Leading free geographic information system for maps and spatial data
QGIS is a free geographic information system used to create maps and analyse spatial data. It reads shapefiles, GeoJSON, rasters and many database formats, and a large plugin library extends it for surveying, planning and environmental work.
It is widely used by governments, universities and consultancies. Beginners need some GIS background, and large datasets benefit from plenty of memory.
Pros
- Free professional GIS
- Huge plugin library
- Reads most spatial formats
Cons
- Needs some GIS knowledge
- Large datasets need lots of RAM