Tile38 review
A self-hosted spatial database for real-time location queries and geofencing.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Tile38 is an open-source, in-memory geospatial database and geofencing server for applications that track locations and evaluate spatial relationships. It is aimed at teams building location services, proximity features, asset tracking, and real-time geofence workflows. Spatial indexes support Nearby, Within, and Intersects searches, while stored objects can include points, bounding boxes, geohashes, GeoJSON objects, XYZ tiles, QuadKeys, and sectors. Three-dimensional support is also included in its category capabilities.
The pricing model is open source with a free plan, and deployment is self-hosted across Windows, macOS, Linux, APIs, and self-managed environments. The product can be deployed using release binaries, Docker, or package managers. Its interfaces include HTTP, WebSocket, telnet, and Redis RESP, giving development teams several ways to connect applications and services. Leader-follower replication, Lua scripting, JSON document commands, and a Prometheus metrics endpoint extend its operational and application-integration options.
Tile38 is particularly focused on real-time spatial detection rather than broad database functionality. Geofence events can detect entering, exiting, being inside or outside, and crossing a boundary, with notifications delivered through channels, webhooks, and publish/subscribe workflows. Integrations include NATS, Kafka, Amazon SQS, gRPC, Redis, RabbitMQ, MQTT, and HTTP/2. Teams should choose Tile38 when self-hosting and event-driven geospatial behavior are priorities. An alternative may be more suitable when coordinate transformation capabilities or a managed deployment model are central requirements.
Tile38 pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Real-time geofencing with enter, exit, inside, outside, and cross detection
- Supports GeoJSON, geohashes, bounding boxes, XYZ tiles, and QuadKeys
- Connects with Kafka, NATS, MQTT, RabbitMQ, Redis, and other systems
- Where it doesn't
- Self-hosted deployment requires operational responsibility
- Coordinate transformations are not included in its listed capabilities
- Its in-memory design may not suit every persistence requirement
Tile38 fact sheet, pricing and score →
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