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.

Contents

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 WebOther
ArcGIS Viewer(s)NoYesNo [4] NoNoYesYes Google Earth Plugin, KML, WMS
Autodesk Viewer(s)NoYesNoYesNoNoYesNo
Cadcorp Viewer(s)NoYesNoNoNoNoYesNo
Deegree YesYes Java Java Java Java Java YesNo
Erdas Imagine Viewers & Plug-insNoYesNoNoNoNoYesNo
FME [5] NoNoYesYesYesNoNoFME Cloud [6] No
GeoBase - TelogisTrialNoYesNoYesYesNoYesTraffic, WMS, ADAS, Routing
GeoNetwork YesYes Java Java Java Java Java YesNo
GeoServer YesYes Java Java Java Java Java Java No
GeoTools YesYes Java Java Java Java Java NoNo
GRASS YesYesYesYesYesYesYesvia pyWPS [7] No
gvSIG YesYes Java Java Java Java Java NoNo
IDRISI NoNoYesNoNoNoNoNoNo
ILWIS YesYesYesNoNoNoNoNoNo
GeoMedia Viewer(s)NoYesNoNoNoCLIXYes KML
JUMP GIS YesYes Java Java Java Java Java NoNo
Kosmo YesYes Java Java Java Java Java NoNo
LandSerf NoNo Java Java Java Java Java NoNo
MapDotNet NoNoYesNoNoNoNoYes
Manifold System NoNoYesNoNoNoNoYesNo
Microsoft MapPoint DiscontinuedNoYesNoNoNoNoYesNo
Pitney Bowes MapInfo Pro Viewer(s)NoYesNoNoNoYesYesNo
MapServer YesYesYesYesYesYesYes AMP No
Maptitude Caliper softwareNoNoYesNoNoNoNoYesNo
MapWindow GIS YesYesYesNoNoNoNoNoNo
Oracle Spatial NoNoYesYesYesNoYesYesNo
PostGIS YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesNo
QGIS YesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes Google Earth Plugin, KML, WMS
RegioGraph NoNoYesNoNoNoNoNoNo
RemoteView NoNoYesNoNoNoNoNoNo
SAGA GIS YesYesYesYesYesYesNoNoKLM
SAP HANA Free TrialNoNoNoYesNoNoYesNo
Smallworld NoYesYesNoYesNoYesRead-onlyOLE, XML, Multiuser, Utility Data Model, Data Translator export/import
SPRING YesYesYesNoYesNo Solaris NoNo
TerraLib TerraView YesYesYesNoYesNoNoNoNo
TNTmips Viewer(s)NoYesYesYesNoYesNoNo
TransModeler Caliper SoftwareNoNoYesNoNoNoNoNoNo
uDIG YesYes Java Java Java Java Java NoNo
GIS softwareFree softwareOpen sourceWindowsMac OS XLinuxBSDUnixWebOther

Pure server

Map servers

NameLanguage WMS WFS WFS-T WCS WMC SLD FES Other
ArcGIS Server .NET/JavaYesYesYesYesNoYesNoSOAP, REST, KML
MapServer CYesYesNoYesYesYesYes
Deegree JavaYesYesYesYesNoYesYes
GeoServer JavaYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
MapDotNet C#/.NETYesNoNoNoNoNoNoSOAP and REST feature and map services
Manifold System ASP C#YesYesNoNoNoNoNoclient and server
GeoMedia WebMap ASP C#YesYesYesYesNo?No

Map caches

NameLanguageWMS-COther
ArcGIS Server .NET/JavaNo
MapDotNet C#/.NETNoFile-based and SQL Server

Pure web client

Libraries

NameLanguageWMSWFSGeoRSSOther
OpenLayers JavaScriptYesYesYessupport for navigation, icons, markers, and layer selection.
Leaflet JavaScriptYes [8] YesNosupport for navigation, icons, markers, layers, GeoJSON
MapDotNet JavaScript/HTML5YesYesYesdigitizing, wkt rendering, draggable icons and content, geospatial queries (intersection, overlapping)

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geographic information system</span> System to capture, manage and present geographic data

A geographic information system (GIS) consists of integrated computer hardware and software that store, manage, analyze, edit, output, and visualize geographic data. Much of this often happens within a spatial database, however, this is not essential to meet the definition of a GIS. In a broader sense, one may consider such a system also to include human users and support staff, procedures and workflows, the body of knowledge of relevant concepts and methods, and institutional organizations.

Project management is the process of leading the work of a team to achieve all project goals within the given constraints. This information is usually described in project documentation, created at the beginning of the development process. The primary constraints are scope, time, and budget. The secondary challenge is to optimize the allocation of necessary inputs and apply them to meet pre-defined objectives.

