How Recast works
Recast is a focused, free GIS file converter. It runs in your browser, using your computer’s CPU and memory. Your selected file contents are not uploaded to a conversion server.
Drop, inspect, choose, convert
- Select a supported file and any required companions.
- Recast opens it locally and reads its format, layers or bands, and available coordinates.
- Review the metadata and choose an offered output. Some conversions require a layer or band selection.
- Click Convert, then save the downloaded result. A batch produces separate downloads.
Automatic detection has limits
Recast identifies supported datasets from their readable contents after checking the extension. It cannot infer a missing CRS, recover corrupt pixels, or verify that the file’s creator assigned the correct coordinates. It shows what the file says and flags missing information.
What stays local
The website and the GDAL WebAssembly engine load from this site. Inspection, conversion, and generated file downloads then happen in your browser. Recast does not require an account. As with any hosted website, ordinary page and asset requests still reach the hosting infrastructure; that is separate from the file contents you select.
Website analytics
We use self-hosted Rybbit at analytics.ycorplabs.com to understand visits, page views, and outbound link clicks. Session replay, form and button capture, copy tracking, and error tracking are disabled. Query strings are excluded from tracked page URLs. We do not send your selected GIS files, filenames, or conversion metadata as analytics events. Analytics requests are separate from the local conversion process.
When to use another tool
Use Recast for a supported conversion with few settings. If you need visual map inspection, editing, an unsupported format, or data beyond browser memory limits, consider QGIS or compare MyGeodata’s broader online service. This site does not promise cold-start offline use or successful conversion of every file under its size limits.
Built with open-source tools
Conversions use gdal3.js and GDAL; ZIP handling uses fflate. Their bundled GDAL wrapper license and ZIP library license are available here.
Frequently asked questions
Do I just drop my file?
Yes, for one of the supported input types. Recast reads the file locally to identify its format, layers or bands, and available coordinate information. You then review the detected metadata, choose an offered output, and click Convert. It does not convert immediately on drop.
Can Recast figure out a missing coordinate system?
No. A file can contain coordinates without identifying their coordinate reference system (CRS). Recast flags this. It will not guess a CRS; standard GeoJSON export is blocked until a source CRS is known. Assign the correct CRS in QGIS first.
Are my files uploaded anywhere?
No. File inspection and conversion run in your browser using GDAL WebAssembly. The website and conversion engine download from this site, but your selected file contents are not sent to a conversion server.
Is Recast free?
Yes. There is no account, subscription, or per-conversion charge. Technical limits still apply: 20 datasets and 1 GB total input per batch, plus browser memory limits.
What can I convert to?
The outputs are GeoTIFF, ASCII Grid in a ZIP with available sidecars, GeoJSON, and GeoPackage. Recast offers raster outputs for raster inputs and vector outputs for vector inputs. KML and zipped Shapefile are inputs only.
What are the size limits?
Up to 20 datasets and 1 GB total input per batch. Decoded raster pixels and retained output downloads are limited to 1 GB. Shapefile ZIP extraction is limited to 128 MB and 100 entries. These are acceptance limits, not a promise that every file below them will fit in browser memory.
Can it repair a corrupted TIFF?
Rewriting a readable TIFF with DEFLATE compression can help with compatibility. It cannot recover unreadable pixels, restore detail lost to JPEG compression, or invent missing coordinates. Keep the original file.
Inspect it locally, choose an output, and save your result.
Open the free converter ↗Check formats and limits