<p>Customizing your maps has many benefits; it strengthens your brand identity, increases engagement, focuses your users' attention on what you want to highlight, allows you to remove unwanted elements like competitor locations, and more. Providers like MapTiler have <a href="https://www.maptiler.com/cloud/customize/" data-restricted="true">customizable maps</a>, but it can be hard to know where to start.</p><p>We’ve compiled a list of the best ways to customize your maps to make them work better for you:&nbsp;</p><ol><li>Add Custom map icons</li><li>Make the map match your brand</li><li>Remove the competition</li><li>Customize the language, boundaries, and units</li><li>Use custom pattern fills</li></ol><h2>1. Customize your map icons</h2><p>Custom icons are the easiest way to make your map stand out. You can use custom icons, photos, and even a company logo as markers for your sites! <strong>This is an easy quick win</strong>, but it is surprising how many people stick with the default markers and even colors. Check out this tutorial on <a href="https://docs.maptiler.com/guides/map-design/working-with-icons/" data-restricted="true">how to customize your icons</a>, and there is also a guide to <a href="https://docs.maptiler.com/guides/map-design/how-to-add-custom-landmarks-to-your-map/" data-restricted="true">using images or even photos as custom landmarks!</a></p><p><img src="https://media.maptiler.com/img/2024_11_29_top_5_ways_to_customize_your_map_2a_af84563ebc.webp" alt="Custom map icons" srcset="https://media.maptiler.com/img/xsmall_2024_11_29_top_5_ways_to_customize_your_map_2a_af84563ebc.webp 125w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/thumbnail_2024_11_29_top_5_ways_to_customize_your_map_2a_af84563ebc.webp 245w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/small_2024_11_29_top_5_ways_to_customize_your_map_2a_af84563ebc.webp 450w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/medium_2024_11_29_top_5_ways_to_customize_your_map_2a_af84563ebc.webp 750w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/large_2024_11_29_top_5_ways_to_customize_your_map_2a_af84563ebc.webp 1000w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/xlarge_2024_11_29_top_5_ways_to_customize_your_map_2a_af84563ebc.webp 1250w," sizes="100vw" width="1600" height="613"></p><h2>2. Make the map match your brand</h2><p>Your app or website will have a palette of colors implemented as part of its design, so having a map that clashes with this can harm the overall look and feel. A good map provider will let you put your brand identity on the map itself. Look at our <a href="https://docs.maptiler.com/guides/map-design/map-styled-like-a-picture/" data-restricted="true">cartographer's guide to implementing a color palette taken from an image</a> to inspire your map while making sure it stays usable!</p><p style="text-align:center;"><img src="https://media.maptiler.com/img/2024_11_29_top_5_ways_to_customize_your_map_3_65ec3cce56.webp" alt="Branding for your maps" srcset="https://media.maptiler.com/img/xsmall_2024_11_29_top_5_ways_to_customize_your_map_3_65ec3cce56.webp 125w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/thumbnail_2024_11_29_top_5_ways_to_customize_your_map_3_65ec3cce56.webp 245w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/small_2024_11_29_top_5_ways_to_customize_your_map_3_65ec3cce56.webp 450w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/medium_2024_11_29_top_5_ways_to_customize_your_map_3_65ec3cce56.webp 750w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/large_2024_11_29_top_5_ways_to_customize_your_map_3_65ec3cce56.webp 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="1024" height="512"></p><h2>3. Remove the competition from your map</h2><p>If you don’t control the layers shown on your maps, you may be showing your users where to find your competitors! This should be an easy fix on a flexible mapping platform; just find the layers that contain the features you don't want and <a href="https://docs.maptiler.com/guides/map-design/layer-filters/" data-restricted="true">use filters to remove them</a>. You can then add a custom marker to highlight your business!</p><figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://vimeo.com/1032335788"><div class="shadow" style="position: relative; padding-bottom: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1032335788?background=1" style="position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; top: 0; left: 0;" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div></div></figure><h2>4. Customize the language, boundaries, and units</h2><p>Show you genuinely care for your users by <a href="https://docs.maptiler.com/guides/map-design/change-language-in-a-map/" data-restricted="true">ensuring your maps are in their language</a> and even reflect their world views. Many international borders around the world are disputed, so to avoid offense and (in some countries) breaking the law, you can <a href="https://docs.maptiler.com/guides/map-design/disputed-borders-on-your-maps/" data-restricted="true">adjust your map to show the borders the audience expects</a>. This level of customization can be taken further by <a href="https://docs.maptiler.com/guides/map-design/contours-and-mountain-peaks-in-feet/" data-restricted="true">setting the units (imperial or metric)</a> for the user as well!</p><p style="text-align:center;"><img src="https://media.maptiler.com/img/2024_11_29_top_5_ways_to_customize_your_map_4_4d96e76029.webp" alt="Customize map language and disputed borders" srcset="https://media.maptiler.com/img/xsmall_2024_11_29_top_5_ways_to_customize_your_map_4_4d96e76029.webp 125w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/thumbnail_2024_11_29_top_5_ways_to_customize_your_map_4_4d96e76029.webp 245w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/small_2024_11_29_top_5_ways_to_customize_your_map_4_4d96e76029.webp 450w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/medium_2024_11_29_top_5_ways_to_customize_your_map_4_4d96e76029.webp 750w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/large_2024_11_29_top_5_ways_to_customize_your_map_4_4d96e76029.webp 1000w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/xlarge_2024_11_29_top_5_ways_to_customize_your_map_4_4d96e76029.webp 1250w," sizes="100vw" width="1600" height="900"></p><h2>5. Use custom pattern fills</h2><p>Add patterns to your polygons to take your maps to the next level. For example, you can use dots or stripes to represent differences in land use. For more advanced cartography, add subtle patterns like a paper texture or a patina effect to give your map an artistic or aged look. This article has more on <a href="https://docs.maptiler.com/guides/map-design/working-with-patterns/" data-restricted="true">working with patterns on maps</a>.</p><p><img src="https://media.maptiler.com/img/2024_11_29_top_5_ways_to_customize_your_map_5a_2b8734ce6e.webp" alt="2024-11-29-top-5-ways-to-customize-your-map-5a.webp" srcset="https://media.maptiler.com/img/xsmall_2024_11_29_top_5_ways_to_customize_your_map_5a_2b8734ce6e.webp 125w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/thumbnail_2024_11_29_top_5_ways_to_customize_your_map_5a_2b8734ce6e.webp 245w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/small_2024_11_29_top_5_ways_to_customize_your_map_5a_2b8734ce6e.webp 450w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/medium_2024_11_29_top_5_ways_to_customize_your_map_5a_2b8734ce6e.webp 750w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/large_2024_11_29_top_5_ways_to_customize_your_map_5a_2b8734ce6e.webp 1000w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/xlarge_2024_11_29_top_5_ways_to_customize_your_map_5a_2b8734ce6e.webp 1250w," sizes="100vw" width="1600" height="625"></p><h2>Master Customizable maps</h2><p>Our extensive documentation on map design and customizing maps has been organized into these mini-courses. Just click on the links below and then work through pages listed at the top:</p><ol><li><a href="https://docs.maptiler.com/guides/map-design/maps-and-styles-basics/" data-restricted="true">Map design first steps</a></li><li><a href="https://docs.maptiler.com/guides/map-design/layer-styling/" data-restricted="true">Map design basics</a></li><li><a href="https://docs.maptiler.com/guides/map-design/working-with-icons/" data-restricted="true">Map design Icons &amp; Patterns</a></li><li><a href="https://docs.maptiler.com/guides/map-design/change-language-in-a-map/" data-restricted="true">Maps for different languages</a></li><li><a href="https://docs.maptiler.com/guides/map-design/creating-a-custom-vector-dataset-geojson/" data-restricted="true">Custom data visualization</a></li><li><a href="https://docs.maptiler.com/guides/map-design/how-to-style-individual-buildings/" data-restricted="true">Highlighting features on maps</a></li></ol><p>See customized maps in action on our <a href="https://www.maptiler.com/showcase/" data-restricted="true">Maps Showcase</a> where many of these beautiful creations have <a href="https://docs.maptiler.com/guides/map-design/how-to-make-custom-map-design-in-maptiler-cloud/" data-restricted="true">a tutorial on how they were made with MapTiler Customize!</a></p><p style="text-align:center;"><img src="https://media.maptiler.com/img/2024_11_29_top_5_ways_to_customize_your_map_6_c10aebf7e8.webp" alt="Custom map showcase" srcset="https://media.maptiler.com/img/xsmall_2024_11_29_top_5_ways_to_customize_your_map_6_c10aebf7e8.webp 125w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/thumbnail_2024_11_29_top_5_ways_to_customize_your_map_6_c10aebf7e8.webp 245w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/small_2024_11_29_top_5_ways_to_customize_your_map_6_c10aebf7e8.webp 450w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/medium_2024_11_29_top_5_ways_to_customize_your_map_6_c10aebf7e8.webp 750w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/large_2024_11_29_top_5_ways_to_customize_your_map_6_c10aebf7e8.webp 1000w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/xlarge_2024_11_29_top_5_ways_to_customize_your_map_6_c10aebf7e8.webp 1250w," sizes="100vw" width="1515" height="954"></p><h2>Start your journey now:</h2><p style="text-align:center;"><a class="btn btn-primary m-o5" href="https://www.maptiler.com/cloud/customize/">Customizable Maps</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p>

