Open-source GIS software and tools: a systematic review

Geographic science explores the interactions among natural and human elements and their spatiotemporal patterns. Open-source geographic information systems (GIS), with their freedom, openness, and sharing, are gradually being used in geographical practice. However, a systematic review and evaluation of the existing open-source GIS remain lacking. Therefore, we systematically review and analyze 136 representative open-source GIS. Beginning with definitions, characteristics, and developmental trajectories, we outline the current technical system of mainstream open-source GIS. Based on the four key stages of geographic data collection, storage, analysis, and visualization, we categorized and descriptively analyzed the data. The results indicate that the most common license type is General Public License (GPL), with libraries and development tools dominating the software categories. Between 2001 and 2010, the number of released open-source GIS grew rapidly and was applied in multiple domains. A quantitative analysis of the literature highlights the open-source GIS, which has received the most attention. Additionally, we discuss selection preferences across multiple fields, offering insights into future development directions and the potential challenges of open-source GIS. This work provides comprehensive reference when selecting and applying open-source GIS. Open-source GIS projects and research literature are available in Figshare at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.29929775.