The predominate software in GIS is ArcGIS by Esri. It can be expensive and has a learning curve for users, but is extremely robust and as noted, is predominate in the GIS industry. Can be used in a desktop, server or web environment.
Create, edit, visualize, analyze and publish geospatial information on Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD (Android coming soon). An official project of Osgeo with frequent updates.
CARTO is an open source software built on PostGIS and PostgreSQL. The tool uses JavaScript extensively in the front end web application. Students and educators may acquire free accounts.
Open source, free to you! Self-described as "particularly useful for mapping and analyzing biodiversity data, such as the distribution of species, or other 'point-distributions'".
eCognition classifies and analyzes imagery, vectors and point clouds using all the semantic information required to interpret it correctly. Rather than examining stand-alone pixels or points, it distills meaning from the objects' connotations and mutual relationships, not only with neighboring objects but throughout various input data.
Felt is a cloud-native GIS tool that allows for collaborative mapping. Fee accounts allow you to do some basic map making. There are paid accounts that support additional data types and analysis.
Google Earth Engine integrates a meta-petabyte catalog of satellite imagery and geospatial datasets, equipped with analytical tools to detect changes, map trends, and quantify differences on the Earth's surface.
Very popular software created by Google. Easy to use for anyone comfortable with a computer and its most popular use is to locate the house where you grew up. Google Earth Pro has increased functionality, among which is the ability to make movies of 'to
Commonly referred to as GRASS is a free and open source GIS software suite. Best for those who are comfortable using command line rather than graphical user interface.
Kepler.gl is a data-agnostic, high-performance web-based application for visual exploration of large-scale geolocation data sets. Built on top of Mapbox GL and deck.gl, kepler.gl can render millions of points representing thousands of trips and perform spatial aggregations on the fly.
Manifold combines the visual and spatial power of GIS with the massive data science power of built-in parallel DBMS: Easily accomplish what GIS alone or traditional DBMS tools cannot do. Manifold is both a great parallel DBMS and the world's most powerful GIS at the same time.
Whether you are visualizing millions of rows of data, tracking assets in real time, routing fleets around traffic, or making your app look beautiful, Mapbox is a platform that powers location and lets you build the experience in your app.
This organization is specifically positioned to "support and build the highest-quality open source geospatial software". Has a great tool that helps you find an open source technology that best fits your needs.
A computing language and an "environment within which statistical techniques are implemented". Becoming increasingly used in conjunction with GIS analysis.
Leading-edge sonar data acquisition and processing software for side-scan and sub-bottom sonar systems being used by hundreds of clients worldwide including NAVO, NOAA, USGS, and many of the world’s navies and universities.
An inexpensive but powerful image manager/remote sensing software for use with the Windows operating system. Works particularly well with HDF, netCDF, SeaWiFS, MODIS, and SST products.
