Open a GeoPackage file as a table
GeoPackage has replaced the shapefile in many places: one .gpkg holds several layers, long field names and any encoding. Underneath it is an SQLite database. If you only need to read the attributes — names, codes, areas — or get a layer into Excel, you do not need a GIS program.
Free to use. Nothing to install. The file is read in your browser and never uploaded. Windows version — 4.9 MB, no installation: details. Pro — $29 once: price.
What you see
- Layers first. The layers registered in
gpkg_contentsopen by default — the first one with geometry. In “Parsing the file” → “Database table” they are listed first, each marked with its geometry type, e.g. “— layer POINT”. Plain attribute tables come next. - System tables at the end.
gpkg_spatial_ref_sys,gpkg_geometry_columnsand the rest describe the layers; they are moved to the bottom of the list. The spatial index tables (rtree_…) are hidden. - Geometry you can read. Instead of a blob of bytes, the geometry column shows the type and size:
Point (-0.1276 51.5072),Polygon · 1 ring, 5 points,MultiPolygon · 3 parts, 812 points. - Coordinates as columns. A point layer gets two extra number columns right after the geometry:
lonandlatfor WGS 84 (EPSG:4326),xandyfor any other coordinate system. You can sort, filter and export them.
What is decoded
Each geometry value is a GeoPackage binary: a short header (GP, flags, the SRS id, an optional bounding box) followed by standard WKB. The app reads both byte orders, the 2D, Z, M and ZM variants, empty geometries, and the types Point, LineString, Polygon, the Multi types, GeometryCollection and curves. It counts parts and points; it does not draw shapes or reproject coordinates.
The layer title shows the declared geometry type and coordinate system, e.g. “GeoPackage, layer ‘roads’ (MULTILINESTRING, EPSG:27700)”.
Typical tasks
- Open the
.gpkg. The first layer with geometry is on screen. - Switch layers in “Parsing the file”, or press “Open all tables as tabs” — system tables are skipped.
- Filter, find duplicates, build a pivot — the attribute table works like any other.
- Export to Excel or CSV: you get the attributes, the readable geometry summary and, for points, the coordinates. See SQLite to Excel.
Limits
- Read-only. A GeoPackage layer has triggers that keep the spatial index up to date, and they call functions that only GIS software provides. Edit layers in QGIS.
- No map. Shapes are summarized, not drawn.
- SQL queries run on the database as on any SQLite file, but in a query result the geometry stays a binary value; open the layer itself to see it decoded.
FAQ
Is a GeoPackage really just SQLite?
Yes. It is an SQLite database with a set of required tables that describe its layers. That is why the same reader opens it.
Can I open a shapefile the same way?
A shapefile’s attributes are in its .dbf: see opening a shapefile’s attribute table. A zipped shapefile opens straight from the ZIP.
Are raster tiles shown?
Tile tables are listed and open as tables of rows with image blobs; the map tiles themselves are not rendered.
Does the file leave my computer?
No. It is parsed in your browser tab.
Free to use. Your file is not uploaded to a server. Windows version — 4.9 MB, no installation: details. Pro — $29 once: price.