--- title: "QGIS Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra" description: "Is QGIS the right GIS solution for you? Explore 100 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice." source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/p/185949/QGIS/reviews/" page_type: "reviews" language: "en" publication_date: "2026-10-19" --- QGIS 4.5 (99) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/185949/QGIS/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated October 19th, 2026 # Reviews of QGIS Ease of use 4.2 Customer Service 4.0 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews Sandra G Phd StudentHigher Education, 501 - 1,000 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “QGIS provides a comprehensive suite of tools for mapping and spatial analysis.“ July 19, 2024 AP Aswathy P EngineerCivil Engineering, Self-employedUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “Its too slow when it comes to performance.“ March 5, 2025 Joseph M Senior Engineer Civil Engineering, 501 - 1,000 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “I can manage a variety of datasets thanks to my proficiency with a variety of geospatial data types, including shapefiles, raster pictures, and databases.“ May 16, 2023 WS Werner Nell S TeacherE-Learning, Self-employedUsed the software for: I used a free trial. “It was extremely difficult to download. “ March 6, 2025 Sandra G Phd StudentHigher Education, 501 - 1,000 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “The software is also highly customizable, allowing users to tailor it to their specific needs.“ July 19, 2024 AV Alexandre V salesConsumer Goods, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “in the company where i work most of those using computer with 32bit capability are unable to use QGIS due to this incompatibility.“ June 19, 2023 oA oumaima A research analystEnvironmental Services, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: I used a free trial. “i appreciate the vast capabilities of QGIS, allowing me to perform complex spatial operations, create visually appealing maps, and analyze data effectively.“ July 3, 2023 AV Alexandre V salesConsumer Goods, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “I think that QGIS is simple to use and efficient in map making, but it is more difficult to install and use on computers with 32-bit capacity, thus making it difficult for many individuals to use it.“ June 19, 2023 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 99 available reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use R Reviewer CEO Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "Ótima interface visual" November 27, 2025 5.0 Ótima, apesar de pontos a melhorar na visualização dos relatórios. O software é intuitivo e visual. É o que se espera de um app usado principalmente para geoprocessamento. Funcionalidades claras permitindo a manipulação de camadas geográficas. Pros A interface é ótima. Consigo encontrar os comandos facilmente, é muito visual e intuitivo comparado aos demais softwares de geoprocessamento. Além de me permitir anexar vários tipos de arquivos. Logo após a inicialização os últimos projetos ficam visualmente expostos o que ajuda o usuário a relembrar o que foi feito recentemente. Cons Acredito que a seção "gerar relatório" e "Layout de impressão" ainda precisa melhorar. O painel com a "composição" e "propriedades do item" adicionado é confuso e se sobrepõe visualmente a outras funções. Para fazer alterações simples como tamanho da fonte é uma busca entre setas e letras minúsculas dentro do menu de opções, não é nada intuitivo. Review Source R Reviewer District Engineer Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "QGIS - The Best GIS Platform" December 12, 2019 5.0 After starting with QGIS, my design flow in QGIS involves over 80% of the total work. Before QGIS, creation of pipe lines, adding lengths manually, introducing elevations to thousands of notes along with demands usually consumed over a month for each scheme. But with QGIS, the time requirement changed to a matter of hours, which is unbelievable. Pipelines are automatically generated with exported shape files, demands are exported with demand buffers, which are created and managed in QGIS and all elevation data sets are all there in the same project. Pros QGIS is a free software, with exceptional customization as well as some amazing built-in features. Compared to most other GIS platforms including paid ones, QGIS offers a hassle free user experience since we can handle/ manage all our files within a single interface such as creating-converting-managing all data layers very easily. The other major upside is the availability of a ton of third party plug ins, which will help you do almost everything you need. As a daily user of the software, QGIS has become an integral part of my design workflow in modelling and managing water supply pipe networks. With the latest QGIS 3, we received many new features to further enhance the level of presentation compared to what it offered before. This was a very nice surprise and a much welcomed bonus to all users. Cons Unlike many free apps, there are literally no downsides to using QGIS compared to the alternatives. Review Source R Reviewer researcher Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "My personal experience on QGIS" August 14, 2023 4.0 In my opinion, QGIS is currently the best GIS software, offering all the necessary tools through a multitude of plug-ins, but also because it's free and open source, making it the best choice for students and researchers. Pros One of the things