Comparison of geographic information systems software

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This is a comparison of notable GIS software. To be included on this list, the software must have a linked existing article.

The selection of GIS software is a non-trivial task typically undertaken at project commencement. The use of appropriate selection criteria and methodology can be critical to a project's success, with considerations including outlay costs, ease of use, data and system harmonization and maintenance, incorporation of advances in technology, and downstream system integration.[1][2][3]

License, source, & operating system support

GIS software Free software Open source Windows Mac OS X Linux BSD Unix Web Other
ArcGIS Viewer(s) No Yes No[4] No No Yes Yes Google Earth Plugin, KML, WMS
Autodesk Viewer(s) No Yes No Yes No No Yes No
Cadcorp Viewer(s) No Yes No No No No Yes No
Deegree Yes Yes Java Java Java Java Java Yes No
Erdas Imagine Viewers & Plug-ins No Yes No No No No Yes No
FME[5] No No Yes Yes Yes No No FME Cloud[6] No
GeoBase - Telogis Trial No Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Traffic, WMS, ADAS, Routing
GeoNetwork Yes Yes Java Java Java Java Java Yes No
GeoServer Yes Yes Java Java Java Java Java Java No
GeoTools Yes Yes Java Java Java Java Java No No
GRASS Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes via pyWPS[7] No
gvSIG Yes Yes Java Java Java Java Java No No
IDRISI No No Yes No No No No No No
ILWIS Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No
GeoMedia Viewer(s) No Yes No No No CLIX Yes KML
JUMP GIS Yes Yes Java Java Java Java Java No No
Kosmo Yes Yes Java Java Java Java Java No No
LandSerf No No Java Java Java Java Java No No
MapDotNet No No Yes No No No No Yes
Manifold System No No Yes No No No No Yes No
Microsoft MapPoint Discontinued No Yes No No No No Yes No
Pitney Bowes MapInfo Pro Viewer(s) No Yes No No No Yes Yes No
MapServer Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes AMP No
Maptitude Caliper software No No Yes No No No No Yes No
MapWindow GIS Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No
Oracle Spatial No No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No
PostGIS Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
QGIS Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Google Earth Plugin, KML, WMS
RegioGraph No No Yes No No No No No No
RemoteView No No Yes No No No No No No
SAGA GIS Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No KLM
SAP HANA Free Trial No No No Yes No No Yes No
Smallworld No Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Read-only OLE, XML, Multiuser, Utility Data Model, Data Translator export/import
SPRING Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Solaris No No
TerraLib TerraView Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No No No
TNTmips Viewer(s) No Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No
TransModeler Caliper Software No No Yes No No No No No No
uDig Yes Yes Java Java Java Java Java No No

Pure server

Map servers

NameLanguageWMSWFSWFS-TWCSWMCSLDFESOther
ArcGIS Server .NET/Java Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No SOAP, REST, KML
MapServer C Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Deegree Java Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes
GeoServer Java Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
MapDotNet C#/.NET Yes No No No No No No SOAP and REST feature and map services
Manifold System ASP C# Yes Yes No No No No No client and server
GeoMedia WebMap ASP C# Yes Yes Yes Yes No ? No

Map caches

NameLanguageWMS-COther
ArcGIS Server .NET/Java No
MapDotNet C#/.NET No File-based and SQL Server

Pure web client

Libraries

NameLanguageWMSWFSGeoRSSOther
OpenLayers JavaScript Yes Yes Yes support for navigation, icons, markers, and layer selection.
Leaflet JavaScript Yes[8] Yes No support for navigation, icons, markers, layers, GeoJSON
MapDotNet JavaScript/HTML5 Yes Yes Yes digitizing, wkt rendering, draggable icons and content, geospatial queries (intersection, overlapping)

See also

References

  1. Idrizi, B.; Zhaku, S.; Izeiroski, S.; Kabashi, I.; Nikolli, P. (2014). "Defining methodology for selecting most appropriate GIS software". Survey Review. 46 (338): 383–389. doi:10.1179/1752270614Y.0000000116.
  2. Eldrandaly, Khalid (2007). "GIS software selection: a multi criteria decision making approach" (PDF). Applied GIS. ISSN 1832-5505.
  3. Appleton, Katy; Lovett, Andrew; Sünnenberg, Gilla; Dockerty, Trudie (2002). "Rural landscape visualisation from GIS databases: a comparison of approaches, options and problems". Computers, Environment and Urban Systems. 26 (2–3): 141–162. doi:10.1016/S0198-9715(01)00041-2.
  4. "ArcGIS Pro in Mac OS X". esri.com. Retrieved 2022-07-07.
  5. "FME Downloads". Safe Software. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  6. "Harness the Power of FME Server in the Cloud". Safe Software. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  7. "PyWPS". PyWPS.org. Retrieved 2018-07-24.
  8. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-08-15. Retrieved 2014-08-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)