Free Aerial – Satellite Imagery & GIS Viewers

Synopsis:

QGIS is the standard for open-source Geographic Information Systems (GIS) programs around the world. A Free and Open-Source Software (FOSS), QGIS is a user-friendly alternative to expensive GIS and imagery processing programs like ArcGIS, ENVI and Catalyst. Users can view, create, edit, manage and export both vector and raster data in numerous formats. Once imported, users can analyze data and create maps, then easily publish the results online through the QGIS Web Client or dive even deeper into analysis by integrating one of the many Python plugins. In addition to QGIS Desktop for Windows, Mac, Linux and Android, users can publish web maps through QGIS Server and view maps on mobile devices through third-party apps. Download this free GIS software here.

User Friendliness Rating: 3.5/5

Available On: Linux, Unix, Mac OSX, Windows and Android

Type: Desktop

How to Upload an Imagery File:

1. On the header bar, click File
2. Click Add Layer
3. Select Add Raster Data
4. Choose the imagery file you want to import

Usability Pros:

• Similar to ArcGIS
• Can be used with advanced cartography tools and Pythons plugins
• Analyzes both raster and vector data
• Integrates with other open-source GIS systems to extend functionality
• Can be used for both basic tasks and specific tasks (disaster reduction, terrain analysis, environmental resource mapping, etc.)
• Youtube and Internet support resources available

Usability Cons:

• Figuring out how to export data can be tricky

File Formats Accepted: GeoTIFF, ERDAS IMG, ArcInfo ASCII GRID, JPEG, PNG, SHP, TIN, essentially all cartographic data types

Synopsis:

Google Earth is the best-known free imagery viewer, as well as the easiest to use. While Shapefile or .KMZ/.KML formats work best, Google Earth accepts most image files like TIFFs, and vector files including MapInfo, generic text and CSV files. After importing data, users can apply style templates, add place markers, highlight key features, and draw on the map. Users can also collaborate and create a project presentation to share with others. For a different experience, users can try 3D view or Streetview for a 360-degree perspective of their data. You can access the desktop version of Google Earth here.

User Friendliness Rating: 4/5

Available On: Desktop Mac, PC and Linux; mobile and online versions available but they do not support raster files

Type: Desktop

How to Upload an Imagery File:

1. On the header bar, click File
2. Click Open
3. Navigate to and Select the imagery file you want to import
4. Click Open

Usability Pros:

• Easy to use
• Tools are intuitive
• Automatic color balancing on 4-band imagery
• Help center and community forum to answer questions
• Lots of help videos/materials available on Youtube and the Internet

Usability Cons:

• Works best with small file sizes
• Ruler tool must be added to the toolbar before it can be used

File Formats Accepted: KML/KMZ or SHP (vectors); GeoTIFF, NTF, IMG, PNG, JPG, HDR, PIX PNM and BMP (rasters); detailed data import directions can be found here