The best map customizations to make your maps fit your website or app design 

<p>Use PNG images or patterns easily with the<strong> new Raster icons upload</strong> in MapTiler Customize. Your maps can now include:</p><ul><li>Photos for locations</li><li>Complicated PNG icons</li><li>Seamless patterns to fill any area</li></ul><p>Our new Aquarelle watercolor map style highlights how the pattern fill can create artistic effects like a paper texture showing through the colors! <a href="https://www.maptiler.com/maps/#style=aquarelle&amp;mode=2d&amp;position=1.66/31.2/-7" data-restricted="true">Check it out here.</a></p><h2>Custom marker icons</h2><p>You can now upload PNG raster images to use as icons on your maps! This is in addition to the vector SVG icons you can already upload. Raster icons can be<strong> uploaded as individual or zipped PNG images</strong>, or you can create a <strong>combined upload with SVGs</strong>.</p><p>We have guides on <a href="https://documentation.maptiler.com/hc/en-us/articles/25606744976401-How-to-Add-Custom-Landmarks-to-Your-Map" data-restricted="true">Adding Photos as Landmarks</a> and <a href="https://documentation.maptiler.com/hc/en-us/articles/28345246179217-Working-with-Icons" data-restricted="true">Working with Icons</a>, including uploaded PNGs.</p><figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://vimeo.com/1009115487?share=copy"><div class="shadow" style="position: relative; padding-bottom: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1009115487?background=1" style="position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; top: 0; left: 0;" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div></div></figure><p>You can also style the markers by<a href="https://documentation.maptiler.com/hc/en-us/articles/16440601724945-Style-by-the-zoom-range" data-restricted="true"> Zoom range</a> or data range to achieve your perfect design. The size of the icons can also be adjusted, and you can customize the text labels.</p><p>Once the icon has caught the user's attention, you can add more information about the location under the marker using an <a href="https://docs.maptiler.com/sdk-js/examples/landmarks-interactions/" data-restricted="true">interactive pop-up created with the MapTiler SDK</a>.</p><h2>Pattern fills for maps</h2><p>You can also upload seamless pattern fills in PNG formats along with your raster icons. These images that seamlessly repeat significantly increase your cartographic options and are perfect for maps with limited color palettes.</p><p><img src="https://media.maptiler.com/img/2024_09_icons_and_patterns_2_a992487bea.webp" alt="2024-09-icons-and-patterns-2.webp" srcset="https://media.maptiler.com/img/xsmall_2024_09_icons_and_patterns_2_a992487bea.webp 125w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/thumbnail_2024_09_icons_and_patterns_2_a992487bea.webp 245w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/small_2024_09_icons_and_patterns_2_a992487bea.webp 450w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/medium_2024_09_icons_and_patterns_2_a992487bea.webp 750w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/large_2024_09_icons_and_patterns_2_a992487bea.webp 1000w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/xlarge_2024_09_icons_and_patterns_2_a992487bea.webp 1250w," sizes="100vw" width="1600"></p><p>Patterns like dots, lines, or even tree or grass symbols let you distinguish areas you want to represent with the same or similar colors. For example, you can <strong>show the difference between coniferous and deciduous woodlands</strong> without changing the green. This means they are great for black-and-white maps like <a href="https://www.maptiler.com/maps/#style=toner-v2&amp;mode=2d&amp;position=15.78/40.774218/-73.97143" data-restricted="true">Toner</a> or color-blind-friendly maps.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><a class="btn btn-primary m-o5" href="https://documentation.maptiler.com/hc/en-us/articles/28402462413201-Working-with-Patterns">How to use patterns</a></p><h2>Creating a watercolor map style with patterns</h2><p>Aquarelle, our beautiful artistic basemap, is perfect for adding your own data. By default, there are no labels, points, or other distracting features, letting your data shine. We harnessed the ability to upload raster icons to add a paper texture pattern in various colors, creating a hand-painted look for the map.</p><figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://vimeo.com/1008854696?share=copy"><div class="shadow" style="position: relative; padding-bottom: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1008854696?background=1" style="position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; top: 0; left: 0;" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div></div></figure><p>The basemap is ideal for adding a sense of place to your dataset without the strict precision of our other detailed maps.</p><p>Try the Aquarelle yourself; it's available in three beautiful variants:</p><ul><li><a href="https://cloud.maptiler.com/maps/aquarelle/" data-restricted="true">Aquarelle</a></li><li><a href="https://cloud.maptiler.com/maps/aquarelle-dark/" data-restricted="true">Dark</a></li><li><a href="https://cloud.maptiler.com/maps/aquarelle-vivid/" data-restricted="true">Vivid</a></li></ul><p>Learn more about our <a href="https://www.maptiler.com/cloud/customize/" data-restricted="true">customizable maps</a>.</p>

Upload PNGs to your maps to use as icons and patterns. You can add photos to use as icons for landmarks.

<p>Getting your scanned maps, aerial imagery, and other GIS data onto the web is easier than ever! We’ve improved the data upload interface in MapTiler Cloud to accept commonly used raster formats as well as existing vector formats like Shapefile and GeoPackage.</p><ul><li>You can now upload Geotiff, GeoJPEG2000, MrSID, ECW</li><li>Once uploaded, your files are ready to use on the web</li><li>Our user-friendly upload form makes the whole process really easy</li></ul><figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://vimeo.com/1010960606?share=copy"><div style="position: relative; padding-bottom: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1010960606?background=1" style="position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; top: 0; left: 0;" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div></div></figure><p>All you need to do is go to the <strong>Tiles section</strong> of your account and click on the <strong>New Tileset</strong> button.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><a class="btn btn-primary m-o5" href="https://cloud.maptiler.com/maps/">Create a free account</a> <a class="btn btn-lighter m-o5" href="https://cloud.maptiler.com/tiles/new">Upload data now</a></p><h2>Upload maps to the web</h2><p>We’ve enabled the most commonly used raster formats for spatial data to our Upload facility. So now you can upload files in any of the following formats:</p><ul><li>GeoTiff</li><li>ECW</li><li>MrSID</li><li>GeoJPEG2000</li></ul><p>Coupled with support for vector formats like ShapeFile, GeoPackage, GPX, KML, MBTiles, and GeoJSON, you can quickly turn data from your GIS or Earth Observation projects into web maps that can be shared with the rest of the world! Find out all the <a href="https://documentation.maptiler.com/hc/en-us/articles/27689183363217-Dataset-upload-formats-and-limits" data-restricted="true">formats and file sizes in our documentation</a>.</p><h2>Convert Rasters to Spatial Data</h2><p>If your raster data isn’t spatial, for example, it's still a regular Tiff or JPEG and not a Geo one, use MapTiler Engine to convert it and upload it to the Cloud. MapTiler Engine converts huge and complex datasets into web-ready spatial data quickly and easily. Find out more on <a href="https://www.maptiler.com/engine/" data-restricted="true">the MapTiler Engine page</a>.&nbsp;</p>

Improved import of GIS data into webmaps now available in MapTiler Cloud

<p><strong>UPDATE: We have created a completely new map customization tool for you since this post was written! Read all about it here: </strong><a href="/news/2023/08/design-amazing-maps-with-our-new-style-editor/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Design amazing maps with our new style editor</a></p><p>Choose the right basemap for your website or app in a few simple clicks with our new <strong>Map Wizard</strong>. Change the language, color scheme, or font in a few more with the redsigned <strong>Customize 2.0 interface</strong>. Getting the right map for your needs is so much quicker and easier!</p><h2>Make your map in 5 simple steps</h2><p><img src="https://media.maptiler.com/img/2022_03_30_customized_maps_made_easy_2_49301f3ab0.jpg" alt="2022-03-30-customized-maps-made-easy-2.jpg" srcset="https://media.maptiler.com/img/thumbnail_2022_03_30_customized_maps_made_easy_2_49301f3ab0.jpg 245w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/small_2022_03_30_customized_maps_made_easy_2_49301f3ab0.jpg 500w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/medium_2022_03_30_customized_maps_made_easy_2_49301f3ab0.jpg 750w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/large_2022_03_30_customized_maps_made_easy_2_49301f3ab0.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="1000px"></p><ol><li>Log in to your MapTiler Cloud Account and click the NEW MAP button</li><li>Use the map type headings like Navigation and Terrain to see what is available for your use case.</li><li>Zoom and pan the preview to check if the map meets your needs.</li><li>Use the map straightaway or click CUSTOMIZE to tweak the design</li><li>Save your changes and start using your maps in your website or apps</li></ol><p style="text-align:center;"><a class="btn btn-primary m-o5" href="https://cloud.maptiler.com/maps/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">TRY IT NOW</a> <a class="btn btn-lighter m-o5" href="/cloud/customize/">Learn about Customizable Maps</a></p><h2>Choosing the best webmap</h2><p>Choosing the right map for your app or website is now really easy using the wizard. Just click on the NEW MAP button from your Cloud account and use the menu on the left to help you choose. The preview screen updates to show your current selection so you can see what the maps look like zoomed in or out.<img src="https://media.maptiler.com/img/2022_03_30_customized_maps_made_easy_3_62f05c8c02.jpg" alt="2022-03-30-customized-maps-made-easy-3.jpg" srcset="https://media.maptiler.com/img/thumbnail_2022_03_30_customized_maps_made_easy_3_62f05c8c02.jpg 245w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/small_2022_03_30_customized_maps_made_easy_3_62f05c8c02.jpg 500w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/medium_2022_03_30_customized_maps_made_easy_3_62f05c8c02.jpg 750w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/large_2022_03_30_customized_maps_made_easy_3_62f05c8c02.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="1000px">The lists are categorized to give you ideas on which are best for navigation apps, those that show the terrain for outdoor activities, and those that are simple and good for combining with your own data.</p><h2>Quick customized maps</h2><p>Changing the color scheme, language, fonts, and even disputed borders can now all be done with a few clicks!<br><img src="https://media.maptiler.com/img/2022_03_30_customized_maps_made_easy_4_4d960389a8.jpg" alt="2022-03-30-customized-maps-made-easy-4.jpg" srcset="https://media.maptiler.com/img/thumbnail_2022_03_30_customized_maps_made_easy_4_4d960389a8.jpg 245w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/small_2022_03_30_customized_maps_made_easy_4_4d960389a8.jpg 500w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/medium_2022_03_30_customized_maps_made_easy_4_4d960389a8.jpg 750w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/large_2022_03_30_customized_maps_made_easy_4_4d960389a8.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="1000px">Once you have decided on the best map to use in the wizard there are often a few more customizations that you want to make. You can quickly change the colors to match a brand or to highlight a particular feature using the color picker. There are other global settings to choose the language, the font, and the underlying source data which also affects the level of detail you see.</p><p>For some styles, such as streets, you can even choose how to represent disputed boundaries.</p><p>With this level of control and easy-to-use interface, you can quickly create a bespoke map for your specific needs.&nbsp;</p><h2>Help us improve</h2><p>We are always looking for ways to make our software and services easier to use and better suited to meet your needs. These latest changes respond to feedback and our desire to give you the best possible service. We hope you like the changes; please let us know how else we can improve our products for you: <a href="/cloud/ideas/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.maptiler.com/cloud/ideas/</a>&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:center;"><a class="btn btn-primary m-o5" href="https://cloud.maptiler.com/maps/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">TRY IT NOW</a> <a class="btn btn-lighter m-o5" href="/cloud/customize/">Learn about Customizable Maps</a></p>

Choosing and customizing maps is a lot easier with the new MapTiler Cloud interface.

