Convert FlatGeobuf to Shapefile Online — Free GIS Converter

FlatGeobuf is a cutting-edge cloud-native format, but many desktop GIS tools and government data portals still require Shapefile — convert your .fgb file to a .zip Shapefile bundle with geodata.plus.

Why convert FlatGeobuf to Shapefile?

FlatGeobuf is increasingly used in modern GIS pipelines for its speed and HTTP range request support, but it is rarely accepted by legacy systems. Government data portals, ArcMap workflows, Tableau integrations, and most data submission forms still expect Shapefile as the standard input format. If you have processed or stored data in FlatGeobuf and need to share it with a colleague using older software or submit it to a portal, converting to Shapefile is the most reliable way to ensure compatibility.

Shapefile is also the required format for many infrastructure asset management systems and utility company GIS databases that have not yet migrated to modern formats. FlatGeobuf to Shapefile is therefore a common "last mile" conversion in data delivery pipelines.

Why use geodata.plus

• Free tier — convert up to 3 files per month at no cost, no credit card required
• Automatic CRS detection — reads the CRS from the FlatGeobuf header and writes a correct .prj file automatically
• Optional reprojection — reproject to any target EPSG code before download (e.g., from WGS 84 to a local projected CRS)
• Browser-based — no QGIS, GDAL, or ArcGIS install needed; works on any modern browser
• Encrypted transfer — all uploads use TLS; files are stored temporarily in Cloudflare R2 and automatically deleted on schedule
• Auto-deleted output — output files are automatically deleted after 2 days (free tier) and 7 days (Pro); no manual cleanup needed

How it works

1. Upload your FlatGeobuf file (.fgb) using the widget above
2. geodata.plus reads the FlatGeobuf header to confirm the CRS and geometry type
3. Select Shapefile as the output format; optionally choose a target EPSG for reprojection
4. Download your .zip archive containing the .shp, .shx, .dbf, and .prj components

FlatGeobuf format

FlatGeobuf is a binary, row-oriented vector format built on FlatBuffers. It stores a Hilbert R-tree spatial index at the head of the file, enabling fast bounding-box queries without loading the full dataset. The CRS is encoded in the file header, all OGC geometry types are supported, and attribute field names have no length restrictions. FlatGeobuf is the preferred format for cloud-native GIS data serving over HTTP.

| Property | Value | |---|---| | Extension | .fgb | | Type | Vector, single file (binary) | | Coordinate system | Any CRS (stored in header) | | Geometry types | Point, LineString, Polygon, MultiPoint, MultiLineString, MultiPolygon, GeometryCollection | | Common software | GDAL, QGIS, Mapbox, cloud-native GIS, web APIs |

Shapefile format

The Shapefile format was developed by Esri and remains the most universally accepted vector format in legacy GIS systems. A Shapefile is a bundle of at least three files: .shp (geometry), .shx (spatial index), and .dbf (attribute table), with a .prj file storing the CRS definition. Its limitations — 10-character field names, 2 GB file size cap, single geometry type per file — are well known but widely tolerated given its ubiquity.

| Property | Value | |---|---| | Extension | .shp + .shx + .dbf + .prj (delivered as .zip) | | Type | Vector, multi-file bundle | | Coordinate system | Any CRS (stored in .prj) | | Geometry types | Point, Polyline, Polygon, MultiPoint (one type per file) | | Common software | ArcGIS, QGIS, Tableau, AutoCAD Civil 3D, government portals |

Frequently asked questions

FlatGeobuf supports long field names — will they be truncated in the Shapefile output?

Yes. The DBF format limits field names to 10 characters. geodata.plus truncates names that exceed this limit and appends a numeric suffix to resolve collisions (e.g., land_use_category becomes land_use_c). A conversion summary lists all truncated field names so you can verify the mapping.

My FlatGeobuf contains MultiPolygon geometries — will the Shapefile handle them?

Yes. The Shapefile Polygon type supports multi-ring and multi-part polygons, which is the equivalent of GeoJSON/FlatGeobuf MultiPolygons. geodata.plus maps MultiPolygon geometries to Shapefile polygon entities correctly, preserving all rings.

The source FlatGeobuf file is in a projected CRS — will the .prj file be set correctly?

Yes. geodata.plus reads the CRS from the FlatGeobuf header and writes a Well-Known Text CRS definition into the .prj file matching that EPSG code. If you also request reprojection to a different CRS, the .prj will reflect the target CRS instead.