Free Geospatial Data and Software: A Starter Hub
A curated list of free GIS software and open spatial data sources: desktop GIS, satellite imagery, elevation data, open street maps and coordinate system references.
A huge amount of high-quality geospatial data and software is free. This hub lists dependable starting points maintained by government agencies, universities and open communities.
Software
- QGIS: free, open-source desktop GIS. Start with our QGIS beginner's guide.
Satellite and aerial imagery
- USGS EarthExplorer: search and download Landsat imagery and other datasets.
- Copernicus Browser: view and download Sentinel satellite data from the EU's Copernicus programme.
Elevation and point clouds
- OpenTopography: access to high-resolution topography and LiDAR datasets for research and education.
Base data
- OpenStreetMap: a collaborative, openly licensed world map. Attribution is required.
- Natural Earth: public domain small-scale cultural and physical map data.
Reference
- epsg.io: look up coordinate reference systems by EPSG code. Background in coordinate reference systems for beginners.
Guides on FlexyBlogs
Every dataset has a licence. Check the terms, especially for commercial use and attribution, before publishing derived products.