<p>We have updated our basemaps to be our most complete and authoritative map for developers so far.</p><p>With the improvements to <a href="https://www.maptiler.com/planet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MapTiler Planet</a>, you have more natural-looking global maps and no longer need to worry about map vandalism. We have combined new datasets with OpenStreetMap, resulting in the addition of over 150 million buildings and authoritative land cover data.</p><p>We are also using quality control to ensure the OpenStreetMap data we use has not been vandalized. The latest MapTiler Planet data is our most feature-rich and trustworthy mapping of the entire globe.</p><h2>Millions of extra buildings</h2><p>In a giant leap forward we have added over 150 million buildings to MapTiler Planet, making it one of the most complete datasets available. OpenStreetMap is a remarkable resource, but the volunteers adding the data to the map have not reached everywhere yet. Combining the data with other resources has allowed us to fill in the gaps in several countries, including the USA and Canada.</p><p>The buildings data is ideal for close-up mapping showing the locations of homes and businesses or for use in 3D maps of cities as many of the buildings have heights too.</p><figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://player.vimeo.com/video/649067470?h=1e508b437a&amp;background=1"><div class="shadow" style="position: relative; padding-bottom: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/649067470?background=1" style="position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; top: 0; left: 0;" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div></div></figure><p><i>Huge cities mapped in 3D: This fly-through of Los Angeles shows that it isn’t just the large buildings in urban centers but all the homes and small businesses in the suburbs and beyond. The buildings from Microsoft have heights, so you can display them in 3D.</i></p><p>Some of the countries that have benefited the most from the additional buildings can be found in the table below:</p><figure class="table"><table><thead><tr><th style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">&nbsp;</th><th style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">OpenMapTiles</th><th style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">MapTiler Planet</th><th style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">Extra buildings</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">Argentina</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">940,478</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">27,247,549</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">26,307,071</td></tr><tr><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">Australia</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">2,751,705</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">12,198,751</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">9,447,046</td></tr><tr><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">Brazil</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">9,100,222</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">116,340,933</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">107,240,711</td></tr><tr><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">Canada</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">6,352,601</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">13,268,539</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">6,915,938</td></tr><tr><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">Germany</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">37,220,693</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">42,825,419</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">5,604,726</td></tr><tr><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">Great Britain</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">13,013,084</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">22,091,398</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">9,078,314</td></tr><tr><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">Indonesia</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">39,805,929</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">101,919,944</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">62,114,015</td></tr><tr><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">India</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">12,963,324</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">431,933,620</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">418,970,296</td></tr><tr><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">Italy</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">14,681,428</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">20,118,280</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">5,436,852</td></tr><tr><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">Japan</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">20,742,530</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">68,748,109</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">48,005,579</td></tr><tr><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">Mexico</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">2,767,762</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">65,404,400</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">62,636,638</td></tr><tr><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">Malaysia</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">1,051,688</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">9,104,932</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">8,053,244</td></tr><tr><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">Philippines</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">10,342,332</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">29,978,166</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">19,635,834</td></tr><tr><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">Poland</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">17,233,788</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">22,386,388</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">5,152,600</td></tr><tr><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">Russia</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">24,235,008</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">70,271,793</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">46,036,785</td></tr><tr><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">Thailand</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">984,362</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">44,741,203</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">43,756,841</td></tr><tr><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">Ukraine</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">6,212,703</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">24,961,213</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">18,748,510</td></tr><tr><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">USA</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">62,577,466</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">152,005,530</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">89,428,064</td></tr><tr><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">Venezuela</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">382,754</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">10,271,917</td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;">9,889,163</td></tr><tr><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;"><strong>Total</strong></td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;"><strong>590,279,161</strong></td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;"><strong>2,411,240,973</strong></td><td style="border-color:#d3dbec;padding:2px 3px;vertical-align:top;"><strong>1,820,961,812</strong></td></tr></tbody></table></figure><p>Much of this data has come from Microsoft, whose work with neural networks on aerial imagery allowed them to create building datasets for the USA, Canada, Australia, Tanzania, and Uganda.</p><p>In addition to this, through our partnerships in Japan, we secured another buildings dataset with millions of Japanese buildings. With these added to MapTiler Planet, urban areas look more complete than ever before!</p><h2>Reliable and authoritative</h2><p>MapTiler has taken the fear out of using maps created from open data by partnering with Facebook. With over 5 million edits a day, OpenStreetMap is a fantastic feat of map making, trusted by many businesses, large and small. However, not all edits are correct, and some are intentionally wrong. The data used in MapTiler Planet undergoes quality control before use to remove any map vandalism, accidental edits, and other inaccuracies.</p><p>MapTiler Planet contains quality-assured data, to which we then add our own extra information, providing you with our best mapping ever.</p><figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://player.vimeo.com/video/651427552?h=8449786880&amp;background=1"><div class="shadow" style="position: relative; padding-bottom: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/651427552?background=1" style="position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; top: 0; left: 0;" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div></div></figure><p><i>Quality Control in Action: The review process removes the “Bob Was Here” graffiti from the map. There have been much more severe instances of vandalism, but these are no longer of concern to MapTiler Planet users.</i></p><h2>Maps that reflect the real world</h2><p>The world is not just beige and blue, we wanted a map that looked more like the real world when you are more zoomed out. To make this happen, we added new data to the rural and wilderness areas of the world. We created our own bespoke global land cover data to show off Earth’s forests, grasslands, deserts, and glaciers in all their glory.</p><p>These beautiful maps are better for showing regions where there might not be any other detail. These areas are simply blank in other map products, leaving a visually unappealing map.</p><figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://player.vimeo.com/video/651424861?h=2f8052f44a&amp;background=1"><div class="shadow" style="position: relative; padding-bottom: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/651424861?background=1" style="position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; top: 0; left: 0;" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div></div></figure><p>With the global data available in the top 10 most zoomed-out levels, we have sourced official data to make sure the USA and Canada are covered in even more detail as you zoom in. In Europe, we found that the landcover already in OpenStreetMap looked really good so there was no need to source more data.</p><figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://vimeo.com/651426861?share=copy"><div class="shadow" style="position: relative; padding-bottom: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/651426861?background=1" style="position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; top: 0; left: 0;" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div></div></figure><p>With the natural and agricultural areas colored based on the vegetation and the urban regions filled with buildings, MapTiler Planet has banished the blank spaces.</p><p>MapTiler Planet underpins all our mapping products, meaning you can customize the maps to suit your needs or choose from a range of ready-made styles. Have a look for yourself to see how you can benefit from using our most complete data in your website or apps:</p><p style="text-align:center;"><a class="btn btn-primary m-o5" href="https://cloud.maptiler.com/maps/streets-v2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">START NOW FOR FREE</a> <a class="btn btn-lighter m-o5" href="https://cloud.maptiler.com/maps/streets-v2/customize" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CUSTOMIZE YOUR MAP</a></p>

New MapTiler Planet maps have more than 150 million new buildings, quality control, greatly improved landcover, and upgraded hillshading and contours. It’s our best ever mapping!

