<PAGE>
 
              As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
                               on April 4, 1997
                                                           Registration No. 333-

================================================================================

                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            Washington, D.C. 20549

                                   FORM S-8

                         REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER
                          THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                              MapInfo Corporation
            ------------------------------------------------------
            (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

           New York                                        06-1166630
----------------------------------                     ------------------
(State or other jurisdiction of                          (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)                        Identification Number)

    One Global View, Troy, New York                          12180
---------------------------------------                   -----------
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)                   (Zip Code)

                        1993 DIRECTOR STOCK OPTION PLAN
                        -------------------------------
                           (Full title of the Plan)

                             Mark G. Borden, Esq.
                               Hale and Dorr LLP
                                60 State Street
                          Boston, Massachusetts 02109
                 --------------------------------------------
                    (Name and address of agent for service)

                                (617) 526-6000
                 --------------------------------------------
         (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

================================================================================
                        CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
                        -------------------------------
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Title of securities to         Amount to     Proposed maximum offering     Proposed maximum aggregate        Amount of 
be registered                be registered        price per share                offering  price         registration fee
---------------------------  -------------   -------------------------     --------------------------    -----------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                          <C>            <C>                           <C>                            <C>
Common Stock, $.002 par      30,000 shares         $8.875(1)                     $266,250(1)                 $100
 value per share
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
(1)  Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee, and
     based upon the average of the high and low prices of the Registrant's
     Common Stock as reported by the Nasdaq National Market on March 31, 1997 in
     accordance with Rules 457(c) and 457(h) of the Securities Act of 1933.
================================================================================
<PAGE>
 
                    Statement of Incorporation by Reference
                    ---------------------------------------


     This Registration Statement on Form S-8 incorporates by reference the
contents of the Registration Statement on Form S-8, File No. 33-77660, filed by
MapInfo Corporation (the "Registrant") on January 31, 1994, relating to the
Registrant's 1993 Director Stock Option Plan.
<PAGE>
 
                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Troy, State of New York, on the 3rd day of April,
1997.

                                             MAPINFO CORPORATION



                                             By:  /s/ John C. Cavalier
                                                 --------------------------
                                                      John C. Cavalier
                                                      President and Chief
                                                       Executive Officer


                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

     We, the undersigned officers and directors of MapInfo Corporation, hereby
severally constitute and appoint John C. Cavalier, D. Joseph Gersuk and Mark G.
Borden, and each of them singly, our true and lawful attorneys with full power
to them, and each of them singly, to sign for us and in our names, in the
capacities indicated below, the Registration Statement on Form S-8 filed
herewith, and any and all subsequent amendments to said Registration Statement,
and generally to do all such things in our names and on our behalf and in our
capacities as officers and directors to enable MapInfo Corporation to comply
with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and all
requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and
confirming our signatures as they may be signed by our said attorneys, or any of
them, to said Registration Statement and any and all amendments thereto.
<PAGE>
 
     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration
Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and
on the dates indicated.
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
 
       Signature                     Title                   Date
-----------------------  ------------------------------  -------------
<S>                      <C>                             <C>
 
/s/ Michael D. Marvin    Chairman of the Board           April 3, 1997
-----------------------
Michael D. Marvin
 
/s/ John C. Cavalier     President, Chief                April 3, 1997
-----------------------    Executive Officer and
John C. Cavalier           Director (Principal Executive
                           Officer)
 
 
/s/ D. Joseph Gersuk     Vice President and Chief        April 3, 1997
-----------------------    Financial Officer (Principal
D. Joseph Gersuk           Financial and Accounting
                           Officer)
 
 
/s/ John F. Haller       Director                        April 3, 1997
-----------------------
John F. Haller
 
/s/ Laszlo C. Bardos     Director                        April 3, 1997
-----------------------
Laszlo C. Bardos
 
/s/ John F. Burton       Director                        April 3, 1997
-----------------------
John F. Burton
 
/s/ George C. McNamee    Director                        April 3, 1997
-----------------------
George C. McNamee
 
/s/ James A. Perakis     Director                        April 3, 1997
-----------------------
James A. Perakis
 
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
 
                                 EXHIBIT INDEX
                                 -------------

Exhibit
Number
------

4.1 (1)  Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant, as
         amended to date

4.2 (1)  Amended and Restated By-laws of the Registrant

4.3 (1)  Specimen Stock Certificate of Common Stock of the Registrant

5        Opinion of Hale and Dorr LLP

23.1     Consent of Hale and Dorr LLP (included in Exhibit 5)

23.2     Consent of Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P.

24.1     Power of Attorney (included on the signature page of this Registration
         Statement)


_____________________

(1)  Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant's Registration Statement
     on Form S-1 (File No. 33-72866).
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "FORM S-8", "secsgml_size_bytes": 8040}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "MAPINFO CORP", "cik": "0000916238", "assigned-sic": "7372", "irs-number": "061166630", "state-of-incorporation": "NY", "fiscal-year-end": "0930"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-24545", "film-number": "97574890"}, "business-address": {"street1": "ONE GLOBAL VIEW", "city": "TROY", "state": "NY", "zip": "12180", "phone": "5182856000"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "ONE GLOBAL VIEW", "city": "TROY", "state": "NY", "zip": "12180"}}
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
                               on April 4, 1997
                                                           Registration No. 333-

