| Software/Release year/Reference | Developed by | Useful for application | Development Platform/ Language support/ Software License |
Open Source | GRASS, 1982 [33] | Research institutes, universities, companies, volunteers worldwide | Analysis scientific and visualization, cartography, modeling and simulation | C, Shell, Tcl/Tk, Python GPL |
ILWIS, 1985 [34] | Universities, companies, | (Raster) Analysis | MS Visual C GPL | |
TerraView, 2001 [35] | Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE) | Vector and Raster analysis, Statistical analysis | C++, R GPL | |
SAGA, 2001 [36] | Universities | Analysis, modeling, scientific visualization | C++ (MS Visual C++) LGPL (API), GPL | |
QGIS, 2002 [37] | Universities, companies, volunteers worldwide | Viewing, Editing, Analysis, Grass-GUI, SAGA-GUI, | C++, Qt4, Python GPL | |
gvSIG, 2003 [38] | Companies, universities, government | Viewing, Editing, Analysis (Mobile Applications) | JAVA GPL | |
SPRING, 1991 [39] | Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE) | Digital Image Processing, spatial analysis, modelling, visualization | GPL | |
Proprietary | IDRISI/TerrSet, 1987 [40] | Clark Labs at Clark University, Worcester, and Massachusetts. | Digital analysis and visualization of spatial data, including the remotely sensed imagery, in a single package | C++ |
ERDAS, 1978 [41] | Hexagon, Leica Geosystems Geospatial Imaging | Digital analysis of remotely sensed data. | C, C++ | |
ENVI, 1994 [42] | Research Systems (now called ITT Visual Information Solutions) | Processing large multispectral and hyperspectral remote sensing data | IDL | |
ER Mapper, 1990 [43] | Australian software company | Digital image analysis. | C, C++ | |
PCI Geomatica, 1982 [44] | Headquartered in Toronto, Canada | Remote sensing, Digital photogrammetry, and cartography. | Python | |
ArcGIS, 1999 [45] | Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) | Digital analysis and visualization of spatial data, including the remotely sensed imagery, in a single package | C++, Python |