List of GIS software applications.

NOTE: This list was last updated in 2003 and is not being maintained.

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: The available 32 bit version is designed for Windows OS

Autodesk
Autodesk has a series of software applications designed to meet GIS needs in a variety of areas. Autodesk Map – delivers specialized functionality for creating, maintaining, and producing maps and geographic data. Built on AutoCAD® 2000i, AutoCAD Map 2000i adds new Internet tools to keep you in touch with your colleagues, customers, and data. Autodesk MapGuide 5.0 – get live, interactive access to your designs, maps, and data from the Internet, your intranet, or in the field. Autodesk MapGuide® Release 5 software makes it all possible.
Platforms: UNIX, PC,Macintosh, WinCE, and Palm devices.

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 OS

EPPL7
EPPL7 is a raster-based GIS package, which runs directly in DOS. EPPL7 enables the user to do far more than simply view data. The program can be used to create, manage, analyze and display spatial (geographic) data; and to create and work with tabular and attribute data. EPPL7 also allows users to digitize vectors, convert vector data to raster format and integrate the vector and raster data for on-screen display and print-outs. EPPL7 also provides many routines for converting vector and raster data to and from a standard format. EPIC is the windows-based desktop GIS package that can work in conjunction with data from EPPL7. EPIC quickly and simply makes maps, but is also an analytical tool. It can reclassify data, generate two-layer models, perform cross-tab analysis with up to five layers, import “point” data using the Public Land Survey or GPS points, model uniform and directional buffers, and interpolate a continuous surface from point data.

ESRI
Environmental Systems Research Incorporated 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 three main GIS software packages available from ESRI are: ArcInfo/ArcView 8.x, ArcView 3.x and ArcIMS. ArcInfo was the first software product available from ESRI and is also the most comprehensive analytical and mapping software offered by ESRI. ArcView 3.x is the original desktop solution offered by ESRI as an out-of-the box desktop mapping software product for the end user. More user friendly than ArcInfo, ArcView’s editing and data manipulation capabilities are extended with each update. In addition, ESRI has developed plug-ins called extensions which add to the functionality of ArcView. ArcIMS is a relatively young product from ESRI designed to create out-of-the-box web mapping but also allowing developers to create more involved, custom browser-based mapping applications. A Visual Basic component, MapObjects allows programmers to build cartographic applications from the ground up. There are other products available from ESRI and can be investigated by visiting their software site. Demo and light versions of ESRI software are available for downloading. You can also find free data to use with ESRI products.
Platforms: UNIX, Windows OS
Further Resources: ArcGIS, ArcInfo, ArcView 8.x, ArcView 3.x

Geo/SQL
Geo/SQL is a low cost, full function Microsoft Windows based GIS. An AutoCAD add-in version is also available. Works with many GIS data formats as well as Oracle Spatial Cartridge.
Platforms: Windows OS

Idrisi32
Idrisi32 is one of the most popular desktop raster GIS and Image Processing systems in the world. It is developed and distributed on a non-profit basis by the Clark Labs, a project within the Graduate School of Geography at Clark University in Worcester, Mass. Idrisi32 is COM compliant.
Platforms: Windows OS
Further Resources: Idrisi Resources

Intergraph
Intergraph makes several GIS applications. Most of the GIS packages are designed with an Open GIS in mind and therefore can work with a variety of other GIS software formats. Intergraph has developed products that help merge GIS with information technology (IT) and business process improvement tools. Intergraph offers the GeoMedia family of solutions and Modular GIS Environment MGE Suite of mapping and GIS applications.

Using an open architecture, the GeoMedia product suite integrates geospatial information throughout the enterprise and provides the tools needed to develop business-to-business and custom client applications using industry standard development tools. GeoMedia offers uninhibited access to all geospatial data formats without the need for data translations. Currently in Version 4.0 the GeoMedia family is made up of GeoMedia, GeoMedia Professional, GeoMedia WebMap, and GeoMedia WebEnterprise.

• GeoMedia is the universal information integrator, serving as a visualization and analysis tool and as an open platform for custom GIS solution development.
• GeoMedia Professional is a product specifically designed to collect and manage spatial data using standard databases.
• GeoMedia WebMap is a Web-based map visualization tool with real-time links to one or more GIS data warehouses.
• GeoMedia WebEnterprise creates dynamic, custom web-mapping applications that can analyze and manipulate geographic data.
• In addition to these products, Intergraph offers MFworks for GeoMedia which provides users of grid-based software the power of visualization, mapping, and analysis. Intergraph also offers SMMS for GeoMedia which is a desktop tool for geographic metadata creation and geographic data management.

The Modular GIS Environment (MGE) product suite provides production-ready capabilities for automating, managing, analyzing, and presenting GIS data, and is completely interoperable with GeoMedia.

Platforms: Windows OS
Further Resources: Intergraph

Manifold

Manifold System provides comprehensive, professional grade GIS software for $245 that includes a very wide array of features. Manifold imports data from over 80 different GIS formats, including all formats used by Federal government sites for free Internet downloads, and Manifold allows seamless, simultaneous work with vector drawings, raster images, terrain elevations and raster data sets either as 2D displays or 3D terrain visualizations. Manifold includes exceptional DBMS capabilities, full development facilities and includes a built-in Internet Map Server for fast and easy publication of GIS projects to the web without programming. Options include US Street address geocoding and the Enterprise Edition, for centralized geospatial data storage on enterprise servers that can be used by many GIS operators at once. Manifold was the first GIS to attain “designed for XP” status with Microsoft and the Manifold Internet Map Server works perfectly within ASP.NET servers. For info, see http://www.manifold.net/professional.

