GIS Software

Commercial

Some of the most popular commercial GIS packages are:

• ArcGIS (ESRI)
• Geomedia (Intergraph)
• MapInfo (PitneyBowes)
• Manifold System (Manifold.net)
• AutoCAD Map 3D (Autodesk Inc.)
• IDRISI (Clark Labs)
• Geomatica (PCI Geomatica)
• ERDAS Imagine
• Cadcorp
• TransCAD (Caliper Corporation)
• Smallworld (GE.energy)

Open Source

Open source software is typically defined as software in which the source code can be modified and redistributed by the general public. Unlike commercial software, a great deal of open source software is available free of charge. The following is a sample list of the most well-known ones:

• Quantum GIS (QGIS)
• GRASS
• Forestry GIS (fGIS)
• TatukGIS
• OpenGeoDa
• MapServer
• PostGIS
• uDig
• GeoServer
• GeoTools
• gvSIG
• Shapefile C Library
• PostgreSQL

For a complete index of Open Source GIS software, click here