GIS software encompasses a broad range of applications which involve the use of a combination of digital maps and georeferenced data. GIS software can be sorted into different categories. What is GIS software? A geographical information system (GIS) is a computer software that captures, analyzes, and interprets geographic data points. Any data related to positions on Earth's surface can be fed into a GIS system to help people in a variety of industries do their jobs more efficiently.
List of GIS software applications available that are commercial. Listed below are companies and organizations that create software that provide all-encompassing mapping and spatial analysis capabilities via the desktop.
For other GIS related software applications visit the Open Source GIS, Free Data Viewers, Component GIS, Web-based GIS, and Macintosh Resources for GIS pages.
This list is a work in progress and is not a complete list of geospatial applications: Do you know of a GIS software that’s missing from this page or see outdated information listed here? Email the details to [email protected].
Commercial and Proprietary GIS Software
AGISMap
AGIS for Windows is a mapping and simple GIS package specifically designed to be easy to use, and distributed as shareware via the world wide web.
Platforms: Windows
Autodesk
Autodesk has a series of software applications designed to meet GIS needs in a variety of areas that interfaces with their CAD software.
Platforms: Windows
Bentley Systems, Inc.
Bentley provides software for the “Design, construction, and operation of the world’s infrastructure”. The company’s software serves the geospatial, building, plant, and civil vertical markets in the areas of mapping, architecture, engineering, construction (AEC) and operations. Bentley offers a wide range of products for surveying, GPS, photogrammetry, remote sensing, imaging, conversion, mapping, cartography, and other geospatial applications built on MicroStation Products: Bentley Map – Desktop GIS, Bentley Cadastre – Desktop land management GIS, Bentley Descartes – Desktop image editing, analysis, and processing, Bentley Geo Web Publisher – GIS web publishing and viewing, Bentley PowerMap Field – Field-enabled GIS and redlining.
Platforms: Windows
Cartographica
Commercial software package for Mac OS featuring: Support for a huge number of import formats, including popular Raster formats, manual editing and georeferencing, automatic geocoding, integration with online mapping, output to large-format printers. Thirty-day demo available for download.
Platforms: Macintosh
DeLorme
DeLorme is the producers of XMap, a GIS application “with 80% of the functionality found in a traditional GIS at 15% of the cost”. Performs such functions as geocoding, image rectification, 3D visualization and coordinate transformation.
Platforms: Windows
Esri
Environmental Systems Research Institue has been creating GIS software for over 30 years. Recognized as the leader in GIS software, it’s been estimated that about seventy percent of GIS users use Esri products. Esri overhauled their software packages into an interoperable model called ArcGIS (the desktop GIS is referred to as ArcMap). In addition, Esri has developed plug-ins called extensions which add to the functionality of ArcGIS. Demo and light versions of Esri software are available for downloading. You can also find free data to use with Esri products.
Platforms: Windows
Further Resources:ArcGIS, ArcView 3.x (no longer in production)
geothinQ
geothinQ is a Geographic Information System (GIS) platform that powers smart,>[email protected]. This article was originally published on May 4, 2003. Select entries last updated on March 1, 2016.
See Also
A geographic information system (GIS) is a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present all types of geographical data. The key word to this technology is Geography – this means that some portion of the data is spatial. In other words, data that is in some way referenced to locations on the earth.
Coupled with this data is usually tabular data known as attribute data. Attribute data can be generally defined as additional information about each of the spatial features. An example of this would be schools. The actual location of the schools is the spatial data. Additional data such as the school name, level of education taught, student capacity would make up the attribute data.
It is the partnership of these two data types that enables GIS to be such an effective problem solving tool through spatial analysis.
GIS is more than just software. People and methods are combined with geospatial software and tools, to enable spatial analysis, manage large datasets, and display information in a map/graphical form.
Gis Software Esri
- Extracted (in part) from a 1999 GIS Lounge post by Caitlin Dempsey