Choosing the right standard for geospatial tiles affects speed, compatibility, and how easily your web GIS scales. Below is a practical breakdown of OGC API – Tiles, WMTS, and XYZ so you can decide what to ship today—and how to migrate with less risk.

Quick definitions

• OGC API – Tiles — Modern, RESTful building blocks to serve tiles of vector features, coverages, and maps with OpenAPI discovery. Aims to replace older tiles interfaces over time. 

• WMTS — OGC standard for serving pre-rendered (or cached) map tiles using declared tile matrices; widely supported in enterprise GIS. 

• XYZ — De facto web mapping URL scheme {z}/{x}/{y} used by Leaflet/MapLibre; simple and fast to consume, not a formal OGC standard.

Differences that matter

Discovery & metadata

• OGC API – Tiles advertises collections, tile sets, and capabilities via REST + JSON and OpenAPI docs, easing client generation.

• WMTS uses Capabilities documents (XML) to declare layers and tile matrices; proven but heavier.

• XYZ has no formal discovery—clients need the URL template.

Addressing & caching

• XYZ: simplest {z}/{x}/{y} addressing; CDN-friendly.

• WMTS: tile addressing tied to a declared Tile Matrix Set; strong predictability for caching.

• OGC API – Tiles: modern HTTP semantics with explicit tile sets and ranges; designed for scalable caching.

Data types & formats

• WMTS commonly serves raster tiles (PNG/JPEG).

• OGC API – Tiles explicitly supports multiple geospatial resource types including vector tiles and coverages.

• XYZ can serve whatever your server returns, but conventionally raster (or vector via specific libraries).

Auth & enterprise fit

• OGC API – Tiles aligns with modern API security patterns (tokens, scopes) and OpenAPI governance. 

• WMTS remains the safest bet when mandated by enterprise GIS stacks and vendor support.

How geospatial teams should choose (decision table)

Related: see our guide on adding external data sources to your project (WMS/WFS/TMS) for quick integrations.

Migration tips

1. Keep WMTS for legacy consumers; expose OGC API – Tiles in parallel as you modernize.

2. Start with an XYZ endpoint for public basemaps; layer enterprise tiles behind OGC/WMTS as needed. 

3. Document your tile matrix sets and projections to avoid reprojection surprises during the cutover. 

FAQ

Does OGC API – Tiles replace WMTS today?
Not immediately; it’s the modern path, and many vendors now add support alongside WMTS. 

Is XYZ a standard?
No—it's a widely used convention supported by web mapping libraries.

Can WMTS serve vector tiles?
Primarily raster; vector delivery typically uses other mechanisms, whereas OGC API – Tiles covers vector tile use cases. 

What projection should I use?
Most XYZ/WMTS deployments use Web Mercator (EPSG:3857); confirm in your Capabilities/metadata.

Key takeaways

• Use XYZ for simple public maps, WMTS for entrenched enterprise stacks, and OGC API – Tiles for future-ready APIs.

• Plan a staged migration with dual publishing where possible.

• Document tile matrices and advertise metadata clearly.

Book a demo: Want help choosing and implementing the right tile interface? Book a demo and we’ll review your stack.