The Digital Press

QGIS is a powerful free and open-source geographic information system that enables users to combine public geospatial data with custom inputs for detailed mapping and land analysis.

Why it matters: QGIS unlocks vast public data like land parcels, elevation, soil, and historical maps for practical, real-world land management.

The big picture: It supports combining diverse data types (raster, vector, photos) and offers tools for georeferencing, styling, and GPS accuracy visualization.

The stakes: While QGIS is powerful, public GIS data often lacks survey-level precision, making professional land surveys essential for legal decisions.

Commenters say: Users appreciate QGIS’s versatility and open-source nature but emphasize the learning curve and caution about data accuracy for critical use cases.