be containerized for cloud environments.

Can I extend MapServer with custom scripts?

Yes, MapScript bindings let you write extensions in Python, PHP, Java, JavaScript, and other languages.

Project at a glance

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Repo age13 years old
Last commit4 days ago
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