There are lots of GIS programmes available so why use QGIS?
We teach GIS using QGIS because…
- user friendly interface makes getting started less daunting
- high geospatial functionality and can handle a huge range of proprietary and open file formats
- free, light-weight and cross platform so it works equally well on Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems
- has a lively and helpful user community
- increasingly popular in non-profit, academic and commercial sectors
- doesn’t require a per-seat licence meaning that you can increase the number of people in your organisation with access to GIS without financial penalty
Importantly QGIS is a GIS that grows with your skillset. The open-source nature of the software allows it to “plug in” to other powerful open-source GIS software such as Grass GIS and SAGA so you can access the advanced functionality of these software without the steep learning curve required to launch them independently.
It’s worth remembering that while you will undertake the practical modules for this course in QGIS, all of the supporting materials and background information are relevant to all geographical information systems. Once you have an insight into how GIS work, your knowledge will be highly transferable between GIS software.