Open source platform for visualizing heavy GIS layers (~2 GB, 7 countries) with non-GIS users? Need help!
Hey everyone, hope you're all doing well. Stuck on something and figured the community might have some insight.
Background: My colleague and I were hired to build a geographic database for a client. Project covers 7 countries and we're sitting at around 2 GB of data right now:
- Vector layers in GPKG format
- Some rasters in TIFF format
- Side note: These formats came from preprocessing the original source data so they'd work directly for what the client needs
What the client needs:
- Query layers for project planning
- Generate their own maps
- Share results online with people who don't use GIS software (big one here)
What we tried: We really liked GeoLibre at first—had good vibes about it. But then we ran into a wall. When loading multiple heavy layers that need serious rendering, the app just freezes or goes completely unresponsive. Happens especially when zooming/panning across large areas or toggling between complex vector/raster combos.
My hunch is that since GeoLibre is still actively in development, these stability issues might just come with the territory. But we need something that works reliably.
Looking for advice on: Any open source alternatives that can handle this?
- Should scale to ~2 GB without crashing/freezing
- Needs to be friendly for non-technical users (interface is key)
- Web sharing with third parties would be a plus
- We can write basic code if needed (I'm pretty basic myself but I use AI assistants, my partner doesn't code)
Also, do you guys think this is even achievable with open source software? Or are we being too optimistic about what we can pull off on our own?
Any thoughts, suggestions, or even docs/case studies would be super helpful! Thanks in advance 🙏