Tile38
Tile38 is a geospatial database and geofencing server for location-based applications.
What Tile38 is
Tile38 is a geospatial database and geofencing server for location-based applications. It indexes spatial data and supports searches for objects that intersect, sit within, or are near a defined area, as well as static and roaming geofencing. It can send real-time geofence notifications for datasets ranging from a few points to millions. Supported data includes latitude and longitude points, bounding boxes, XYZ tiles, geohashes, and GeoJSON, along with other listed spatial types such as QuadKey and sectors. Tile38 supports 3D geometry but does not provide coordinate transforms. It is open source under the MIT license and is self-hosted, with Docker, package, and binary installation options. Applications can connect through HTTP, WebSockets, or telnet, with JSON or RESP responses; its native Redis protocol also works with many clients that support basic Redis commands. It lists integrations for messaging and streaming systems, including NATS, Kafka, and RabbitMQ, and client libraries for several languages.
Good
- Free and released under the MIT license
- Real-time geofence notifications for small or large datasets
- Supports GeoJSON, geohashes, points, and other spatial data
- Provides HTTP, WebSockets, and telnet access
- Offers client libraries for multiple programming languages
Watch out
- Self-hosted deployment requires installation
- Password protection is off by default
- Prometheus metrics endpoint is disabled by default
- Coordinate transforms are not supported
Who it suits
Tile38 suits developers building location-based services that need geospatial search or geofence notifications. It is also suitable for teams seeking a self-hosted, open-source option with Redis-compatible access and multiple client libraries.
Verdict
Tile38 combines geospatial indexing, geofencing, and several access protocols in a free, self-hosted package. Its default authentication and metrics settings are worth noting when planning a deployment.
Plans and prices
From Tile38's own pricing page, checked 2 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Tile38 | Free | 100% open source software |
The facts
Each one read from Tile38's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Authentication
- The configuration guide says password protection is off by default and protected mode allows authenticated clients or connections from localhost by default.checked 2 Oct 2026
- Client libraries
- The documentation lists Tile38-specific client libraries for Go, Node.js, Python, TypeScript, Rust, Swift, and Java.checked 2 Oct 2026
- Data types
- Supported spatial object types include latitude/longitude points, bounding boxes, XYZ tiles, geohashes, and GeoJSON.checked 2 Oct 2026
- Event integrations
- The site lists built-in support for NATS, Kafka, Amazon SQS, gRPC, Redis, RabbitMQ, MQTT, and HTTP/2.checked 2 Oct 2026
- Geofencing
- It delivers real-time geofence notifications for a few data points or millions.checked 2 Oct 2026
- Install options
- The installation guide provides Docker, Homebrew, Linux package, MacPorts, and pre-built release binary options.checked 2 Oct 2026
- Metrics
- Tile38 can export Prometheus metrics, and the metrics endpoint is disabled by default.checked 2 Oct 2026
- Open source
- Tile38 is released under the MIT license.checked 2 Oct 2026
- Product
- Tile38 is a geospatial database and geofencing server for location-based applications.checked 2 Oct 2026
- Protocols
- Tile38 documents HTTP, WebSockets, and telnet access, with responses in JSON or RESP depending on the protocol used.checked 2 Oct 2026
- Redis compatibility
- Tile38 uses the Redis RESP protocol natively, so most clients supporting basic Redis commands also work with it.checked 2 Oct 2026
- Spatial search
- Its spatial indexing engine supports Intersects, Within, Nearby, and static and roaming geofencing operations.checked 2 Oct 2026
- Support and community
- The site links to Stack Overflow and Slack for community participation.checked 2 Oct 2026
- Supported operating systems
- Pre-built release binaries are available for OSX, Linux, FreeBSD, and Windows.checked 2 Oct 2026
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