First and foremost, Protomaps presents itself as an efficient system for affordably providing interactive maps. These maps are derived from a singular file archive and are hosted on an HTTP address, examples of which are S3-like storages. The way it performs this function is by querying the needed tiles through the use of HTTP range headers.
The format used by these single-file archives is termed as PMTiles. Intriguingly, the blueprint for PMTiles can be found on GitHub, under this link: PMTiles on Github
This methodology enables incredibly budget-friendly and straightforward map hosting. Another key point to note is that it functions smoothly with leaflet, maplibre, and openlayers. This hands map hosting a never-before-experienced flexibility and compatibility thereby cementing the importance and relevance of Protomaps and PMTiles in contemporary mapping solutions.
