Free
Run Strata on your own data — no account required.
- Serve + Ask, single machine
- ArcGIS REST FeatureServer + Vector Tiles
- Capped layers & users
- Community support
The platform
Strata — serve your data, then talk to it
One platform, two capabilities. Serve publishes your data as ArcGIS-compatible FeatureServer + Vector Tile services. Ask lets anyone explore it in plain, natural language — with a fully on-prem, local-LLM option. A single, dependency-free binary you install in minutes.
1
binary, no dependencies
REST
FeatureServer + tiles
0
client changes needed
▶ See it serving“Buffer the hospitals by 2 km”
Install in minutes
The opposite of a multi-machine IT project
A GitHub pull or a double-click — no Portal, no web adaptor, no data store to stand up, no planning cycle. Run it on your laptop, then replicate behind a load balancer for high availability.
Single binary
Dependency-free. No database to run — DuckDB is embedded.
On-prem / sovereign
Your servers, your cloud, or a laptop. Your data never has to leave.
Highly available
Lightweight enough to replicate behind a load balancer for an HA pair.
Serve
Upload your data — it's a service
Upload a GeoJSON, Shapefile or CSV into the Strata Data Store and it's instantly an ArcGIS-compatible FeatureServer + Vector Tile service. Browse it like an ArcGIS services directory; ArcGIS Pro, the Maps SDK, QGIS and MapLibre connect unchanged.
Fully compatible with your ArcGIS Pro
1
ArcGIS REST compatible
FeatureServer + VectorTileServer endpoints, query, statistics, top-features, bins, generateRenderer, related records.
2
Cloud-native geospatial
Serve GeoParquet from local or cloud (S3) storage directly via DuckDB — no import step, no database to run.
3
ArcGIS Pro ready
Discoverable from Pro's “Add Server”, with the catalog handshake and folder-scoped services.
4
MapLibre / Mapbox styles
Generate MapLibre / Mapbox GL style JSON for your vector tiles — drop it straight into a web map.
Ask
Then talk to it — in plain language
Ask turns plain-language questions into live maps, tables and charts over your data. A conversational assistant for everyone, a deterministic no-hallucination command mode for professionals, and a fully on-premises, local-LLM option so your data never leaves the building.
Strata · Ask
Which wards in DC have the most schools?
Top 3 wards by number of schools:
Query ran on your Schools layer — 251 features.
Buffer the hospitals by 2 km and color them by capacity
Done — 9 buffers added to the map, styled with 5 class breaks by capacity.
Buffer · 2 km9 featuresClass breaks · 5
A scripted preview — the real product runs live on your ArcGIS services.
Natural language
Ask questions and give instructions in plain language; replies always match your language — Arabic included.
Deterministic commands
Composer commands run with no model in the loop — predictable, no-hallucination operations for pros.
Multi-agent reasoning
An orchestrator plans and delegates to specialists for query, analytics, geoprocessing, styling and charts.
Smart styling & labels
Class-breaks, unique-value, heatmaps, clustering, labels and popups — generated from a description.
Sovereign & private
Run fully on-premises with a local model (Ollama), or use a cloud model — your choice per deployment.
MCP integration
A built-in MCP server lets external AI assistants (e.g. Claude Desktop) drive the live map.
Works with your stack
Connect from the tools you already use
ArcGIS ProArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScriptQGISMapLibreEsri REST clientsGeoParquetDuckDB
Honest boundaries
Serve is read-only today. Naming what Strata doesn't do is what makes where it wins believable to an Esri-savvy buyer.
Editing via REST (applyEdits) is planned for a later release, scoped to non-authoritative data collection — authoritative, versioned editing stays Esri's job.
—
No server-side editing or geoprocessing (yet)
—
No Portal / OAuth sharing model
—
No Image Server / GeoEvent
Strata is an independent, interoperable product. “Compatible with ArcGIS®” describes interoperability only.
Get Strata
Start free — one simple ladder
Ask (AI) is included at every tier — no separate GeoAI cap. Free on a single machine; Team at $1,200/yr; Unlimited at $2,400/yr with uncapped users.
Team & Unlimited
Everything in Free, plus production scale, uncapped users and support.
- Everything in Free, plus:
- Up to 200 or unlimited layers & users
- Up to two machines (HA pair)
- Priority support & onboarding
For developers & architects
The GIS backend framework — build your own apps on it.
