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I have a GeoPackage file with a single raster layer and a total size of 0.5 GB that I want to convert to a GeoTIFF file. I imported the original .gpkg in QGIS and exported the one layer as a GeoTIFF, resulting in a file size of almost 30 GB (!!)

This seems quite weird to me. Can anyone explain why the .tif file is so much larger than the .gpkg? Can I reduce its size without compromising resolution and what are my other options for the file conversion?

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    Which extent are we talking about, which ground resolution? Why do you feel the need to export from .gpkg to .tif?
    – Erik
    Commented Jul 13, 2021 at 12:10
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    did you set any compression for the GeoTiff?
    – Ian Turton
    Commented Jul 13, 2021 at 12:17
  • we're talking around 1000 hectars with ground resolution around 7cm. we're using an image labeling tool that only accepts geodata in .tif format hence the need for conversion
    – denise
    Commented Jul 15, 2021 at 20:14

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I assume that the raster data in the input GPKG was compressed, while you did not set any compression when exporting the raster to GeoTIFF format. Check out the GeoTIFF format creation options: https://gdal.org/drivers/raster/gtiff.html and find out which compression method is appropriate for you: https://kokoalberti.com/articles/geotiff-compression-optimization-guide/.

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  • I did indeed not set any compression! Thanks for the hint. However, chosing the highest level of compression in QGIS when exporting (and waiting around three hours) still resulted in a .tif file size of almost 5GB, which still is 10x the size of the original .gpkg..
    – denise
    Commented Jul 15, 2021 at 20:16
  • Which exact compression options did you use? There are many nuances that can make or break a good ratio. Did you set a predictor?
    – bugmenot123
    Commented Jan 25, 2022 at 8:59

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