Frequently asked question

Can ArcGIS Desktop view MBTiles?

Last Published: October 1, 2025

MBTiles is a file format for storing raster or vector tilesets in an SQLite database instead of a compact cache format used by Esri. MBTiles is designed to package thousands of files that make up a tileset to upload to an open source tool for publishing tile-based web maps such as Mapbox, or in a web or mobile application.  

The default ArcMap and ArcGIS Pro do not support MBTiles, and they must be viewed through third-party extensions and applications such as Arc2Earth (now defunct) or QGIS. However, the Data Interoperability extension of ArcMap 10.7 and ArcGIS Pro supports reading and writing of MBTiles using FME readers and writers.

Article ID: 000021173

Software:
  • ArcGIS Data Interoperabilityx
  • ArcMap 10 7

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