European GIS Software

#1 GeoSolutions

Camaiore (Lucca), Italy Pricing on request; the software itself is open source Demo on request

Best for: Public bodies and companies that build a spatial data infrastructure on OGC and INSPIRE standards

• Operating company. GeoSolutions SRL
• Jurisdiction. EU (Italy)
• Where the data sits. Wherever you deploy the open-source stack
• Source code. Closed source
• Replaces. ArcGIS Enterprise, ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Hub

GeoSolutions packages four open-source projects into a service offer: MapStore, which it develops itself under a BSD licence for maps, dashboards and stories, plus support for GeoServer, GeoNetwork and GeoNode. The company sells enterprise support, subscriptions with an assured SLA and training, and the site also lists a hosted Cloud GeoNode. The software costs nothing; the contract pays for people who can run it at scale.

GeoSolutions SRL is registered at Camaiore near Lucca in Italy and states ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 27001 certification on its own pages. Prices are on request. The About page also names GeoSolutions USA Inc. in Brooklyn for North American customers, so a European buyer should confirm which entity signs. It does not sell a desktop GIS, so analysts need QGIS or Cadcorp SIS beside it.

Standout feature. GeoSolutions is the only vendor here that sells support for the entire open-source server chain from GeoServer to MapStore.

#2 Mapbender

Bonn, Germany Founded 2007 Free software (MIT); commercial support and maintenance from WhereGroup on request Demo on request

Best for: Local authorities and utilities that run many geoportals and want no per-user fees

• Operating company. WhereGroup GmbH
• Jurisdiction. EU (Germany)
• Where the data sits. Your own server
• Source code. Closed source
• Replaces. ArcGIS Web AppBuilder, ArcGIS Experience Builder, ArcGIS Enterprise portals

Mapbender builds web map applications the way a content management system builds pages: an administrator registers WMS or WMTS services, assembles an application from elements in the browser and sets group rights. A single installation hosts as many applications as you like, and applications can be copied, exported and imported. LDAP connection, atlas printing, drawing and data capture are on the feature list.

The project is OSGeo-certified and published under the MIT licence on GitHub, maintained by WhereGroup GmbH in Bonn, which describes itself as formed in 2007 from three earlier companies. WhereGroup sells commercial support and maintenance without a published price list, and its feature table separates standard functions from planned and custom ones. Mapbender is browser software, so editing and analysis stay in QGIS.

Standout feature. Mapbender lets an administrator assemble and rights-manage unlimited map applications from one MIT-licensed installation.

#3 disy Cadenza

Karlsruhe, Germany Pricing on request Demo on request

Best for: Authorities that report on spatial data from governed databases to non-GIS colleagues

• Operating company. Disy Informationssysteme GmbH
• Jurisdiction. EU (Germany)
• Where the data sits. On-premises or cloud, as the customer chooses
• Source code. Closed source
• Replaces. ArcGIS Dashboards, ArcGIS Insights, Esri Business Analyst reporting

disy Cadenza starts from the database: analysts filter data, view it as tables, charts or map layers, and distribute results as scheduled reports. The geo analytics view offers scale-dependent layers, spatial filters and a time axis for animations. Sign-on works through LDAP and OpenID Connect, privileges are role-based and user actions are written to an audit log, which matters for public-sector data.

Disy Informationssysteme GmbH of Karlsruhe, registered as HRB 107964 at the Amtsgericht Mannheim, says it has about 150 employees and that its customers are mainly federal and state authorities. It also sells consulting, ETL work and GeoEnablement of existing data. The product can run on-premises or in the cloud. Pricing is on request, the founding year is not stated on the pages read, and it is not described as open source.

Standout feature. disy Cadenza turns database queries into scheduled reports with map layers, so colleagues receive results without opening a GIS.

#4 QGIS

Laax, Switzerland Free; optional sustaining memberships from €500 per year Demo on request

Best for: Analysts and cartographers who want to replace ArcGIS Pro seats and accept community or contractor support

• Operating company. QGIS.ORG (Swiss association)
• Jurisdiction. Switzerland (adequacy decision, outside the EEA)
• Where the data sits. Local files and your own databases
• Source code. Closed source
• Replaces. ArcGIS Pro, ArcMap

QGIS is free, open-source desktop GIS under GPLv2+ for Windows, macOS and Linux. The project groups its functions into map creation, layer editing, analysis and sharing: digitizing for points, lines, polygons and meshes, a layout designer for print maps and atlases, a processing toolbox for chained workflows, and a plugin ecosystem. QGIS Server provides web services, which Lizmap uses.