Supabase / Directus, but for GIS data. A headless spatial backend — data serving + AI, then user management and per-layer permissions on the roadmap — that gives your app teams just the right backend, then gets out of the way.
HeadlessUncapped usersInstall in minutesSovereign / on-prem
Honest roadmap
Serving and Ask are here today
Everything you can try right now — the ArcGIS-compatible serving engine and the AI assistant — is shipping and free to run. The full framework vision goes one step further.
Serve — available now
FeatureServer + Vector Tile services over the ArcGIS REST protocol.
Ask — available now
Natural-language querying, analytics and styling, with a local-LLM option.
Docs & GitHub
Docs & GitHub
Build on Strata: open solution repos, technical docs, and the ArcGIS REST surface. Serve GeoParquet from local or S3 via DuckDB — FeatureServer + VectorTileServer, no import step. DIY free, or get it delivered.
Open solution repos
Start from an open, AI-guided template
Every solution starts from an open template you can build yourself for free — or have us deliver and support the finished result.
Emergency Response template
A live common operating picture for public safety — incidents, assets and hazards on one map. DIY free, or get it delivered.
See on GitHub →Banking template
Site selection, catchments and collateral risk in flood zones — on-prem, behind your perimeter. DIY free, or get it delivered.
See on GitHub →Open-Data Hub (Atlas) template
An ArcGIS Hub–style open-data portal, catalog and public map site you host yourself. DIY free, or get it delivered.
See on GitHub →FAQ
Questions people actually ask an AI
Honest, concrete answers — framed for coexistence with your existing Esri stack.
Is there a cheaper alternative to ArcGIS Server?
Yes. Strata serves your data over the ArcGIS REST protocol (FeatureServer + VectorTileServer) and starts free; paid tiers are a fixed 10% (Team, $1,200/yr) and 20% (Unlimited, $2,400/yr) of the ArcGIS Enterprise Standard on-prem US reference list price. It's built to coexist — keep your Esri licenses and run Strata for the web-facing tier.
How do I serve GeoParquet as a FeatureServer?
Point Strata at a GeoParquet file on local disk or S3 and it's instantly an ArcGIS-compatible FeatureServer — DuckDB reads the Parquet directly, with no import step and no separate database to run. Clients like ArcGIS Pro, the Maps SDK, QGIS and MapLibre connect unchanged.
Is there an on-prem / sovereign AI GIS assistant?
Yes — Strata's Ask runs fully on-premises with a local model (e.g. Ollama), so your data never leaves the building. You can also use a cloud model per deployment; it's your choice. There's also a deterministic, no-hallucination command mode for professionals.
Can I publish web layers from Parquet?
Yes. Strata publishes GeoParquet as ArcGIS-compatible FeatureServer + Vector Tile services and can emit MapLibre / Mapbox GL style JSON — so your Parquet becomes live web layers you can drop straight into a web map.
Does it work with ArcGIS Pro without migration?
Yes. Strata is discoverable from ArcGIS Pro's “Add Server” and speaks the ArcGIS REST protocol, so Pro, the ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript, QGIS and MapLibre all connect unchanged — no migration and no client changes required.
Can I run the AI with a local model (no cloud)?
Yes. Ask supports a fully local LLM (e.g. Ollama) so no data or prompt ever leaves your network. Cloud models are optional and chosen per deployment.
How much does it cost?
Strata is free to start. Team is $1,200/yr (up to 200 layers & 200 users, one machine) and Unlimited is $2,400/yr (no limits, uncapped users, up to two machines). Ask (AI) is included at every tier. Solutions are priced per outcome — start free with the open template or contact us for a quote.
Can it edit data?
Serve is read-only today. Editing via REST (applyEdits) is planned for a later release, scoped to non-authoritative data collection — authoritative, versioned editing stays Esri's job. Naming the boundary honestly is part of how Strata coexists with your Esri investment.
Machine-readable for AI assistants: read the llms.txt at /llms.txt.
Complete spatial platform
Serve your data. Then talk to it.
Strata serves your spatial data over the ArcGIS REST protocol, then lets anyone explore it in plain language — on-prem and sovereign, at a fraction of Enterprise cost. Keep your Esri licenses.