QGIS SAGA GRASS gvSIG Whitebox GAT MapWindow GeoDa uDig OpenJump DivaGIS MapBox Worldkit Opens vector files Points and polygons only, NO LINES Supports GeoRSS only Can open KML KML only, does not support KMZ Can open GeoJSON Can open GPX Plugin Can open shapefiles Opens GDB Through plugin Opens rasters Vector only software GRID, IDRISI, FLOAT, ASCII, BIL, BIP, BSQ only Can display multi-band rasters correctly (RGB) Single band only Creates shapefiles Allows for snapping when digitizing Can create curved lines and edges View attribute table Modify attribute table Supports 3rd party extensions Python libraries Has to be run from within Whitebox Makes maps Title of map is customizeable (Text, font style) Cannot add title to map Placement is not customizeable Scale is correct Cannot add scale to map No scale Options of scalebar, ratio text Has both, but cant customize Scalebar is an option, but not ratio Scale bar only Scalebar only Supports north arrows Use image Use image Supports legends Proper legends for continous rasters Vector only software Can create mapbooks Requires programming Supports neatlines Can add images Export to PDF Can print map to PDF Export to SVG Export to image Can print map to image Export to Adobe Illustrator (AI) Work with and export to AutoCAD Supports DXF only Supports DXF only Requires OpenDWG Supports DXF only Supports DXF only Supports DXF only DXF only Supports layer symbology Symbology rules by category Symbology rules by quantity Customizeabile multi-rule symbology Supports scale-based rendering Supports labelling layers Can disable rendering on the fly Support for tiled basemaps Through plugins Can access spatial databases (e.g. PostGIS) 3D Raster view Vector only software Network analysis Through plugin Does not support line networks Plugins, pgrouting Find fastest route Through plugin Plugins, pgrouting Service area Requires pgrouting Requires programming Plugins, pgrouting OD Cost Matrix Requires pgrouting Requires programming Plugins, pgrouting Location allocation Requires pgrouting Requires programming Plugins, pgrouting Closest facility Requires pgrouting Requires programming Plugins, pgrouting On the fly reprojection Only one projection per location Graphical automation (Modelbuilder equivalent) Available on Windows Available on MacOS Available on Linux Generate hillshades Vector only software Generate hillshades on the fly Raster analysis Generate viewsheds Requires GRASS Generate slope raster Requires GRASS/SAGA/GDAL Generate aspect raster Requires GRASS/SAGA/GDAL Raster calculator Reclassify Requires GRASS/SAGA