<p><strong>UPDATE</strong>: We have a new satellite map with an incredible <strong>resolution of 1-2m/px globally</strong>. Read more about it here: <a href="/news/2023/10/global-high-resolution-satellite-map/">Global high-resolution satellite map</a>.&nbsp;</p><p><a href="/data">MapTiler Data</a> has launched. It provides ready-to-use geographical data of the entire world for your web &amp; mobile applications and the use cases you have - including on-premise applications.</p><h2>Download data package with&nbsp;basemaps</h2><p>To publish interactive maps from your own machine, all you have to do is to download data together with our beautiful map styles for your server software.</p><p>Data package includes street, satellite, and terrain data of the entire world to let you build maps for various use cases. Geodata is regularly updated to bring you a fresh view of the always-changing world.</p><p>The best map styles from MapTiler - Streets, Basic, Bright, Topo, and Satellite with labels - are now <strong>available for download</strong>. You can also create your own map style.<img src="https://media.maptiler.com/img/2020_12_18_launching_maptiler_data_for_self_hosting_2_a0fdcc3917.png" alt="2020-12-18-launching-maptiler-data-for-self-hosting-2.png" srcset="https://media.maptiler.com/img/thumbnail_2020_12_18_launching_maptiler_data_for_self_hosting_2_a0fdcc3917.png 245w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/small_2020_12_18_launching_maptiler_data_for_self_hosting_2_a0fdcc3917.png 500w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/medium_2020_12_18_launching_maptiler_data_for_self_hosting_2_a0fdcc3917.png 750w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/large_2020_12_18_launching_maptiler_data_for_self_hosting_2_a0fdcc3917.png 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="1000px">Together with the data package, we also provide a native <a href="/server">server software</a> for Linux, Docker, Windows, and macOS, allowing you to host the data and provide map services to your clients. All you have to do is unpack downloaded geodata and map styles into the server working directory, and it gives you immediately map endpoints and map services for your applications.</p><p>The software is also able to serve your own tiled vector and raster geodata.</p><h2>Beautiful map&nbsp;styles</h2><p>Appealing high-contrast colors, 3D buildings, easy-to-read map: all you need from modern cartography is in the <strong>Street</strong> map.</p><p>MapTiler <strong>Basic</strong> is a basemap that tries to stay in the background and only gives the most relevant information. Colors are calm, so the data you overlay can shine through.</p><p>OSM <strong>Bright</strong> is a general-purpose base map showcasing the incredible detail of the map data. It is a great compromise between an easily readable map and a basemap for an overlay.</p><p><strong>Topo</strong> map is one of the most complex ones showing natural relief altogether with the contour lines and hillshading. It is an excellent map for moving around in nature.</p><p><strong>Satellite Hybrid</strong> contains satellite imagery and just enough information you need to get oriented: road lines, labels, and boundaries.</p><h2>New datasets in MapTiler&nbsp;Data</h2><h3>High-resolution aerial imagery of the USA and Western&nbsp;Europe</h3><p><a href="/news/2019/03/usa-high-res-satellite-in-maptiler-cloud/">USA</a>, <a href="/news/2020/05/high-resolution-aerial-imagery-of-entire-japan/">Japan</a>, and many Western European countries (e.g., <a href="/news/2020/01/french-open-data-imagery-available-in-maptiler-maps-api/">France</a>, <a href="/news/2019/11/welkom-maptiler-nl/">the Netherlands</a>, Denmark, to name a few) are available in extremely high resolution, which goes up to 8 cm/pixel in the most viewed areas.<img src="https://media.maptiler.com/img/2020_12_18_launching_maptiler_data_for_self_hosting_3_bb4b593e7e.png" alt="2020-12-18-launching-maptiler-data-for-self-hosting-3.png" srcset="https://media.maptiler.com/img/thumbnail_2020_12_18_launching_maptiler_data_for_self_hosting_3_bb4b593e7e.png 245w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/small_2020_12_18_launching_maptiler_data_for_self_hosting_3_bb4b593e7e.png 500w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/medium_2020_12_18_launching_maptiler_data_for_self_hosting_3_bb4b593e7e.png 750w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/large_2020_12_18_launching_maptiler_data_for_self_hosting_3_bb4b593e7e.png 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="1000px">For details about coverage and resolution, visit our <a href="/satellite/">satellite page</a>; for an offer, <a href="/#contact">contact us</a>.</p><h3>Top-notch hillshading</h3><p>The brand new <a href="https://data.maptiler.com/downloads/tileset/terrain-rgb/?_ga=2.137213616.1672000360.1697442690-1693839051.1697442690" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">RGB terrain dataset</a> can be used for many applications. The most common one is the classical hillshading, which looks much better thanks to this dataset.</p><p>The presence of elevation data in the RGB terrain dataset allows more sophisticated usage like picking the real elevation value of a selected point on Earth or drawing a track elevation profile for a given line.</p><figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://player.vimeo.com/video/489889191"><div style="position: relative; padding-bottom: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/489889191?background=1" style="position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; top: 0; left: 0;" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div></div></figure><p>To make your maps look enormously realistic, load the RGB terrain in 3D JavaScript viewers or use it for dynamic hillshading.</p><h3>Landcover for global forest&nbsp;coverage</h3><p><a href="https://data.maptiler.com/downloads/tileset/landcover/?_ga=2.93311711.375486323.1697442738-234487780.1697442737" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Landcover data</a> are newly available for zoom levels 0–9 and shows generalized physical coverage of different areas. This dataset perfectly fits with the landcover data from OpenStreetMap, which are available starting zoom level 10 and offers much higher accuracy. A fantastic example of landcover usage is on higher zoom levels on our Streets map.<img src="https://media.maptiler.com/img/2020_12_18_launching_maptiler_data_for_self_hosting_4_b78062d6a5.png" alt="2020-12-18-launching-maptiler-data-for-self-hosting-4.png" srcset="https://media.maptiler.com/img/thumbnail_2020_12_18_launching_maptiler_data_for_self_hosting_4_b78062d6a5.png 245w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/small_2020_12_18_launching_maptiler_data_for_self_hosting_4_b78062d6a5.png 500w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/medium_2020_12_18_launching_maptiler_data_for_self_hosting_4_b78062d6a5.png 750w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/large_2020_12_18_launching_maptiler_data_for_self_hosting_4_b78062d6a5.png 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="1000px"><i>What makes the map on the left so crispy? The only difference is (missing) landcover!</i></p><h2>Upcoming data updates</h2><p>Beginning next year, a brand-new version of our street data will be released. The major change is generalization of buildings on zoom level 13, which brings a much more realistic view of the downtowns.<img src="https://media.maptiler.com/img/2020_12_18_launching_maptiler_data_for_self_hosting_5_16902c2c36.png" alt="2020-12-18-launching-maptiler-data-for-self-hosting-5.png" srcset="https://media.maptiler.com/img/thumbnail_2020_12_18_launching_maptiler_data_for_self_hosting_5_16902c2c36.png 245w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/small_2020_12_18_launching_maptiler_data_for_self_hosting_5_16902c2c36.png 500w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/medium_2020_12_18_launching_maptiler_data_for_self_hosting_5_16902c2c36.png 750w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/large_2020_12_18_launching_maptiler_data_for_self_hosting_5_16902c2c36.png 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="1000px"><i>Generalized building on zoom level 13 shows accurate data in downtowns.</i></p><p>Currently, we are also processing a new generation of our terrain data. Derivates, namely RGB terrain, hillshade, contours, and finally Cesium terrain, will follow afterward.<img src="https://media.maptiler.com/img/2020_12_18_launching_maptiler_data_for_self_hosting_6_401dc988d2.png" alt="2020-12-18-launching-maptiler-data-for-self-hosting-6.png" srcset="https://media.maptiler.com/img/thumbnail_2020_12_18_launching_maptiler_data_for_self_hosting_6_401dc988d2.png 245w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/small_2020_12_18_launching_maptiler_data_for_self_hosting_6_401dc988d2.png 500w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/medium_2020_12_18_launching_maptiler_data_for_self_hosting_6_401dc988d2.png 750w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/large_2020_12_18_launching_maptiler_data_for_self_hosting_6_401dc988d2.png 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="1000px">Beginning the next year, we are also planning to introduce the new cloudless mid-resolution satellite map.<img src="https://media.maptiler.com/img/2020_12_18_launching_maptiler_data_for_self_hosting_7_2f92c1e78b.png" alt="2020-12-18-launching-maptiler-data-for-self-hosting-7.png" srcset="https://media.maptiler.com/img/thumbnail_2020_12_18_launching_maptiler_data_for_self_hosting_7_2f92c1e78b.png 245w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/small_2020_12_18_launching_maptiler_data_for_self_hosting_7_2f92c1e78b.png 500w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/medium_2020_12_18_launching_maptiler_data_for_self_hosting_7_2f92c1e78b.png 750w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/large_2020_12_18_launching_maptiler_data_for_self_hosting_7_2f92c1e78b.png 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="1000px"><i>The old cloudless satellite vs. the new one</i></p><h2>New UX for data management</h2><p>The brand-new administration brings multiple views on the status of your data, subscription, and organization. <a href="https://data.maptiler.com/my-extracts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i>My downloads</i></a> tab allows you to see what you have already downloaded, what is waiting for being processed, and which datasets are ready for download.</p><p><a href="https://data.maptiler.com/data-package/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i>Data package</i></a> and <a href="https://data.maptiler.com/server/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i>Server</i></a> tabs allow you to manage your subscription and MapTiler Server license. Under the <a href="https://data.maptiler.com/my-organization/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i>Members</i></a> tab, you can manage your organization: see who is in your organization, add/remove members, and grant/remove administrator role.</p><p>Under the <a href="https://data.maptiler.com/autoupdates/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i>Autoupdates tab</i></a><i> (that is available under Business and Partner subscriptions)</i>, you will find a script for Linux &amp; macOS that allows regular updates of your data. Technical specification and short how-to are included.<img src="https://media.maptiler.com/img/2020_12_18_launching_maptiler_data_for_self_hosting_8_0c910e550e.png" alt="2020-12-18-launching-maptiler-data-for-self-hosting-8.png" srcset="https://media.maptiler.com/img/thumbnail_2020_12_18_launching_maptiler_data_for_self_hosting_8_0c910e550e.png 245w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/small_2020_12_18_launching_maptiler_data_for_self_hosting_8_0c910e550e.png 500w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/medium_2020_12_18_launching_maptiler_data_for_self_hosting_8_0c910e550e.png 750w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/large_2020_12_18_launching_maptiler_data_for_self_hosting_8_0c910e550e.png 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="1000px"><i>New system, new possibilities</i></p><p>Rewriting the backend of the website allowed us to offer improved management of downloads and additional services. This is a significant improvement compared to the predecessor: OpenMapTiles.com. &nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:center;"><a class="btn btn-primary m-o5" href="/data/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">LEARN MORE ABOUT MAPTILER DATA</a><br>&nbsp;</p>

MapTiler Data has launched. It provides ready-to-use geographical data of the entire world for your web & mobile applications.