QGIS.ORG is an association under Swiss civil law with an address in Laax, and the project is owned by its contributors. Funding comes from sustaining members paying €500 (small), €3,000 (medium), €9,000 (large) or €27,000 (flagship) per year, plus donations. No vendor answers the phone, but the project lists commercial support providers including 3Liz. Switzerland is outside the EU.

Standout feature. QGIS is the one tool here that the others build on, since Lizmap, QField, Mergin Maps and Mapbender all take QGIS projects as input.

#5 MapTiler

Unterageri, Switzerland Founded 2010 Free tier / From €25/month Demo on request

Best for: Developers who add hosted or self-hosted base maps to their own applications

• Operating company. MapTiler
• Jurisdiction. Switzerland (adequacy decision, outside the EEA)
• Source code. Closed source
• Replaces. Google Maps API, Mapbox

MapTiler provides map hosting and developer tools rather than a GIS. The site lists vector and raster tiles, a style editor that follows the Mapbox GL style specification, a geocoding API, JavaScript and TypeScript SDKs on top of MapLibre GL JS, native mobile SDKs, 3D buildings and terrain, and georeferencing of scanned maps. Its site lists Google Maps API and Mapbox as the services it replaces.

MapTiler Server allows tiles to be served from your own servers or private cloud, with the same styles and formats as the cloud service. The free tier on the tool page allows 100,000 map tile requests per month and stops loading maps once exceeded instead of billing, with paid plans from about €25 a month. The terms name a Swiss company in Unterageri, outside the EEA, and the product is not open source.

Standout feature. MapTiler Server is the only entry here that moves the base-map tile service onto your own machines.

#6 Lizmap

Montpellier, France Lizmap Cloud: Starter €50 excl. tax per month, Starter+ €75, Basic from €90 Demo on request

Best for: Small authorities and associations that style maps in QGIS and want French-hosted web sharing

• Operating company. 3Liz SARL
• Jurisdiction. EU (France)
• Where the data sits. France (OVH), or another country on a dedicated server
• Source code. Closed source
• Replaces. ArcGIS Online web maps, ArcGIS Enterprise web apps

Lizmap leaves the design work in QGIS: layers are styled and forms configured in the desktop project, and Lizmap with QGIS Server renders the project as a web application. 3Liz lists PostgreSQL/PostGIS databases, WebDAV and FTP storage, a project validator that reports memory use, invalid layers and missing files, and optional modules for SAML, PgMetadata and PgRouting.

3Liz SARL of Montpellier says it began developing Lizmap as open source in 2011 and has run a hosting service since 2016. Lizmap Cloud sits on OVH servers in France, with daily backups kept for at least seven days in another city. Starter costs €50 excluding tax per month with 200 MB, Starter+ €75 with 2 GB, and Basic from €90 adds a database for editing. The company states there are no trackers or advertising.

Standout feature. Lizmap includes a project validator that checks a QGIS project for invalid layers and missing files before it goes online.

#7 QField

Laax, Switzerland QFieldCloud Community free (100 MB sync); Flat from €18 per user per month; Flex €28 per user per month Demo on request

Best for: Surveyors and NGOs that design forms in QGIS and gather data offline on phones and tablets

• Operating company. QFieldCloud GmbH (service); OPENGIS.ch (developer)
• Jurisdiction. Switzerland (adequacy decision, outside the EEA)
• Where the data sits. Sub-processors listed by QFieldCloud; DPA available
• Source code. Closed source
• Replaces. ArcGIS Field Maps, ArcGIS Survey123, Collector

QField is the mobile app that opens a QGIS project in the field with the desktop symbology and forms. It records photos, video and audio, reads QR codes and NFC tags, uses high-precision receivers for position and tracking, offers snapping and vertex editing, and accepts plugins written in QML or JavaScript. The app is open source under GPL-2.0 and developed by OPENGIS.ch, which lists ISO 9001:2015.

QFieldCloud GmbH in Laax runs the sync service. The Community plan is free with unlimited projects and 100 MB of sync space, Flat adds private collaboration, advanced version history and offline PostGIS support from €18 per user per month, and Flex is €28 per active user. The pricing page shows several Flat figures, so the cost depends on billing period and team size. The project calls itself a Digital Public Good.

Standout feature. QField is the open-source field app whose paid tiers charge only active users on its Flex plan.

