Skip to main content

File Geodatabase

An Esri File Geodatabase is a folder-based geodatabase that can contain many feature classes, rasters/tables and geodatabase structures.

It is common in council/Esri data deliveries and older national datasets.

Use it when​

  • ArcGIS workflows require geodatabase capabilities
  • a provider distributes an authoritative FGDB
  • you need to preserve a multi-layer Esri delivery

QGIS interoperability​

QGIS/GDAL can read common File Geodatabase content and can write in supported configurations, but not every advanced Esri geodatabase behaviour maps cleanly between products. If domains, relationship classes, utility networks or other specialised constructs matter, test the conversion rather than assuming the feature geometry is the whole database.

For a simple cross-platform local store, GeoPackage is often easier.

Last reviewed: 26 August 2026

Last updated on