<p>High-resolution aerial imagery and official government map data of entire Japan is now available to the global audience via Maps API. It becomes possible thanks to a partnership with our local business partner, MIERUNE.</p><h2>Aerial imagery from GSI via Maps&nbsp;API</h2><p>Our global cloudless satellite layer now includes high-resolution aerial imagery from GSI (Geospatial Information Authority of Japan). It covers <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://maptiler.jp/maps/#hybrid/ja/vector/4.49/140.82/37.91">entire Japan</a>, including all major and small islands.</p><p>Aerial imagery is rendered till the zoom level 18, which is an equivalent of approximately 60cm/pixel. To obtain the resolution, we processed 6.5 TB of raw data.<img src="https://media.maptiler.com/img/2020_05_08_high_resolution_aerial_imagery_of_entire_japan_2_7cc32be444.jpg" alt="2020-05-08-high-resolution-aerial-imagery-of-entire-japan-2.jpg" srcset="https://media.maptiler.com/img/thumbnail_2020_05_08_high_resolution_aerial_imagery_of_entire_japan_2_7cc32be444.jpg 245w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/small_2020_05_08_high_resolution_aerial_imagery_of_entire_japan_2_7cc32be444.jpg 500w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/medium_2020_05_08_high_resolution_aerial_imagery_of_entire_japan_2_7cc32be444.jpg 750w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/large_2020_05_08_high_resolution_aerial_imagery_of_entire_japan_2_7cc32be444.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="1000px">The aerial map can be used in common JavaScript libraries including Leaflet and OpenLayers or as a WMTS maps service for desktop GIS software.</p><p>Together with terrain data, it can be used in Cesium JS to create photorealistic 3D sceneries. <img src="https://media.maptiler.com/img/2020_05_08_high_resolution_aerial_imagery_of_entire_japan_3_bde2c29ec2.jpg" alt="2020-05-08-high-resolution-aerial-imagery-of-entire-japan-3.jpg" srcset="https://media.maptiler.com/img/thumbnail_2020_05_08_high_resolution_aerial_imagery_of_entire_japan_3_bde2c29ec2.jpg 245w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/small_2020_05_08_high_resolution_aerial_imagery_of_entire_japan_3_bde2c29ec2.jpg 500w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/medium_2020_05_08_high_resolution_aerial_imagery_of_entire_japan_3_bde2c29ec2.jpg 750w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/large_2020_05_08_high_resolution_aerial_imagery_of_entire_japan_3_bde2c29ec2.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="1000px"></p><h2>Japanese government open-data in vector&nbsp;tiles</h2><p>For applications requiring authoritative geodata, MapTiler Cloud offers maps featuring government open-data. The building layer sourced from GSI is mixed with street data from OpenStreetMap. Final maps are available as both modern vector and raster tiles.</p><p>Maps are shipped with three beautiful designs: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cloud.maptiler.com/maps/jp-mierune-streets/">Mierune Streets</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cloud.maptiler.com/maps/jp-mierune-gray/">Gray</a> and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cloud.maptiler.com/maps/jp-mierune-dark/">Dark</a>. Crafted by ex-Apple cartographer Toru Mori from <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://mierune.co.jp/">MIERUNE</a>, they are based on the tradition of Japanese cartography.&nbsp;</p><p>Apart from the GSI-based maps, users can still use maps made from OpenStreetMap.<img src="https://media.maptiler.com/img/2020_05_08_high_resolution_aerial_imagery_of_entire_japan_4_4c5ca33d74.gif" alt="2020-05-08-high-resolution-aerial-imagery-of-entire-japan-4.gif" srcset="https://media.maptiler.com/img/thumbnail_2020_05_08_high_resolution_aerial_imagery_of_entire_japan_4_4c5ca33d74.gif 245w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/small_2020_05_08_high_resolution_aerial_imagery_of_entire_japan_4_4c5ca33d74.gif 500w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/medium_2020_05_08_high_resolution_aerial_imagery_of_entire_japan_4_4c5ca33d74.gif 750w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/large_2020_05_08_high_resolution_aerial_imagery_of_entire_japan_4_4c5ca33d74.gif 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="1000px">To see all available offerings for the Japanese audience, visit maptiler.jp.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><a class="btn btn-primary m-o5" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://maptiler.jp/">VISIT MAPTILER.JP</a></p>

High-resolution aerial imagery and official government map data of entire Japan is now available to the global audience via Maps API. It becomes possible thanks to a partnership with our local business partner, MIERUNE.

<p>Global maps based on OpenStreetMap in WGS84 map projection are available on MapTiler Cloud via maps API. This complements the already existing maps in Web Mercator projection, which is de-facto the industry standard.&nbsp;</p><h2>Why there are so many map projections?</h2><p>Earth is not flat. Therefore, we need to mathematically solve the issue of projecting a globe into 2D space. It is possible to do in many ways, but all solutions, which are called map projections, have pros and cons.</p><p>Over time, Web Mercator become de-facto the industry standard. However, like any other map projections, it also has downsides: the most visible one is the distortion of sizes. Areas near poles are displayed much bigger while equatorial zone appears much smaller than in reality.</p><p>Various local/national coordinate systems were created because many maps were historically showing only limited territory. Therefore, they use projection which fits best to a specific territory. Local coordinate systems are still used by governments and required for official maps.</p><figure class="image"><img src="https://media.maptiler.com/old/media/2019-10-15-openstreetmap-in-wgs84-on-maptiler-cloud-1-2.png" alt="Some of the map projections"></figure><p><i>Some of the map projections. Image ©</i><a href="https://map-projections.net/imglist.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i>Tobias Jung</i></a><i> CC BY-SA&nbsp;4.0</i></p><h2>Vector and raster OSM tiles in EPSG:4326</h2><p>To fulfill specific needs, MapTiler Cloud is now adding base maps derived from OpenStreetMap in alternative coordinate systems. Base maps are available in <a href="https://cloud.maptiler.com/tiles/v3-4326/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">WGS84</a>.</p><blockquote><p>https://api.maptiler.com/tiles/v3-4326/{z}/{x}/{y}.pbf?key={YOUR-OWN-KEY}</p></blockquote><p>There is an OpenLayers 6 vector viewer code snippet, raster tiles rendered on-demand, WMTS service for use in desktop GIS software and static maps API.&nbsp;</p><h2>Maps in Lambert, Rijksdriehoekstelsel and other national coordinate systems</h2><p>From the local coordinate systems, <a href="https://cloud.maptiler.com/tiles/v3-2154/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">French Lambert</a>, <a href="https://cloud.maptiler.com/tiles/v3-28992/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dutch Rijksdriehoekstelsel</a> are available and many others will come soon!</p><p>MapTiler Cloud is also able to <a href="/blog/2019/10/maptiler-maps-api-hosting-for-geopackage.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">host maps in any coordinate system</a> with EPSG code. Just upload your map in GeoPackage format or create one with the <a href="/blog/2019/10/maptiler-desktop-10-2.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">new MapTiler Desktop 10.2</a>.</p><figure class="image"><img src="https://media.maptiler.com/old/media/2019-10-15-openstreetmap-in-wgs84-on-maptiler-cloud-1-3.png" alt="OpenStreetMap in French Lambert and Dutch Rijksdriehoekstelsel map projections"></figure><p><i>OpenStreetMap in French Lambert and Dutch Rijksdriehoekstelsel map projections</i></p><h2>Free maps API with local coordinate systems</h2><p>Start using maps in <a href="https://cloud.maptiler.com/maps/basic-4326/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">WGS84</a>, <a href="https://cloud.maptiler.com/maps/basic-2154/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Lambert</a> or <a href="https://cloud.maptiler.com/maps/basic-28992/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rijksdriehoekstelsel</a> for free via <a href="https://www.maptiler.com/cloud/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MapTiler Cloud</a>.</p>

Base maps in French Lambert, Dutch Rijksdriehoekstelsel, or global WGS84 available via API for free.

