GIS & Geospatial Data Services

There are currently two major desktop GIS software applications (ArcGIS Pro and QGIS) that are widely used in academia, private industry, and the public sector. They are referred to as "desktop" GIS software applications because they are designed for individual users on desktop/laptop computers, as opposed to server GIS software applications, which function quite differently.

ArcGIS Pro is a proprietary application that is part of the ArcGIS software suite developed by Esri. It was released in 2015 and is envisioned as the future of the ArcGIS software suite, serving as the company's flagship desktop GIS software product. Compared to older Esri desktop GIS applications, ArcGIS Pro has expanded functionality in a number of areas and is tightly integrated with Esri's cloud GIS platform, ArcGIS Online. As a result of its exclusive capabilities, ArcGIS Pro is becoming increasingly popular among GIS professionals.

The second major GIS software application currently in widespread use is QGIS, which, unlike Esri's ArcGIS software, is free and open source. QGIS has become an increasingly popular alternative to proprietary Esri software products due to its ease of adoption and compatibility with the macOS operating system, which ArcGIS software lacks. In the United States, it is still not as commonly used by industry professionals as ArcGIS software but is now widely utilized in Europe and in many other regions of the world.

Both ArcGIS Pro and QGIS are extremely powerful for managing geospatial data, performing geospatial analysis, and producing maps, but they do vary in significant ways, as can be seen in the table below, which provides a very summarized overview of their differences.

For a more detailed comparison of the two dominant modern GIS applications, QGIS and ArcGIS Pro, you can also visit https://gisgeography.com/arcgis-pro-vs-qgis-3/. Whether you determine that ArcGIS Pro or QGIS would be the best software for your particular use case, you will be glad to know that faculty, staff, and students here at UT Austin are fortunate to have easy access to all three applications for academic use (see https://wikis.utexas.edu/display/LAITS/ESRI+ArcGIS+-+FAQ for details about the campus Esri site license). If you are interested in installing GIS software on your personal computer you just need to click on the QGIS or ArcGIS Pro links here or in the top left hand menu to access application specific installation instructions. If you are on campus and just need GIS software to complete a simple assignment or want to gain familiarity with the basics of GIS, you can stop by the PCL Data Lab in 2.400a where you can use QGIS on any of the lab's 15 Mac computers. There are also a number of other labs on campus with GIS software installed that are managed by individual colleges and departments.