I liked most about this program is that it's free and open source. It also provides all the necessary tools in a single software, so there's no need to download other programs. It also allows you to download satellite images with no need to download them from external sites, and to process them automatically, saving the user time and effort. Cons So far, I haven't encountered any problems or complications with it. Review Source R Reviewer Engineer Used the software for: 1-3 years ### "QGIS REVIEW" March 6, 2025 3.0 Pros Helps with locating the points where we have tested. Cons Its too slow when it comes to performance. Review Source R Reviewer GIS Analyst Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "QGIS - get your work done fast." March 15, 2023 5.0 As a GIS Analyst, QGIS has changed my professional life and I am now in the Open Source GeoSpatial community. I love the efficiency of it and that you can download it anywhere in the world via the QGIS Project page. The QGIS Community are kind and ethical and are ready to help users. Pros I moved over to QGIS from ESRI as I was working in consulting and QGIS performed quickly (very powerful and lots of tools available from GDAL, GRASS and SAGA) and was more stable. The default styles were beautiful as well and the ease of working with Open Data such as ArcGIS REST Servers made my workflows efficient. The Plugins, such as SLYR, lets me work with ESRI products with ease and QGIS is the main software to run your Tuflow in. With a long term release each year and quarterly updates, it is always evolving with technology. Using Geopackages when working with the Cloud environments also make my workflows efficient. I love that I can share my work easily as well with fellow workers and clients. Lots of support in its Documentation as well in the community via socials or email lists or Stackoverflow. Cons Labelling needs to be developed a bit more but in saying that, I can get a complex fauna study map out. As it is free, corporations can use it but they need to also contribute to it as well so we can keep the development up. Review Source R Reviewer Phd Student Used the software for: 1-3 years ### "A Solid Geographic Information System Tool" July 29, 2024 5.0 QGIS has been a valuable addition to my work with geographic data. The software is feature-rich and user-friendly for a GIS tool. It offers a wide range of capabilities for spatial data analysis and visualization. Additionally, being open-source makes it a cost-effective choice for anyone in need of GIS software. Overall, QGIS is a reliable tool for geographic information system tasks. Pros QGIS provides a comprehensive suite of tools for mapping and spatial analysis. It supports a wide range of data formats and has robust plugins that extend its functionality. The software is also highly customizable, allowing users to tailor it to their specific needs. The community support and extensive documentation make it easier to learn and troubleshoot issues. Cons The interface can be a bit overwhelming for beginners, and there can be a steep learning curve. Some advanced features may require additional training or practice to use effectively. Review Source R Reviewer Urban planner and regional developer Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "QGIS review" August 18, 2022 3.0 Till now, my QGIS use is restricted to creating map products, which is great but alittle bit more time-consuming. Pros It is built extremely user friendly, with similar UI to other softwares provided by vendors at great cost. It works for GIS users, providing an open source powerfull tool, triggering the user to expand their skills to coding. Cons There should be more built-in options regarding the data visualization, specially when creating map products (greater farmating libraries). I would like to see less versions of the software, but more stable. Review Source R Reviewer Profesional GIS / Analista de Datos Used the software for: 3-5 years ### " QGIS, a Geographic Information System for data visualization and analysis" November 22, 2019 5.0 I have generated a series of dashboards capable of creating geostatistical maps, all are visible in my linkedin profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mauriciomarquezgoa/ Pros It is a free, intuitive, easy-to-use software, with a lot of documentation on the web, capable of solving complex spatial data problems. Add-ons make it the best free GIS on the web. Cons The map composer has an extension called Atlas which is able to add HTML elements, Javascript among others that allow expressions and function to make intersections to the flight that give a great dynamism to the configured maps. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Founder/ Managing Director Used the software for: Less than 1 year ### "Excellent Open Source GIS software" November 10, 2020 5.0 I have loved discovering this software. It is all that I had hoped I could find since ESRI products are so so expensive and it is my budget. But QGIS days everything I need for professional mapping and analysis. Pros This is a full-featured, intuitive GIS software with many devoted users who develop add ons for some many situations. The software is updated regularly. It connects to all the databases and sources I need. Cons The installation is a little difficult at times and it requires uninstalling the previous version. The tool bar graphics can look a little dated graphically. Review Source Joseph M. Senior Engineer Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "Agrxis Review on QGIS" May 16, 2023 5.0 Using QGIS has been an amazing experience