<p><strong>UPDATE</strong>: We have a new satellite map with an incredible <strong>resolution of 1-2m/px globally</strong>. Read more about it here: <a href="/news/2023/10/global-high-resolution-satellite-map/">Global high-resolution satellite map</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>MapTiler increased the resolution of the satellite map of Europe with data from Airbus Defence and Space. You can now easily spot details like separate houses, cars on the street, or even individual trees, and even more in many countries!</p><h2>Improved satellite map of the entire&nbsp;Europe</h2><p>Many countries in Europe already have aerial imagery with a resolution of up to 12cm/pixel. The rest of the continent has a minimum resolution of 1.5m/pixel or 2.5/m pixel.</p><p>The data are supplied by Airbus Defence and Space, one of the divisions of the famous airplane manufacturer. This deal was possible thanks to our <a href="/blog/2018/12/maptiler-awarded-by-european-space-agency-and-airbus.html">victory in Copernicus Masters</a>. Those data were color-toned to fit with the rest of the satellite map in both higher and lower zooms.&nbsp;</p><p>Developers of web &amp; mobile applications can use it via Maps API, either standalone or with street/town labels or even with 3D terrain. It is the most affordable alternative to Google Maps API which is respecting privacy.</p><figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CY5RSec5y4o?enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.maptiler.com"><div style="position: relative; padding-bottom: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CY5RSec5y4o" style="position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; top: 0; left: 0;" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div></div></figure><h2>Even higher resolution from aerial&nbsp;imagery</h2><p>We hope to increase further the resolution with data from the Airbus’ OneAtlas project, which offers even higher resolution and more up-to-date imagery.</p><p>In the meanwhile, we updated our medium-res satellite layer with imagery from 2018.</p><p>Now, we are enriching our map with high-resolution aerial imagery of individual countries/regions/cities. Some places, like Denmark, the Netherlands, Berlin, Prague, or the USA, already have resolutions up to 8cm/pixel, and we are working on others (e.g., France, Austria, Saxony region, …).<img src="https://media.maptiler.com/img/2019_10_01_airbus_satellite_maps_in_maptiler_maps_api_2_84c19256c9.jpg" alt="2019-10-01-airbus-satellite-maps-in-maptiler-maps-api-2.jpg" srcset="https://media.maptiler.com/img/thumbnail_2019_10_01_airbus_satellite_maps_in_maptiler_maps_api_2_84c19256c9.jpg 245w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/small_2019_10_01_airbus_satellite_maps_in_maptiler_maps_api_2_84c19256c9.jpg 500w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/medium_2019_10_01_airbus_satellite_maps_in_maptiler_maps_api_2_84c19256c9.jpg 750w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/large_2019_10_01_airbus_satellite_maps_in_maptiler_maps_api_2_84c19256c9.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="1000px"><i>Combine 3D terrain and high-res aerial imagery from MapTiler to create photorealistic scenes like this one</i></p><h2>Imagery sources and resolutions</h2><p>Data comes from the Earth observation mission done by the SPOT 5 satellite (resolution 2.5m/px) between the years 2006–2008, covering central and northern Europe. Newer data from SPOT 6 &amp; SPOT 7 are covering Meditarien sea countries (including France) that were taken between 2014–2016. All SPOT satellites are operated by Airbus DS.</p><p>The original raw data containing almost 10 terabytes of imagery was processed using our <a href="/engine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MapTiler Engine</a> into the final zoomable map.<img src="https://media.maptiler.com/img/2019_10_01_airbus_satellite_maps_in_maptiler_maps_api_3_a3bd681e13.jpg" alt="2019-10-01-airbus-satellite-maps-in-maptiler-maps-api-3.jpg" srcset="https://media.maptiler.com/img/thumbnail_2019_10_01_airbus_satellite_maps_in_maptiler_maps_api_3_a3bd681e13.jpg 245w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/small_2019_10_01_airbus_satellite_maps_in_maptiler_maps_api_3_a3bd681e13.jpg 500w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/medium_2019_10_01_airbus_satellite_maps_in_maptiler_maps_api_3_a3bd681e13.jpg 750w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/large_2019_10_01_airbus_satellite_maps_in_maptiler_maps_api_3_a3bd681e13.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="1000px"><i>MapTiler Satellite resolution per country, as of September 2019</i></p><p>Find more information with details about the resolution of your country or subregion at <a href="/satellite/">www.maptiler.com/satellite/</a>.</p><p>Browse the satellite map at <a href="/maps/#hybrid/">www.maptiler.com/maps/</a> and <a href="https://cloud.maptiler.com/maps/hybrid/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">start using it from MapTiler Cloud</a> via our Satellite Maps API.</p>

MapTiler in cooperation with Airbus presents high-resolution satellite map of Europe.

<p>An intuitive <a href="/cloud/edit-geodata/">vector data editor</a> for creating maps of your shops, digitizing aerial imagery, or building a thematic map is now available for everyone in MapTiler Cloud.</p><h2>Store location or aerial image digitization</h2><p>Vector data editor in MapTiler Cloud enables you to host, create or edit geodata in an intuitive web editor. You can overlay your raster images or use any of our maps, e.g. satellite, and digitize it. Remote TileJSON or XYZ sources are also supported.</p><p>Interactive vector overlay can be easily added to your website using a code example. This is the easiest way to show locations of your stores, draw over your drone aerial photos, digitize an old map or to create a small thematic layer.</p><p>Data can be created or edited using an online web editor, which is part of MapTiler Cloud.<img src="https://media.maptiler.com/img/2019_06_06_vector_data_editing_in_maptiler_cloud_2_2aa48d8f0b.png" alt="2019-06-06-vector-data-editing-in-maptiler-cloud-2.png" srcset="https://media.maptiler.com/img/thumbnail_2019_06_06_vector_data_editing_in_maptiler_cloud_2_2aa48d8f0b.png 245w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/small_2019_06_06_vector_data_editing_in_maptiler_cloud_2_2aa48d8f0b.png 500w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/medium_2019_06_06_vector_data_editing_in_maptiler_cloud_2_2aa48d8f0b.png 750w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/large_2019_06_06_vector_data_editing_in_maptiler_cloud_2_2aa48d8f0b.png 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="1000px"><i>Digitize your drone photos</i></p><h2>Data for direct publishing on the&nbsp;Internet</h2><p>All data are hosted on <a href="/cloud/infrastructure/">reliable global infrastructure</a> in GeoJSON format, which is an open standard defined for web publishing.</p><p>You can import your own data in various supported formats, including GeoJSON, GeoPackage, GPX, KML, Shapefile, or zipped Shapefile. Exporting data for use in other software or on the web is possible using the GeoJSON data format.</p><p>If you want to display a larger amount of features (more than 5000 or files larger than 5MB), process them first using <a href="https://support.maptiler.com/i237-simple-vector-tiles-generating" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MapTiler Desktop into vector tiles</a>, <a href="https://support.maptiler.com/i73-map-hosting-on-maptiler-cloud" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">upload to MapTiler Cloud</a> and <a href="https://support.maptiler.com/i23-host-own-geodata" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">style them there</a>.<img src="https://media.maptiler.com/img/2019_06_06_vector_data_editing_in_maptiler_cloud_3_da861a14ef.png" alt="2019-06-06-vector-data-editing-in-maptiler-cloud-3.png" srcset="https://media.maptiler.com/img/thumbnail_2019_06_06_vector_data_editing_in_maptiler_cloud_3_da861a14ef.png 245w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/small_2019_06_06_vector_data_editing_in_maptiler_cloud_3_da861a14ef.png 500w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/medium_2019_06_06_vector_data_editing_in_maptiler_cloud_3_da861a14ef.png 750w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/large_2019_06_06_vector_data_editing_in_maptiler_cloud_3_da861a14ef.png 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="1000px"><i>Create an interactive map of your shops or another thematic layer</i></p><h2>Start building with a free&nbsp;account</h2><p>Discover the <a href="/cloud/edit-geodata/">mapping location editor</a> or start editing your data on <a href="https://cloud.maptiler.com/data/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MapTiler Cloud with a free account</a>.&nbsp;</p>

New free vector data editor allows you to creating maps of your POIs, digitizing aerial maps, or creating thematic maps. 