Platforms: Windows OS

MapInfo
A leading competitor is MapInfo which produces a suite of GIS software. MapInfo Professional is their leading GIS product containing the most advanced analytical tools. MapInfo also offers plug-ins called add-ons to enhance the functionality of MapInfo Professional. For the development side, MapInfo offers Map-X. Through an Active X component, developers can embed mapping applications into other applications such as Excel. Although it can be used for a variety of analysis, the makers of MapInfo market the software more towards the business sector. Demo versions are available for downloading for some of MapInfo’s products.
Platforms: Windows OS
Further Resources: MapInfo, MapBasic, MapInfo Tutorials

Maptitude
Maptitude is a full-featured mapping package for Windows. Designed for data visualization and geographic analysis, Maptitude comes with a comprehensive library of nationwide and worldwide maps on CD, including complete US street maps, and Census tract and ZIP Code boundaries and demographics. Caliper also produces GIS+ and TransCAD for transportation and logistics. TransCAD is used for solving key analytical problems in transportation planning, management, and operations. TransCAD is used extensively for transportation database development and maintenance, demand forecasting, operations management, and vehicle routing and scheduling.
Platforms: Windows OS

Map Maker
Map MakerMap Maker Pro is a low-cost and easy to use, yet powerful, map making and Geographical Information System for Windows. It is designed to enable non-expert users to start producing useful maps after only a few hours study. A variety of tools allows you to navigate around a map, measure distances and areas, draw polygons, lines and symbols, and display and edit data.
Platforms: Windows OS

MetaMAP
MetaMAP is a full featured PC-based GIS. With MetaMAP, the user can add and maintain their own data layers and use them in conjunction with imported GIS data. MetaMAP also includes several graphic and non-graphic data translators (including DXF, Arc-Info Export format, Tiger, ETAK, dBase, and FoxPro). MetaMAP can also be extended to meet any projected need through its internal scripting engine, allowing for new program functionality to be added by writing ‘C-like’ code. In addition, MapVUE is an ‘inquiry only’ version of MetaMAP. With this system, the user can view, query, report, and plot or print data generated by MetaMAP.
Platforms: Windows OS

MyWorld
My World GIS is a full-featured GIS designed for educational use. My World provides a carefully selected subset of the features of a professional GIS environment. These features include multiple geographic projections, table and map views of data, distance-measurement tools, buffering and query operations, customizable map display. They have been selected to provide the greatest value to students without overwhelming them with complexity The features are accessed through a supportive interface designed with the needs of students and teachers in mind.

My World can import data from the industry-standard shapefile format, as well as from tab and comma-delimited text files.

Platforms: Windows, MacOS X, Linux, Solaris

Terrain Tools
Terrain Tools, produced by Softree, is a software package for surveying and mapping. It is ideal for the forester, geologist, surveyor or resource scientist who is not a GIS specialist, but who needs to quickly produce working maps and site plans.
Platforms:Windows 3.1, 95, 98 or NT

TNT Products
Created by Microimages, The TNT Products is a suite of GIS applications for fully integrated GIS, image processing, CAD, TIN, desktop cartography, and geospatial database management.
Platforms: Windows 95/98, Windows NT, UNIX, Macintosh

Public Domain and Freeware GIS Applications:

ArcExplorer
ArcExplorer is the free GIS application offered by ESRI products. A lighter version of ArcView this application allows basic mapping and spatial querying.
Platforms: Windows OS

FlowMap
FlowMap is a freeware application designed to analyze and display flow data. This application was developed at the Faculty of Geographical Sciences of the Utrecht University in the Netherlands.
Platforms: Windows OS

GMT Mapping Tools
GMT is a free, public-domain collection of ~60 UNIX tools that allow users to manipulate (x,y) and (x,y,z) data sets (including filtering, trend fitting, gridding, projecting, etc.) and produce Encapsulated PostScript File (EPS) illustrations ranging from simple x-y plots through contour maps to artificially illuminated surfaces and 3-D perspective views in black and white, gray tone, hachure patterns, and 24-bit color.

GRASS
GRASS is probably the most well-known and original GIS software applications. GRASS is a raster-based GIS, vector GIS, image processing system, graphics production system, data management system, and spatial modeling system. GRASS can be downloaded for free.
Platforms: Linux, Sun Solaris, Silicon Graphics Irix, HP-UX, DEC-Alpha, and Windows OS
Further Resources: Grass

SPRING
SPRING is a GIS and Remote Sensing Image Processing system with an object-oriented data model which provides for the integration of raster and vector data representations in a single environment.
Platform support includes: Windows OS, Linux, Solaris, HPUX, IRIX and AIX.

TNTLite
TNTLite MicroImages, Inc. provides TNTlite as a free version of TNTmips , the professional software for geospatial data analysis. The free TNTlite product has all the features of the professional version, except TNTlite limits the size of Project File objects, and TNTlite enables data sharing only with other copies of TNTlite (export processes are disabled). Can either be downloaded or ordered on CD.
Platforms: Windows OS