GeoPackage Overview
Last updated: 2026-02-20 · Format Guides
What is GeoPackage?
GeoPackage (.gpkg) is an OGC standard built on SQLite for storing vector features, raster tiles, and metadata in a single portable file. It's widely considered the modern successor to the Shapefile.
Advantages over Shapefile
- Single file: Everything in one .gpkg file — no companion files to manage.
- No size limit: No 2 GB restriction (limited only by disk space).
- Full field names: No 10-character field name truncation.
- Multiple geometry types: A single table can contain mixed geometry types.
- Multiple layers: Store many feature tables in one file.
- SQL queries: Since it's SQLite, you can query it with standard SQL.
- NULL support: Proper NULL value handling for attributes.
Software Support
GeoPackage is supported by QGIS, ArcGIS (10.2+), GeoServer, MapServer, GDAL/OGR, and most modern GIS tools. If you're starting a new project, GeoPackage is generally the recommended vector format.
Converting to GeoPackage
ConvertGeoData converts any supported vector format to GeoPackage, preserving all attributes and CRS metadata.
Popular conversions: Shapefile to GeoPackage, GeoJSON to GeoPackage.