for me. Since I rely on geospatial technologies for my profession, QGIS has surpassed my expectations in every way. The program offers a reliable and adaptable platform for all of my GIS requirements. I value the user-friendly design that makes it easy for me to move through my tasks. I am able to conduct intricate spatial analyses and produce visually amazing maps because to the wide range of geospatial analysis tools and features offered by QGIS. My productivity is further increased by having access to a large variety of plugins and extensions and being able to interact with different data formats. In addition, QGIS's vibrant community and thorough documentation have been essential tools for troubleshooting and extending my GIS skills. Pros Because QGIS provides a robust and user-friendly platform for my geospatial needs, I truly love using it. I value the wide variety of features and tools that QGIS offers since I am passionate about GIS. I can manage a variety of datasets thanks to my proficiency with a variety of geospatial data types, including shapefiles, raster pictures, and databases. I can easily explore and personalize my workspace with QGIS thanks to its user-friendly interface and layout options. QGIS's extensive library of plugins and extensions improves its usability and enables me to increase its capabilities for certain tasks. Additionally, I have access to tools, tutorials, and assistance anytime I need it because to the vibrant and encouraging community that surrounds QGIS. Cons Thus far, my experience with QGIS has been very positive and I have not encountered any issues or concerns. Review Source Chanchala D. Scientist (Town Planner) Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "Best open-source software for geospatial mapping!!" August 23, 2022 4.0 QGIS is open-source software that can easily download and deploy. It consists of a variety of plugins and tools to work with geospatial data. Pros QGIS is totally free software that helps us to perform spatial analysis, data management, geospatial data preparation, satellite data interpretation, etc. This software is updating day by day and adding very important plugins and features to it. QGIS has plugins to connect with other platforms too. For example, Send2GoogleEarth plugin can join with Google Earth Pro, Google Earth Engine Plugin can work with GEE platform. This software provides plugins and tools for quick land use classifications compared to other GIS platforms. Digitization of spatial elements like buildings, roads, streams, and land cover is very comfortable with QGIS. QGIS has the facility to load base maps such as OpenStreetMap, Google Hybrid, Google Satellite, Google Road, and Bing Arial by adding the URL. This service is very valuable for those who are working with base data preparation and interpretation. Cons QGIS doesn’t support adding data from file geodatabases. Sometimes QGIS is unexpectedly ended due to crash reporting. Especially at the time, we are doing digitization activities using google satellite images. Review Source Oumaima A. research analyst Used the software for: I used a free trial ### "Unleashing the Power of Spatial Analysis" July 4, 2023 5.0 QGIS offers a broad range of tools and functionalities for spatial analysis, data management, and map creation. i appreciate the vast capabilities of QGIS, allowing me to perform complex spatial operations, create visually appealing maps, and analyze data effectively. Pros QGIS is an open-source software, meaning it is freely available for download and use. This accessibility makes it a popular choice for individuals and organizations with limited budgets or those who prefer open-source solutions. Cons QGIS, like any powerful software, has a learning curve, especially for users who are new to geographic information systems (GIS). Review Source SW Sharan W. Assistant Professor Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "QGIS - An Overview of Pros and Cons" February 23, 2023 4.0 QGIS is a versatile tool for GIS professionals, students, and anyone who needs to work with geospatial data. Its accessibility, functionality, and active community make it a valuable option for users looking for open-source GIS software. Pros QGIS, also known as Quantum GIS, is an open-source cross-platform desktop geographic information system. Here are the pros and cons of using QGIS:Pros:1. It is free and open-source, making it accessible to anyone regardless of budget constraints.2. QGIS supports a wide range of data formats and is able to work with both vector and raster data.3. QGIS has a large and active community, with numerous plugins and tools available to enhance functionality.4. It offers advanced geoprocessing tools, such as spatial analysis and mapping capabilities.5. It can be easily integrated with other software and systems, making it a versatile tool for a range of applications. Cons 1\. The user interface can be overwhelming for beginners, and it may take some time to learn and become comfortable with the software.2. It may not have all the same features and capabilities as some of the more expensive commercial GIS software.3. Some of the more advanced features may require coding or scripting knowledge, which can be a barrier for some users. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer GIS Analyst and Cartographer Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "Free and Powerful Open Source GIS Software" September 28, 2021 4.0 My overall experience with QGIS is great, and I will strongly recommend QGIS. Pros QGIS is a free and powerful open source software. The GUI is great and adding data to your data frame is much more easier (click a button and then select which data type you want to add within a single window e.g. Raster, Vector etc.). With availability of so many compatible plugins, QGIS can do all GIS activities and some remote sensing analysis. QGIS is great and installation is very simple. Cons I find it difficult to point out one specific part of QGIS that isn't great. QGIS software is robust enough. Review Source R Reviewer Laboratory technician Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "Excellent tool for your GIS proyects" January 15, 2024 5.0 Qgis has a wide variety of tools that helps in the quality of the product I'm working on. Pros It's a fantastic tool for free. I like the facilites in different types of formats, the compatibility with Python and support. Cons For me everything works fine cause I get what a need in a easy way without problem. I really enjoy using Qgis. Review Source Michael H. EDV-Berater Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "Karten für Avenza Maps" August 21, 2023 5.0 Pros QGis helps me georeference maps so they can be used in Avenza Maps Cons I don't know anything about that. I am fully satisfied. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer GIS Intern Used the software for: 1-3 years ### "Excellent free and open source alternative to ArcGIS" October 30, 2019 5.0 For bare-bones GIS needs, QGIS is great alternative to ArcGIS. I use the software to keep track of where samples were gathered for my thesis project. Pros QGIS does a lot for a free, open source software. For basic GIS needs, for example the type of things you'd learn in an introductory GIS course, QGIS will get the job done without needing to pay money. One thing QGIS actually does a bit better than ArcGIS is organize their menus more logically, which makes finding functions for the first time a bit easier. Cons For more complex projects such as those that you'd want to integrate into a web app or website, you'd want to consider paying for ArcGIS functionality. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Consultant Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "QGIS - my first GIS SW" May 30, 2022 4.0 Pros It is rich with functionalities and could be customized for specific usage / area. Enable different data export/import therefore critical tool for data analysis when there are geographical data within dataset. Cons many versions, one should be careful and track the version that was used for some specific job. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Geographer Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "QGIS review" November 28, 2022 4.0 Pros Greater efficiency and improved geographic information recordkeeping lead to cost savings. Cons There isn't a proper online lesson and tools can occasionally be out of current. Review Source R Reviewer Engineer Used the software for: 1-3 years ### "QGIS supported to plan future network" September 25, 2023 5.0 Its a perfect tool to plan my network development and existing resource availability for future sales requirement. Pros Mapping existing network information with household,area boundary and existing network utilization Cons I was not able to upload my existing Geo location information to QGIS Review Source R Reviewer Process engineer Used the software for: 1-3 years ### "QGIS review" August 5, 2019 5.0 Pros 1.- It's free! 2.- It is open source! 3.- It has a great variety of tools and if it does not exist, open source! 4.- Do not ask the GIS pay programs for anything. 5.- It has tutorials to start using it Cons I have not encountered any problems in the time I have used the program Review Source Cooper S. Architectural Historian Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "Just use ESRI." October 4, 2024 1.0 Honestly terrible, i used it for a very brief period of time due to all of its issues. Pros In theory, it was easy to use, however there were always problems. Cons The opensource nature of the product led to a lack of overall support and compatibility. I experienced constant problems, slow-downs, freezes, and crashes with the program. Review Source Lewis S. Senior Geotechnical Engineer Used the software for: 3-5 years ### "QGIS" November 23, 2023 4.0 Pros Great functions and outputs. Adding maps and shapefiles can be very useful Cons Not very intuitive. The functions need to be researched on youtube or forums to learn Review Source Victor O. Junior Product Owner Used the software for: Less than 1 year ### "Best free software for map management" May 19, 2021 5.0 I love the software and would certainly recommend it to anyone interested in geo data management. Pros I like that this software is open source, yet has a lot of powerful features, most of which I have not gotten around to exploring. Cons The plethora of features can sometimes be dauting to someone with little knowledge about using the software. Review Source Jay M. Student Used the software for: Less than 1 year ### "Detailed and diverse tool" December 4, 2019 5.0 Pros I used QGIS for my traffic simulation project and honestly, this tool was mostly used to create various shapefiles. This extracts every kind of tiniest road possible which makes it very precise to use in simulation. Also, the software is not too heavy and can be used without any lag. They also provide Grass GIS for advanced applications. Cons For basic and advanced GIS applications, this software is just ample enough. No cons as of now. Review Source Similar Products Featured ## Send me user reviews about this product ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.