Looking for software to monitor, edit and analyze geospatial data? If yes then QGIS is one of them. It’s simply an Open source and still a Free Geographic Information system that can be used to view and even analyze geospatial data. The good thing with this software is that it can handle different database functionalities and setups. Its usability can be expanded by the use of plugins.
Although there are many other applications for the same purpose out there, QGIS is a free application that can be used to view, create, edit, export and manage geospatial data.
With QGIS, users can as well be able to perform spatial data analysis. There are no limitations on where you can use this software simply because it’s compatible with almost all Operating Systems. It works with Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and UNIX.
Just like any other application, it has a couple of pros and cons which we are going to discuss today.
Pros of QGIS:
1. Its Free to use-QGIS is one of the applications of its sort that is completely free to use. However, it comes with some features and core plugins that will provide basic usability.
2. Allows users to View and Overlay vector and raster data– The benefit is that this application will help you view and overlay two types of data which is Vector and Raster data. To add on that, it allows you to do this in many different projections.
3. User-Friendly GUI-although you can find many applications with the same capabilities out there, QGIS is the best of all because it has a very simple and user-friendly Graphical User Interface. This means that you can access basic tools such as the spatial bookmarks, map composer and annotation tools directly on the interface.
4. It offers incredible digitizing platforms-Besides its abilities to help you view, edit and analyze geospatial data, QGIS also offers incredible digitizing solutions for GRASS vector layers and also the OGR supported formats.
5. It allows you to analyze data on all databases and OGR formats-This is actually one of the best and the most influencing reasons why many people are turning to QGIS because they can analyze geospatial data in OGR formats and on all databases.
6. The application has a surfeit of usable features-Some of these useful features include vector analysis, geometry tools, sampling, and geo-processing.
7. Users can choose to work with a plugin-as a matter of fact, users can as well integrate the GRASS tools to get a powerful framework that can easily analyze geospatial data.
8. Its ability to extend functionality-The app has one major benefit which is its ability to extend its functionality through the use of a plugin.
9. it’s great for companies on a Budget– The fact that this platform is free to use makes it be ideal for companies on a tight budget.
10. It’s more versatile than ArcGIS. The fact that this platform is Mac and Linux friendly makes it one of the best out there for the versatility.
Cons of QGIS:
QGIS also has many cons or disadvantages which are can be disheartening especially when someone is considering an alternative. Here are some of its cons.
1. It is less Beginner Friendly-To some extent, most people think that this application is confusing to beginners.
2. Not perfect for those who mainly want to create maps-as much as this application is the best in the market in terms of data viewing, editing, and analysis, many people wouldn’t recommend it to people who mainly want to create maps.
3. The map-making features are very cumbersome-This is why many people especially those that want to create maps don’t choose QGIS.
4. The platform takes a lot from ArcGIS. If closely checked, you will realize that QGIS takes a lot of computing power from ArcGIS.
5. Tools can be outdated sometimes-Although this is not a major con, we found out that its tools can be outdated most of the time.
6. It lacks a proper online tutorial. The fact that there are no proper tutorials and online help makes this application hard to use.
7. Labeling Interface is complicated-The interface allows users to manually add the labels to relevant items because it’s overly complicated.
8. It lacks more Wizards-Most of the users feel that QGIS should have more Wizards that can easily help in the process of importing data.
9. It takes a lot of time to learn-This is a platform that will consume a lot of your time in order to understand it fully.
10. The processes are cumbersome-Users also feel that the processes are cumbersome which means there’s a need for simplified processes.