<p>Vector tiles are becoming a new trend and are most likely the future of map publishing. What is the technology behind and how can you adapt it already today?&nbsp;</p><h2>Raster tiles, vector tiles, and what is the difference</h2><h3>Raster tiles description</h3><p>Traditionally, web maps were based on raster tiles technology. It was a set of squared images placed next to each other, each with a fixed geographical area and scale. Together they were creating the whole world, but only tiles you were actually browsing were shown. The rest was delivered to your browser when you changed the position or zoom.</p><p>A more detailed guide about raster tiles can be found in <a href="/google-maps-coordinates-tile-bounds-projection/">this document</a>.</p><p><img src="https://media.maptiler.com/img/2019_02_07_what_are_vector_tiles_and_why_you_should_care_2_0129c2cf7c.png" alt="2019-02-07-what-are-vector-tiles-and-why-you-should-care-2.png" srcset="https://media.maptiler.com/img/thumbnail_2019_02_07_what_are_vector_tiles_and_why_you_should_care_2_0129c2cf7c.png 236w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/small_2019_02_07_what_are_vector_tiles_and_why_you_should_care_2_0129c2cf7c.png 500w," sizes="100vw" width="500px"></p><p><i>A map divided into raster tiles</i></p><h3>Vector tiles description</h3><p>Vector tiles, which were introduced later, also deliver data that are divided into roughly squared tiles. But instead of raster images, there are pre-generated vector data that are present on the requested area. Map elements that overflow current tile are cut with a specific offset, which is essential when connecting tiles together.</p><p>Vector tiles are rendered on the client side. A map style defines the look of all elements in tiles. The style says what map element should be rendered, which color, which font should be used for a label, and which language this label should be rendered. It gives more opportunities to change the map on the fly with minimum effort.</p><p style="margin-left:40px;">Vector tiles are transferred over the web in the form of packed geographic data in vector format split into squared&nbsp;tiles.</p><p>Because of this flexibility and the possibility to render raster tiles from pre-generated vector tiles on request if needed, most of the big players in the mapping industry have already switched.</p><h3 style="margin-left:calc(var(--bs-gutter-x)/-2);">Vector and raster tiles comparison</h3><figure class="table" style="width:97.99%;"><table class="ck-table-resized" style="border-style:solid;border-width:0px;"><colgroup><col style="width:9.76%;"><col style="width:41.85%;"><col style="width:48.39%;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-style:solid;">&nbsp;</td><td style="border-style:solid;"><h4 style="margin-left:calc(var(--bs-gutter-x)/-2);">Vector tiles</h4></td><td style="border-style:solid;"><h4>Raster tiles</h4></td></tr><tr><td style="border-style:solid;">Pros:</td><td style="border-style:solid;"><ul><li>Smaller data size and therefore lower disk space requirement</li><li>Lower bandwidth consumption</li><li>Faster generating time&nbsp;</li><li>Better user experience - smooth zooming Not visible zoom levels - users zoom and pan throughout all scales&nbsp;</li><li>De-facto mobile standard</li><li>Easy customization - with one small text file, you define how the map should look like, what font should be used, language for map labels, and even hide specific map elements - everything on-the-fly</li></ul></td><td style="border-style:solid;"><ul><li>Suitable for raster data like satellite/aerial imagery</li><li>Lower requirements for end-users hardware</li><li>Still a bit better support in web JavaScript libraries and desktop GIS software</li></ul></td></tr><tr><td style="border-style:solid;">Cons:</td><td style="border-style:solid;"><ul><li>The map is rendering on the client’s side and requires a bit more powerful hardware</li><li>Data are generalized and therefore not suitable for direct edits</li></ul></td><td style="border-style:solid;"><ul><li>A bigger size of each tile and data on servers</li><li>It takes more time to generate</li><li>Slower loading disrupts the user experience when moving around the map</li></ul></td></tr></tbody></table></figure><p>It is possible to mix raster tiles with vector tiles and make the best usage of both, e.g., satellite map (raster tiles) with an overlay of streets with labels available in many languages (vector tiles)<img src="https://media.maptiler.com/img/2019_02_07_what_are_vector_tiles_and_why_you_should_care_3_1da8465f3e.png" alt="2019-02-07-what-are-vector-tiles-and-why-you-should-care-3.png" srcset="https://media.maptiler.com/img/thumbnail_2019_02_07_what_are_vector_tiles_and_why_you_should_care_3_1da8465f3e.png 245w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/small_2019_02_07_what_are_vector_tiles_and_why_you_should_care_3_1da8465f3e.png 500w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/medium_2019_02_07_what_are_vector_tiles_and_why_you_should_care_3_1da8465f3e.png 750w," sizes="100vw" width="750px"><i>Satellite map of Europe with Korean labels - the same tiles can be used with any other language - without a need to render tiles again. There is only a need to make a small change in the style, a one-line change in the text file. This change can also be done on the fly from a drop-down menu. </i><a href="/maps/#hybrid/ko/vector/4.13/14.53/49.5"><i>See yourself</i></a><i>.</i></p><h2>Generate own vector&nbsp;tiles</h2><p>If you have any data in vector formats, you can quickly generate vector tiles out of them using <a href="/desktop/">MapTiler Desktop</a> (now <a href="/engine/">MapTiler Engine</a>). This functionality has been available since <a href="/news/2018/12/vector-tiles-in-maptiler-desktop-10/">version 10</a>.</p><p>You drag and drop your data in Shapefile, GeoJSON, or another vector format into MapTiler Desktop, adjust final map properties if you like to, and select output format. You can create the map in MBTiles, GeoPackage, or Folder structure. The entire process is described in <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://documentation.maptiler.com/hc/en-us/articles/360020887038-Simple-vector-tiles-generating">this how-to</a>.</p><p>You can try it with sample data of New York City <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://data.cityofnewyork.us/Transportation/Subway-Stations/arq3-7z49">subway stations</a> and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://data.cityofnewyork.us/Transportation/Subway-Lines/3qz8-muuu">subway lines</a>.<img src="https://media.maptiler.com/img/2019_02_07_what_are_vector_tiles_and_why_you_should_care_4_bb4ed4a4a6.png" alt="2019-02-07-what-are-vector-tiles-and-why-you-should-care-4.png" srcset="https://media.maptiler.com/img/thumbnail_2019_02_07_what_are_vector_tiles_and_why_you_should_care_4_bb4ed4a4a6.png 195w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/small_2019_02_07_what_are_vector_tiles_and_why_you_should_care_4_bb4ed4a4a6.png 500w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/medium_2019_02_07_what_are_vector_tiles_and_why_you_should_care_4_bb4ed4a4a6.png 750w," sizes="100vw" width="750px"></p><h2>Supported web frontend libraries and mobile&nbsp;SDKs</h2><p>Despite the relative novelty of vector tiles, they are already supported by many JavaScript libraries:</p><ul><li><a href="/sdk-javascript/">MapTiler SDK</a></li><li>MapLibre GL JS</li><li>OpenLayers with vector tiles plugin</li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://docs.maptiler.com/leaflet/vector-tiles-in-leaflet-js/">Leaflet Vector Tiles</a></li></ul><p>Mobile SDKs support loading vector tiles on both iOS and Android. Vector tiles can be loaded in desktop GIS software like <a href="/qgis-plugin/">QGIS</a>, ArcGIS, and others. Read <a href="/news/2018/05/openmaptiles-gives-you-freedom-of-sdks/">this article</a> for an exhaustive list of supported applications.<img src="https://media.maptiler.com/img/2019_02_07_what_are_vector_tiles_and_why_you_should_care_5_2b81c11de2.png" alt="2019-02-07-what-are-vector-tiles-and-why-you-should-care-5.png" srcset="https://media.maptiler.com/img/thumbnail_2019_02_07_what_are_vector_tiles_and_why_you_should_care_5_2b81c11de2.png 245w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/small_2019_02_07_what_are_vector_tiles_and_why_you_should_care_5_2b81c11de2.png 500w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/medium_2019_02_07_what_are_vector_tiles_and_why_you_should_care_5_2b81c11de2.png 750w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/large_2019_02_07_what_are_vector_tiles_and_why_you_should_care_5_2b81c11de2.png 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="1000px"></p><h2>Free vector tiles for web and mobile apps via maps API</h2><p>Start using vector tiles via maps API For your web and mobile applications, start using maps based on the vector tiles technology via You can try MapTiler Cloud, which is powered by vector tiles technology and offers hosting for vector tiles.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><a class="btn btn-primary m-o5" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cloud.maptiler.com/">CREATE FREE ACCOUNT</a></p>

The difference between raster and vector tiles, the vector tiles description, comparison, and how to generate own vector tiles.

<p><strong>UPDATE</strong>: We have a new satellite map with an incredible <strong>resolution of 1-2m/px globally</strong>. Read more about it here: <a href="/news/2023/10/global-high-resolution-satellite-map/">Global high-resolution satellite map</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>We just rolled out the first batch of high-res satellite imagery in our MapTiler Cloud map hosting. There is a 25 cm resolution available for the Netherlands and a 12.5 cm resolution for Denmark, and other areas will follow soon. They are seamlessly integrated into the current mid-resolution cloudless satellite layer with global coverage.</p><h2>Zoom into the 12.5 cm resolution</h2><p>The high-res aerial imagery is an addition to the current mid-res satellite imagery layer, which offers a cloudless satellite layer of the whole planet with a 20 m resolution. It was taken during the summer seasons on both poles to capture the vegetation peak.</p><p>Current high-res aerial imagery covers Denmark in the 12.5 cm resolution, the Netherlands in the 25 cm resolution, and a few other places like Zurich, Prague, Boston, or the San Francisco Bay area. Right now, we are working on the whole USA, and the rest of Western Europe will follow soon.</p><p>If you already have drone/aerial/satellite imagery, you can <a href="/how-to/hosting-on-maptiler-cloud/">serve them from MapTiler Cloud</a>. Alternatively, if you are a tech enthusiast, read about <a href="/industry/satellite/">how to create your own satellite map</a> from freely available sources.<img src="https://media.maptiler.com/img/2018_09_17_first_batch_of_high_res_satellite_imagery_in_maptiler_cloud_2_7bbc36e66f.png" alt="2018-09-17-first-batch-of-high-res-satellite-imagery-in-maptiler-cloud-2.png" srcset="https://media.maptiler.com/img/thumbnail_2018_09_17_first_batch_of_high_res_satellite_imagery_in_maptiler_cloud_2_7bbc36e66f.png 245w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/small_2018_09_17_first_batch_of_high_res_satellite_imagery_in_maptiler_cloud_2_7bbc36e66f.png 500w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/medium_2018_09_17_first_batch_of_high_res_satellite_imagery_in_maptiler_cloud_2_7bbc36e66f.png 750w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/large_2018_09_17_first_batch_of_high_res_satellite_imagery_in_maptiler_cloud_2_7bbc36e66f.png 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="1000px"><i>Foster City, California</i></p><h2>Terrain with aerial images in&nbsp;3D</h2><p>We also <a href="/blog/2018/08/free-terrain-tiles-for-cesium">combined the satellite layer with our terrain data</a> and created a 3D model that can be used in your web applications with the open-source Cesium JavaScript library.</p><p>The satellite layer, as well as terrain, covers the whole globe so that you can <a href="/maps/3d/">browse the entire world in 3D</a>.<img src="https://media.maptiler.com/img/2018_09_17_first_batch_of_high_res_satellite_imagery_in_maptiler_cloud_3_fd7a809c6f.png" alt="2018-09-17-first-batch-of-high-res-satellite-imagery-in-maptiler-cloud-3.png" srcset="https://media.maptiler.com/img/thumbnail_2018_09_17_first_batch_of_high_res_satellite_imagery_in_maptiler_cloud_3_fd7a809c6f.png 245w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/small_2018_09_17_first_batch_of_high_res_satellite_imagery_in_maptiler_cloud_3_fd7a809c6f.png 500w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/medium_2018_09_17_first_batch_of_high_res_satellite_imagery_in_maptiler_cloud_3_fd7a809c6f.png 750w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/large_2018_09_17_first_batch_of_high_res_satellite_imagery_in_maptiler_cloud_3_fd7a809c6f.png 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="1000px"><i>High-res aerial imagery combined with terrain data into the 3D model in MapTiler&nbsp;Cloud</i></p><h2>Self-hosted or from fast, secure infrastructure</h2><p>The mid-res imagery is available for <a href="https://openmaptiles.com/downloads/dataset/satellite-2021/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">download</a> and self-hosting on your infrastructure or any other cloud service.</p><p>You can start using the high-res imagery from our <a href="/cloud/">fast, secure infrastructure</a> with 99.9% uptime.</p><p><a href="/maps/#hybrid//vector/17/12.593861/55.691818">Browse the map</a> and use it with popular JavaScript libraries (Leaflet, OpenLayers, MapBox GL JS or WebGL Earth), in mobile SDKs (for both Android and iOS), in desktop applications using QT or&nbsp;.NET or in desktop GIS software.&nbsp;</p>

We just rolled out the first batch of high-res satellite imagery with amazing 12.5cm per pixel resolution.