#8 Mergin Maps

England, United Kingdom Premium €15.8 per contributor per month billed annually (€19.5 monthly); 14-day free trial; Enterprise on request Demo on request

Best for: Utility, forestry and ecology teams that want offline field edits merged and tracked

• Operating company. Lutra Consulting Limited
• Jurisdiction. United Kingdom (adequacy decision, outside the EEA)
• Where the data sits. Enterprise customers choose data residency
• Source code. Closed source
• Replaces. ArcGIS Field Maps, ArcGIS Survey123

Mergin Maps handles field data like version control: several colleagues edit the same layers offline, the service merges the changes and the project history shows who altered what. Customisable forms, external GNSS support, web maps and a QGIS plugin are listed, and a newer feature publishes a QGIS project online through a URL. The mobile app code is on GitHub under GPL-2.0.

Lutra Consulting Limited, registered in England and Wales under number 09460334, is the developer, so UK law applies to the contract. Premium costs €15.8 per contributor per month billed annually, or €19.5 monthly, with 1 GB per contributor, extra storage at €2.5 per GB and unlimited read-only members. A 14-day trial is offered, NGOs with revenue up to $30k get a free plan, and Enterprise chooses data residency.

Standout feature. Mergin Maps keeps a project history that shows who changed which layer after offline edits are merged.

#9 Cadcorp SIS

Hemel Hempstead, United Kingdom Pricing on request Demo on request

Best for: UK public safety, local government and utility teams that want a commercial desktop GIS with a vendor behind it

• Operating company. NEC Software Solutions UK Limited
• Jurisdiction. United Kingdom (adequacy decision, outside the EEA)
• Where the data sits. Customer-chosen deployment
• Source code. Closed source
• Replaces. ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Server

Cadcorp SIS is a family of SIS Desktop for editing and analysis, SIS WebMap for the browser and GeognoSIS for web services. The vendor says SIS Desktop reads more than 300 formats, including PostGIS, Oracle and SQL Server, and supports Ordnance Survey data. Listed analysis covers buffering, Thiessen polygons, contouring, clustering and hotspots, routing networks and export of time series to video.

The cadcorp.com company pages now redirect to NEC Software Solutions, which announced the acquisition, so the supplier is NEC Software Solutions UK Limited, registered in England and Wales as company 968498 with a Hemel Hempstead address. Prices are on request, no open-source licence is mentioned and the review is based on vendor pages, not hands-on testing. The contract is British, outside the EU.

Standout feature. Cadcorp SIS can export a temporal map series as video from the desktop product.

#10 UP42

Berlin, Germany Prepaid credits, 100 credits = €1, minimum purchase €100; Enterprise monthly invoicing Demo on request

Best for: Teams that order satellite or aerial imagery and stream it into a GIS or monitoring pipeline

• Operating company. UP42 GmbH
• Jurisdiction. EU (Germany)
• Where the data sits. Germany (content storage per the Platform Services Agreement)
• Source code. Closed source
• Replaces. ArcGIS Living Atlas imagery, ArcGIS Imagery access

UP42 is a data supplier. Customers search an archive, order newly tasked captures over their area and receive the result in a GIS, through the API and SDK, or as a WMTS stream. The platform lists multispectral, SAR, elevation, lidar and hyperspectral data from several providers. Costs depend on area of interest, resolution, provider, acquisition mode, tasking priority and cloud-cover requirements, and quotes appear before purchase.

UP42 GmbH is entered in the Charlottenburg commercial register as HRB 204574 B at Ohlauer Strasse 43 in Berlin. Credits are 100 per euro with a €100 minimum and 5 percent bonus credits from 1,000,000 credits; Enterprise plans are invoiced monthly. The Platform Services Agreement states German law, Berlin courts and storage in Germany, and there is no self-hosting. The imagery providers set their own licences.

Standout feature. UP42 shows a price estimate for the chosen area and resolution before any credits are spent.

#11 GeoCat

Wageningen, Netherlands Founded 2007 Pricing on request (quote form) Demo on request

Best for: Organisations with metadata and open-data duties that must catalogue and publish spatial services

• Operating company. GeoCat BV
• Jurisdiction. EU (Netherlands)
• Where the data sits. As deployed
• Source code. Closed source
• Replaces. ArcGIS Hub, ArcGIS Online catalogue

GeoCat works on the stage after the map is drawn. Find is a catalogue system, Map publishes spatial information with industry standards, Live hosts basic infrastructure, and GeoCat Bridge is an extension for both ArcGIS Desktop and QGIS Desktop that publishes straight from the desktop. Staff therefore keep their current program while the organisation builds a European catalogue.

GeoCat BV is headquartered in Wageningen and says it has followed the free and open-source philosophy since Jeroen Ticheler founded it in 2007. It has offices in Canada and Spain and offers consulting and training at customer sites or in Wageningen. Prices come through a quote form, and the pages read gave limited detail on product internals or licences.

Standout feature. GeoCat Bridge publishes from ArcGIS Desktop and QGIS Desktop alike, so it can serve both sides of a migration at once.