Benchmarking is the practice of comparing business processes and performance metrics to industry bests and best practices from other companies. Dimensions typically measured are quality, time and cost.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GRASS GIS</span> Geographical information system software

Geographic Resources Analysis Support System is a geographic information system (GIS) software suite used for geospatial data management and analysis, image processing, producing graphics and maps, spatial and temporal modeling, and visualizing. It can handle raster, topological vector, image processing, and graphic data.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Analytic hierarchy process</span> Structured technique for organizing and analyzing complex decisions

In the theory of decision making, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), also analytical hierarchy process, is a structured technique for organizing and analyzing complex decisions, based on mathematics and psychology. It was developed by Thomas L. Saaty in the 1970s; Saaty partnered with Ernest Forman to develop Expert Choice software in 1983, and AHP has been extensively studied and refined since then. It represents an accurate approach to quantifying the weights of decision criteria. Individual experts’ experiences are utilized to estimate the relative magnitudes of factors through pair-wise comparisons. Each of the respondents compares the relative importance of each pair of items using a specially designed questionnaire. The relative importance of the criteria can be determined with the help of the AHP by comparing the criteria and, if applicable, the sub-criteria in pairs by experts or decision-makers. On this basis, the best alternative can be found.

Software quality assurance (SQA) is a means and practice of monitoring all software engineering processes, methods, and work products to ensure compliance against defined standards. It may include ensuring conformance to standards or models, such as ISO/IEC 9126, SPICE or CMMI.

A GIS software program is a computer program to support the use of a geographic information system, providing the ability to create, store, manage, query, analyze, and visualize geographic data, that is, data representing phenomena for which location is important. The GIS software industry encompasses a broad range of commercial and open-source products that provide some or all of these capabilities within various information technology architectures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ArcGIS</span> Geographic information system maintained by Esri

ArcGIS is a family of client, server and online geographic information system (GIS) software developed and maintained by Esri.

The Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo), is a non-profit non-governmental organization whose mission is to support and promote the collaborative development of open geospatial technologies and data. The foundation was formed in February 2006 to provide financial, organizational and legal support to the broader Free and open-source geospatial community. It also serves as an independent legal entity to which community members can contribute code, funding and other resources.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">QSOS</span>

The Qualification and Selection of Open Source software (QSOS) is a methodology for assessing free and libre open-source software. This methodology is released under the GFDL license.

Several methods have been created to define an assessment process for free/open-source software. Some focus on some aspects like the maturity, the durability and the strategy of the organisation around the open-source project itself. Other methodologies add functional aspects to the assessment process.

The Spatial Data File (SDF) is a single-user geodatabase file format developed by Autodesk. The file format is the native spatial data storage format for Autodesk GIS programs MapGuide and AutoCAD Map 3D. As of 2014 SDF format version SDF3 uses a single file. Prior versions of the format required a spatial index file (SIF), with an optional key index file (KIF) to speed access to the file.

In software engineering, a software development process or software development life cycle (SDLC) is a process of planning and managing software development. It typically involves dividing software development work into smaller, parallel, or sequential steps or sub-processes to improve design and/or product management. The methodology may include the pre-definition of specific deliverables and artifacts that are created and completed by a project team to develop or maintain an application.

Decision-making software is software for computer applications that help individuals and organisations make choices and take decisions, typically by ranking, prioritizing or choosing from a number of options.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CityEngine</span> 3D modelling software

ArcGIS CityEngine is a commercial three-dimensional (3D) modeling program developed by Esri R&D Center Zurich and specialises in the generation of 3D urban environments. Using a procedural modeling approach, it supports the creation of detailed large-scale 3D city models. CityEngine works with architectural object placement and arrangement in the same manner that software like VUE manages terrain, ecosystems and atmosphere mapping. Unlike the traditional 3D modeling methodology which uses Computer-Aided Design (CAD) tools and techniques, CityEngine takes a different approach to shape generation via a rule-based system. It can also use Geographic Information System (GIS) datasets due to its integration with the wider Esri/ArcGIS platform. Due to this unique feature set, CityEngine has been used in academic research and built environment professions, e.g., urban planning, architecture, visualization, game development, entertainment, archeology, military and cultural heritage. CityEngine can be used within Building Information Model (BIM) workflows as well as visualizing the data of buildings in a larger urban context, enhancing its working scenario toward real construction projects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flask (web framework)</span> Python web framework

Flask is a micro web framework written in Python. It is classified as a microframework because it does not require particular tools or libraries. It has no database abstraction layer, form validation, or any other components where pre-existing third-party libraries provide common functions. However, Flask supports extensions that can add application features as if they were implemented in Flask itself. Extensions exist for object-relational mappers, form validation, upload handling, various open authentication technologies and several common framework related tools.

The Spatial Archive and Interchange Format was defined in the early 1990s as a self-describing, extensible format designed to support interoperability and storage of geospatial data.

Open energy system models are energy system models that are open source. However, some of them may use third party proprietary software as part of their workflows to input, process, or output data. Preferably, these models use open data, which facilitates open science.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FME (software)</span> Geospatial ETL Software

FME, also known as Feature Manipulation Engine, is a geospatial extract, transformation and load software platform developed and maintained by Safe Software of British Columbia, Canada. FME was first released in 1996, and evolved out of a successful bid by the founders of Safe Software, Don Murray and Dale Lutz, for a Canadian Government contract to monitor logging activities.

References

  1. "Defining methodology for selecting most appropriate GIS software". Survey Review. 2014. 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. "Rural landscape visualisation from GIS databases: a comparison of approaches, options and problems". Computers, Environment and Urban Systems. 2002. 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)