<p><strong>UPDATE: We have created a completely new map customization tool for you since this post was written! Read all about it here: </strong><a href="/news/2023/08/design-amazing-maps-with-our-new-style-editor/"><strong>Design amazing maps with our new style editor</strong></a></p><p>Creating beautiful map fitting your brand is no longer a difficult job. With MapTiler Cloud, you pick five colors and the entire map adjust accordingly.</p><h2>Own map design straightforward</h2><p>If you ever <a href="/maps/">browsed our maps</a>, maybe you got the feeling: this style is <i>almost</i> perfect but I need just a small change to fit the map with app or web design. Now you can fix it only with a few mouse clicks.</p><p>The <i>Make your own map</i> button will lead you directly to the <a href="/cloud/customize/">Customize tool</a> where you can drag just one color and all map elements in the group adjust accordingly. The changes can be reset to the default if needed so there is no need to hold back during experimenting. You can also copy a color scheme from a map you made before, change the language of labels to one of 55+ supported languages or the font.</p><p>The map design you create in Customize tool will automatically stay updated when we update the software running behind or add a new type of data.</p><p>Once you are happy with your design, you can log in or create a free account to save your changes and directly use it on your website or in the app.</p><figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9icsSMkeQIs?enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.maptiler.com"><div style="position: relative; padding-bottom: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9icsSMkeQIs" style="position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; top: 0; left: 0;" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div></div></figure><h2>Intelligent Maps: the magic&nbsp;behind</h2><p>MapTiler Cloud offers more than just creating own design. Intelligent Maps can dynamically adapt colors, languages and data for individual visitors and perfectly fit the need of companies who use the maps in their web or mobile applications.</p><p>Your visitors can get a personalized map in the applications, with place names <a href="/news/2018/02/maps-in-the-language-of-visitor/">automatically displayed in their language</a>, with highlights of most important places for each individual end-user - such as most often used bus stops, frequently visited restaurants or recent trips. It can be done based on the user’s preferences, his history, or data loaded from existing information systems. The maps can also change based on the day of the week, daytime and opening hours, so the user receives only the relevant information.<img src="https://media.maptiler.com/img/2018_09_04_design_own_map_with_five_clicks_2_cc82add818.png" alt="2018-09-04-design-own-map-with-five-clicks-2.png" srcset="https://media.maptiler.com/img/thumbnail_2018_09_04_design_own_map_with_five_clicks_2_cc82add818.png 245w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/small_2018_09_04_design_own_map_with_five_clicks_2_cc82add818.png 500w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/medium_2018_09_04_design_own_map_with_five_clicks_2_cc82add818.png 750w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/large_2018_09_04_design_own_map_with_five_clicks_2_cc82add818.png 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="1000px"></p><h2>Free to try, no registration required</h2><p>To create own map design, you need no registration. Simply <a href="/maps/">visit our maps</a> and start <a href="/cloud/customize/">customizing your favorite one</a>. After creating a free account, you can save your map and directly start using it in your web or app.&nbsp;</p>

Creating own map design is now straightforward with a new map design tool.

<p>Do you need online maps with place names in your language? Our OpenMapTiles project can now display these multilingual names of places from the OpenStreetMap data very easily - just use our <a href="/cloud/">free map hosting service</a> or install the maps <a href="/server/">on your own infrastructure</a>.</p><p>The major feature of the OpenMapTiles v3.6 release is support for multilingual maps. It is now possible to create a map in your native language or a combination of more languages.</p><p style="text-align:center;"><a class="btn btn-primary m-o5" href="/maps/">Try it now!</a></p><p>Tiles now support place names in 57 languages covering European languages and most major world languages.<img src="https://media.maptiler.com/img/2017_06_28_openmaptiles_are_now_multilingual_1_2e1f5bca37.png" alt="2017-06-28-openmaptiles-are-now-multilingual_1.png" srcset="https://media.maptiler.com/img/thumbnail_2017_06_28_openmaptiles_are_now_multilingual_1_2e1f5bca37.png 245w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/small_2017_06_28_openmaptiles_are_now_multilingual_1_2e1f5bca37.png 500w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/medium_2017_06_28_openmaptiles_are_now_multilingual_1_2e1f5bca37.png 750w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/large_2017_06_28_openmaptiles_are_now_multilingual_1_2e1f5bca37.png 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="1000px">Every map style (GL JSON), which is using OpenMapTiles vector tiles, can now define the main language for placenames and a fallback language (displayed in case the place does not have a name in the main language).</p><p>Place names in a non-latin script such as Russian, Chinese or Japanese come with a transliterated alternative - to make them readable by more people. These alternative names can be displayed together with the main language place name.<img src="https://media.maptiler.com/img/2017_06_28_openmaptiles_are_now_multilingual_2_339d7331de.png" alt="2017-06-28-openmaptiles-are-now-multilingual_2.png" srcset="https://media.maptiler.com/img/thumbnail_2017_06_28_openmaptiles_are_now_multilingual_2_339d7331de.png 245w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/small_2017_06_28_openmaptiles_are_now_multilingual_2_339d7331de.png 500w," sizes="100vw" width="500px"><br>The details of the implementation are described <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://github.com/openmaptiles/openmaptiles/issues/211#issuecomment-301728410">on GitHub</a> Roads, railways and more Several improvements were made on transportation layers, which now appears sooner and with more details. Primary roads are added to zoom 7. Railways are available one level up, and missing railway stations have been added. Highways are now improved - with links and road ramps fixed. Details are in the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://github.com/openmaptiles/openmaptiles/releases">release notes</a></p><p style="margin-left:calc(var(--bs-gutter-x)/-2);">If you need OpenStreetMap maps with places displayed in your language try our open-source project! For more details visit <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://www.openmaptiles.org/">http://www.openmaptiles.org</a>.&nbsp;</p>

OpenMapTiles project can now display multilingual names of places from the OpenStreetMap data very easily.

<p>New release of OpenMapTiles is here! Ready to take a look at major changes? Fasten your seatbelt, because we start at the airport!&nbsp;</p><p>The&nbsp;<strong>aeroway</strong> layer now contains runways and taxiways as linestrings starting at zoom level 11. Previously only aeroway polygons were available starting at zoom level 12, so now you can see more even at lower zoom level.&nbsp;</p><p>Attribute network of <strong>transportation_name</strong> layer is now filled-in for three major road networks of the USA, Transcanadian highway, and UK’s motorways and A roads. This change enables to display network-specific road shields in the map.<img src="https://media.maptiler.com/img/2017_04_10_openmaptiles_v35_from_runways_to_2_8774fbc746.jpg" alt="2017-04-10-openmaptiles-v35-from-runways-to_2.jpg" srcset="https://media.maptiler.com/img/thumbnail_2017_04_10_openmaptiles_v35_from_runways_to_2_8774fbc746.jpg 245w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/small_2017_04_10_openmaptiles_v35_from_runways_to_2_8774fbc746.jpg 500w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/medium_2017_04_10_openmaptiles_v35_from_runways_to_2_8774fbc746.jpg 750w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/large_2017_04_10_openmaptiles_v35_from_runways_to_2_8774fbc746.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="1000px">We also adjusted zoom levels of both <strong>transportation_name</strong> and <strong>transportation</strong> to show more roads and road numbers at lower zoom levels.</p><p>Our tiles now speak German! Together with name and name_en we added also name_de attribute that contains German name if available. This change is available for all layers having name attribute including place, poi, and waterway. Viel Spass!<img src="https://media.maptiler.com/img/2017_04_10_openmaptiles_v35_from_runways_to_3_4c709d0faa.jpg" alt="2017-04-10-openmaptiles-v35-from-runways-to_3.jpg" srcset="https://media.maptiler.com/img/thumbnail_2017_04_10_openmaptiles_v35_from_runways_to_3_4c709d0faa.jpg 245w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/small_2017_04_10_openmaptiles_v35_from_runways_to_3_4c709d0faa.jpg 500w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/medium_2017_04_10_openmaptiles_v35_from_runways_to_3_4c709d0faa.jpg 750w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/large_2017_04_10_openmaptiles_v35_from_runways_to_3_4c709d0faa.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="1000px">Release 3.5 introduces also brand new layer <strong>mountain_peak</strong> with mountain peaks and their elevation in both meters and feet. Mountain peaks start at zoom level 7 with only the most important peaks, up to the zoom level 14, that contains all of them.<img src="https://media.maptiler.com/img/2017_04_10_openmaptiles_v35_from_runways_to_4_14c3fdf3bd.jpg" alt="2017-04-10-openmaptiles-v35-from-runways-to_4.jpg" srcset="https://media.maptiler.com/img/thumbnail_2017_04_10_openmaptiles_v35_from_runways_to_4_14c3fdf3bd.jpg 245w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/small_2017_04_10_openmaptiles_v35_from_runways_to_4_14c3fdf3bd.jpg 500w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/medium_2017_04_10_openmaptiles_v35_from_runways_to_4_14c3fdf3bd.jpg 750w,https://media.maptiler.com/img/large_2017_04_10_openmaptiles_v35_from_runways_to_4_14c3fdf3bd.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="1000px">We hope you enjoyed the flight! More information available in <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://github.com/openmaptiles/openmaptiles/releases">release notes</a>. Download prepared extracts from <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://openmaptiles.com/downloads/">https://openmaptiles.com/downloads/</a>.</p>

New release of OpenMapTiles brings aeroways, transportation names, German names, and mountain peaks.

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Dalibor is a full-stack developer but is most active on the front-end. His responsibility is UX / UI design, and he likes coding with SASS. His experience also includes JavaScript, PHP, and Python. Dalibor has a master’s degree in GIS and takes care of cartography and geo health in the team.

His passion is mountains, speleology, and climbing.

Dalibor Janak

Top 5 ways to customize your map

Image icons and patterns for customized maps

Import GIS data to webmaps

Customized maps made easy

Detailed maps with quality control

Launching MapTiler Data for self-hosting

High-resolution aerial imagery of entire Japan!

OpenStreetMap in WGS84

Airbus satellite maps in MapTiler Maps API

Vector data editing in MapTiler Cloud

What are vector tiles and why you should care

First batch of high-res satellite imagery in MapTiler Cloud

Design own map with five clicks

OpenMapTiles are now multilingual

OpenMapTiles v3.5: From runways to mountain peaks