# Comparison of geographic information systems software

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.

## 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 | 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 | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | FME Cloud | 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 | 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 |
| GIS software | Free software | Open source | Windows | Mac OS X | Linux | BSD | Unix | Web | Other |

## Pure server
### Map servers

| Name | Language | WMS | WFS | WFS-T | WCS | WMC | SLD | FES | Other |
| 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

| Name | Language | WMS-C | Other |
| ArcGIS Server | .NET/Java | No | |
| MapDotNet | C#/.NET | No | File-based and SQL Server |

## Pure web client
### Libraries

| Name | Language | WMS | WFS | GeoRSS | Other |
| OpenLayers | JavaScript | Yes | Yes | Yes | support for navigation, icons, markers, and layer selection. |
| Leaflet | JavaScript | Yes | 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) |