Compare software

MapProxy vs MapServer: catalog facts
MapProxy	MapServer
Best for: GIS teams that need to cache and serve existing map services faster	Best for: Organisations publishing their own spatial data as web maps
Free Free and open source.	Free Free and open source; commercial support is available from third-party providers.
Linux, Self-hosted	Windows, macOS, Linux, Self-hosted
Supports WMS, WMTS, TMS and ArcGIS REST sources Many cache backends including MBTiles, S3 and Redis All 3 strengths for MapProxy Supports WMS, WMTS, TMS and ArcGIS REST sources Many cache backends including MBTiles, S3 and Redis Reprojection, merging and clipping of sources	Long-established OSGeo project with regular releases Runs on Windows, Linux and macOS All 4 strengths for MapServer Long-established OSGeo project with regular releases Runs on Windows, Linux and macOS Permissive MIT-style license Suite includes MapCache and TinyOWS
Configured through YAML with no graphical interface Aimed at GIS administrators rather than casual users	Not a full GIS for editing or analysis Requires server setup and configuration
Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License: MIT
No account needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for MapProxy mapproxy.org Catalog checked October 1, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for MapServer mapserver.org Catalog checked September 24, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.