================================================================================

                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            Washington, D.C. 20549

                                   FORM S-8

                         REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER
                          THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                              MapInfo Corporation
            ------------------------------------------------------
            (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

           New York                                        06-1166630
----------------------------------                     ------------------
(State or other jurisdiction of                          (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)                        Identification Number)

    One Global View, Troy, New York                          12180
---------------------------------------                   -----------
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)                   (Zip Code)

                        1993 DIRECTOR STOCK OPTION PLAN
                        -------------------------------
                           (Full title of the Plan)

                             Mark G. Borden, Esq.
                               Hale and Dorr LLP
                                60 State Street
                          Boston, Massachusetts 02109
                 --------------------------------------------
                    (Name and address of agent for service)

                                (617) 526-6000
                 --------------------------------------------
         (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

================================================================================
                        CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
                        -------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Title of securities to         Amount to     Proposed maximum offering     Proposed maximum aggregate        Amount of 
be registered                be registered        price per share                offering  price         registration fee
---------------------------  -------------   -------------------------     --------------------------    -----------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock, $.002 par      30,000 shares         $8.875(1)                     $266,250(1)                 $100
 value per share
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1)  Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee, and
     based upon the average of the high and low prices of the Registrant's
     Common Stock as reported by the Nasdaq National Market on March 31, 1997 in
     accordance with Rules 457(c) and 457(h) of the Securities Act of 1933.
================================================================================
Statement of Incorporation by Reference
                    ---------------------------------------

     This Registration Statement on Form S-8 incorporates by reference the
contents of the Registration Statement on Form S-8, File No. 33-77660, filed by
MapInfo Corporation (the "Registrant") on January 31, 1994, relating to the
Registrant's 1993 Director Stock Option Plan.
SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Troy, State of New York, on the 3rd day of April,
1997.

                                             MAPINFO CORPORATION

                                             By:  /s/ John C. Cavalier
                                                 --------------------------
                                                      John C. Cavalier
                                                      President and Chief
                                                       Executive Officer

                               POWER OF ATTORNEY

     We, the undersigned officers and directors of MapInfo Corporation, hereby
severally constitute and appoint John C. Cavalier, D. Joseph Gersuk and Mark G.
Borden, and each of them singly, our true and lawful attorneys with full power
to them, and each of them singly, to sign for us and in our names, in the
capacities indicated below, the Registration Statement on Form S-8 filed
herewith, and any and all subsequent amendments to said Registration Statement,
and generally to do all such things in our names and on our behalf and in our
capacities as officers and directors to enable MapInfo Corporation to comply
with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and all
requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and
confirming our signatures as they may be signed by our said attorneys, or any of
them, to said Registration Statement and any and all amendments thereto.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration
Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and
on the dates indicated.
Signature                     Title                   Date
-----------------------  ------------------------------  -------------
/s/ Michael D. Marvin    Chairman of the Board           April 3, 1997
-----------------------
Michael D. Marvin
 
/s/ John C. Cavalier     President, Chief                April 3, 1997
-----------------------    Executive Officer and
John C. Cavalier           Director (Principal Executive
                           Officer)
 
 
/s/ D. Joseph Gersuk     Vice President and Chief        April 3, 1997
-----------------------    Financial Officer (Principal
D. Joseph Gersuk           Financial and Accounting
                           Officer)
 
 
/s/ John F. Haller       Director                        April 3, 1997
-----------------------
John F. Haller
 
/s/ Laszlo C. Bardos     Director                        April 3, 1997
-----------------------
Laszlo C. Bardos
 
/s/ John F. Burton       Director                        April 3, 1997
-----------------------
John F. Burton
 
/s/ George C. McNamee    Director                        April 3, 1997
-----------------------
George C. McNamee
 
/s/ James A. Perakis     Director                        April 3, 1997
-----------------------
James A. Perakis
EXHIBIT INDEX
                                 -------------

Exhibit
Number
------

4.1 (1)  Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant, as
         amended to date

4.2 (1)  Amended and Restated By-laws of the Registrant

4.3 (1)  Specimen Stock Certificate of Common Stock of the Registrant

5        Opinion of Hale and Dorr LLP

23.1     Consent of Hale and Dorr LLP (included in Exhibit 5)

23.2     Consent of Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P.

24.1     Power of Attorney (included on the signature page of this Registration
         Statement)

_____________________

(1)  Incorporated herein by reference to the Registrant's Registration Statement
     on Form S-1 (File No. 33-72866).