I can't help but pile on here. I have had a corporate license of ArcGIS but have used QGIS instead because it simply worked better to process the data I had. ESRI and ArcGIS have a long history of reporting errors with absolutely no helpful information. I swear half the errors are something like "Error 999999: Error executing function." Good luck debugging!!

Ah QGIS. Love working with it (it got me through university + 3 years of being in the planning industry w/o touching Esri)! hated managing it on the Mac admin side (no ARM native build and more importantly no notarized builds). I do hear v4 might fix both issues so I’m looking forward to that next month.

I work with QGIS, but until recently I’ve only skated over the surface. In the last year or so I’ve found LLMs increasingly useful as a companion to help me code automation scripts or just to ask “how can I do this?” questions. QGIS is deep and powerful but that power can be hard to access. LLMs make it a lot easier.

Fabulous software. I used it to create LIDAR map tiles from free UK government LIDAR data of my local area (Hampshire, UK) at https://solentmaps.uk. When used as a layer placed under standard map tiles, you can see all sorts of long-hidden historical artefacts under modern deep foliage. The ruins of a long-forgotten WW1 hospital near me can be clearly seen under the modern day trees. Fun stuff to play with.

I have nothing but good things to say about QGIS.

Long back i used Manifold. It was not opensource but much cheaper and faster than ArcMap

I’ve worked in the GIS space for a while, developed mapping services on the backend and frontend, the whole thing.

And yet I’ve never been able to get into QGIS. I’ve used the ogr libraries, I know that there’s an incredible amount of smart work behind these tools. 100% all due respect to everyone involved.

But I’ve found the ui so daunting that I’ve never been able to use it.

I want to be proven wrong. Are there gentle/great tutorials/guides?

I know this isn’t a “vpn software before tailscale” kind of situation. But, you know?

I had geo data to find a new city to move out, with lat lon, population, price, etc

I just used leaflet, it was fine

spatialite is also good enough as a spatial database

unless you are doing complex stuff with GIS data, I don't see the point of using such a large software

I’ve recently had a certificate related error on mine.

I have used it in the past, it is excellent.