LibGuides: Geographic Information Systems (GIS): GIS Software

GIS Software

There are many GIS software options. You can begin with either ArcGIS (the proprietary industry standard) or free and open source software (QGIS being a popular choice). Each package has its merits and drawbacks. Most GIS data formats are cross platform and will work in any package.

ArcGIS

Produced by ESRI, ArcGIS is the primary proprietary software on the market. It has a long development history, is powerful, well supported, and widely used. It is also expensive, resource intensive, and runs only on the MS Windows operating system. Brown has a site license for ESRI products: the software is available in labs throughout campus and can be downloaded by current members of the Brown community. Support is available from the EarthLab, S4, and the library.

ArcGIS Pro
ArcGIS Pro is ESRI's flagship GIS product. If you are learning GIS with ESRI products, this is what you will want to use.
Brown's GIS Site License
Current Brown affiliates can access their ArcGIS accounts by logging in with the Microsoft version of their Brown username (follow the link above for instructions). Contact the Office of Information Technology at Software_Services@brown.edu with questions about licenses and accounts.
Brown's Software Catalog
Members of Brown can download and install ArcGIS Pro on their personal computers. Post-installation you will need to enter a username / password (see above).
Brown's MyApps
Instead of downloading and installing ArcGIS, you can access it virtually via remote applications. A good option for Mac and Linux users (as ArcGIS is only available for MS Windows).
ESRI Groups
Instructors can create groups for courses, so that class projects can be shared. Contact Software_Services@brown.edu to be granted privileges to create groups (if you don't have privileges already).

FOSS GIS

There are a number of solid, well-developed free and open source (FOSS) GIS packages that provide a reasonable alternative to proprietary software. These packages run on Windows, Mac, and Linux. QGIS is the choice for most desktop GIS users and is recommended if you are learning GIS. Most of the other programs listed here can run either through QGIS or via stand-alone interfaces. Support is available from the library and S4.

QGIS
QGIS is a popular and widely supported FOSS GIS package. Free and less resource intensive than ArcGIS, it supports all basic and intermediate GIS tasks but lacks some of the advanced features of ArcGIS. It can be extended through plugins and interfaces to other FOSS software. For new users and those who want stability, install the Long Term Release.
GRASS
The "original" FOSS GIS, it is particularly good for raster analysis and working with topological vectors. It has a unique data structure that enforces consistency. Interfaces with QGIS.
PostGIS
PostGIS is an extension of the PostgreSQL RDMS that allows you to store spatial data within a database and provides special spatial SQL functions for data processing and analysis. Good for processing and managing larger datasets. Databases are accessible to both QGIS and ArcGIS.
Spatialite
Spatialite is an extension of the SQLite RDMS that allows you to store spatial data within a database and provides spatial SQL functions for data processing and analysis. As a file-based database it's easier to create than PostGIS, but is less feature-rich. Databases are accessible to both QGIS and ArcGIS.
GeoDa
This is a specialized package devoted to spatial statistics: spatial autocorrelation, LISA, spatial regression, and cluster analysis.