Client-Side vs Server-Side Rendering in Web GIS

Reading time: ~6 min

Modern Web GIS can render either in the browser (client-side) or on the server before sending images/tiles to the browser. The “right” choice depends on your data size, styling needs, interactivity, and how you plan to print.

Client-side rendering (browser)

• Tech: OpenLayers, Leaflet, WebGL renderers.
• Pros: Low latency interactions, dynamic styling, offline potential, easy annotations.
• Cons: Heavy datasets can affect performance; device-dependent.
• Printing: Works well with TrueGIS because drawings and styles are already in-browser at export time.

Server-side rendering

• Tech: Map server produces raster tiles or images.
• Pros: Centralized performance; predictable tile caching; good for huge datasets.
• Cons: Less interactive styling; infrastructure cost; potential lag.
• Printing: Quality depends on source tile resolution; vector overlays still recommended for crisp outputs.

Choosing an approach

• Small to medium data + interactivity? Client-side is usually best.
• Large datasets or many users? Consider server-side tiles plus light client overlays.
• Need accurate prints? Keep annotations as vectors and use a scaled layout (see Inkmap deep dive).

Next: learn the browser stack in OpenLayers basics and compare Leaflet vs OpenLayers.