QGIS Setup: How to Get the Best GIS Software for Free
How to Download QGIS Setup
QGIS is a free and open source geographic information system (GIS) that allows you to create, edit, visualize, analyze and publish geospatial data on various platforms. In this article, you will learn what QGIS is, what features and benefits it offers, what requirements and compatibility issues you need to consider, and how to download QGIS setup for different platforms. You will also learn how to install and run QGIS for the first time, and how to load sample data and create a simple map.
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What is QGIS?
QGIS is a user-friendly GIS software that supports multiple vector, raster, database and web service formats. It is developed by a community of volunteers and contributors under the umbrella of the QGIS project, which is part of the Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo). QGIS is licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL), which means that you can use it for any purpose, modify it, and share it with others.
Features and benefits of QGIS
QGIS has many features and benefits that make it a powerful and versatile GIS tool. Some of them are:
It has a rich set of core plugins and extensions that provide additional functionality, such as geoprocessing, spatial analysis, network analysis, 3D visualization, web mapping, geocoding, georeferencing, metadata editing, etc.
It supports a wide range of data formats and sources, including shapefiles, GeoPackage, GeoJSON, KML, GML, CSV, SQLite, PostGIS, SpatiaLite, Oracle Spatial, MSSQL Spatial, WMS, WFS, WCS, WMTS, etc.
It has a flexible and customizable user interface that allows you to arrange toolbars, panels, menus and dialogs according to your preferences and workflows.
It has a built-in Python console and API that enable you to write scripts and plugins to automate tasks and extend functionality.
It has a strong community support that provides documentation, tutorials, forums, mailing lists, bug reports, feature requests, code contributions and translations.
It is cross-platform and runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, BSD and mobile devices.
Requirements and compatibility of QGIS
Before you download QGIS setup, you need to check the requirements and compatibility of your system. The minimum requirements for running QGIS are:
A 64-bit processor (since QGIS 3.20)
A graphics card with OpenGL 2.0 support
A minimum of 4 GB RAM (8 GB or more recommended)
A minimum of 2 GB disk space (more depending on the data you want to work with)
The compatibility of QGIS depends on the platform you want to use. For Windows users, you need Windows 7 or later. For macOS users, you need macOS High Sierra (10.13) or later. For Linux users, you need a distribution that supports binary packages (rpm or deb) or software repositories (such as Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora, openSUSE or Mandriva). For mobile users, you need Android 5.0 or later or iOS 10.0 or later. For more details, you can check the QGIS website or the QGIS documentation.
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How to download QGIS for different platforms
QGIS is available for download from the official QGIS website or from various mirrors and alternative sources. Depending on the platform you want to use, you may have different options and methods for downloading QGIS setup. Here are some of the most common ones:
Downloading QGIS for Windows
For Windows users, there are two main ways to download QGIS setup: using the OSGeo4W installer or using the standalone installer. Both methods will download and install QGIS along with other dependencies and optional components, such as GDAL, GRASS, SAGA, etc.
Using the OSGeo4W installer
The OSGeo4W installer is a network installer that allows you to choose which packages and versions you want to install from a list of available options. It also allows you to update or uninstall packages later. To use the OSGeo4W installer, follow these steps:
Go to the OSGeo4W website and download the 64-bit installer (osgeo4w-setup-x86_64.exe).
Run the installer and choose a directory for installation.
Select "Advanced Install" and click "Next".
Select "Install from Internet" and click "Next".
Choose a root directory, a local package directory, and a connection type. Click "Next".
Select a download site from the list or add your own. Click "Next".
Select the packages you want to install. Make sure to select qgis under Desktop category and qgis-ltr under Libs category. You can also select other packages as per your needs. Click "Next".
Review the list of packages to be installed and click "Next".
Wait for the download and installation to complete.
Click "Finish" to exit the installer.
Using the standalone installer
The standalone installer is a simpler and faster way to download and install QGIS setup. It will install QGIS with all the required dependencies and components, but without any optional ones. To use the standalone installer, follow these steps:
Go to the QGIS website and click on the "Download Now" button.
Select your platform (Windows) and choose between the long term release (LTR) or the latest release of QGIS.
Click on the link for the 64-bit installer (QGIS-OSGeo4W-3.x.x-1-Setup-x86_64.exe).
Save the file to your computer and run it.
Follow the instructions of the installation wizard.
Click "Finish" to exit the installer.
Downloading QGIS for macOS
For macOS users, there are two main ways to download QGIS setup: using the official installer or using alternative methods. Both methods will download and install QGIS along with other dependencies and components, such as GDAL, GRASS, SAGA, etc.
Using the official installer
The official installer is a disk image file that contains QGIS and its dependencies. It is recommended for most users as it is easy to use and compatible with most macOS versions. To use the official installer, follow these steps:
Go to the QGIS website and click on the "Download Now" button.
Select your platform (macOS) and choose between the long term release (LTR) or the latest release of QGIS.
Click on the link for the disk image file (QGIS-macOS-3.x.x.dmg).
Save the file to your computer and open it.
Drag and drop the QGIS icon into your Applications folder.
Eject the disk image file and delete it.
Using alternative methods
If you have problems with the official installer or want more control over your installation, you can use alternative methods to download QGIS setup for macOS. Some of these methods are:
Using Homebrew, a package manager for macOS that allows you to install QGIS and other software from the command line.
Using MacPorts, another package manager for macOS that allows you to install QGIS and other software from the command line.
Using KyngChaos, a website that provides QGIS and other geospatial software packages for macOS.
Using Docker, a platform that allows you to run QGIS and other software in isolated containers.
For more details and instructions on how to use these alternative methods, you can check the QGIS documentation or the respective websites of the methods.
Downloading QGIS for Linux
For Linux users, there are two main ways to download QGIS setup: using binary packages or software repositories, or using Flatpak or Snap packages. Both methods will download and install QGIS along with other dependencies and components, such as GDAL, GRASS, SAGA, etc.
Using binary packages or software repositories
Binary packages or software repositories are the most common and conveni