How to Download QGIS 3: A Free and Open Source Geographic Information System
If you are looking for a powerful, user-friendly, and cost-effective tool to work with spatial data, you might want to consider QGIS 3. QGIS 3 is the latest version of QGIS, a free and open source geographic information system that can create, edit, store, analyze, visualize, and publish geospatial data. In this article, we will show you how to download QGIS 3 for Windows, Mac, or Linux, and how to start using it for your GIS projects.
What is QGIS 3 and why use it?
QGIS 3 is the third major release of QGIS, which was formerly known as Quantum GIS. QGIS 3 was released in February 2018 and introduced many new features and improvements over the previous versions. Some of the highlights of QGIS 3 are:
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QGIS 3 features and benefits
Native support for point cloud data, which are collections of points that represent the shape and surface of objects or landscapes.
Interactive and fully integrated interface for working with 3D data and visualizations.
Locator bar that makes it easy to search for functions, datasets, and more.
More non-blocking and inline editing tools that allow you to modify data without interrupting your workflow.
Data-defined symbology and labeling that enable you to customize the appearance of your data based on attributes or expressions.
Atlas map composition that allows you to create dynamic maps that change according to a coverage layer.
Improved support for online spatial data served as OGC Web Services, such as WMS, WMTS, WCS, WFS, and WFS-T.
QGIS Hub that extends the plugin site to support the distribution of community-developed styles, projects, and processing models.
Compatibility with Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS operating systems.
Access to a wealth of GIS functions provided by core features and plugins.
QGIS 3 offers many advantages over other GIS software applications, such as being free and open source, having a large user base and support community, offering innovative features for editing, analysis, and mapping, and being fast and easy to use.
QGIS 3 installation requirements
To install QGIS 3 on your computer, you need to meet some minimum requirements. These include:
A computer with at least a dual-core processor (2 GHz or faster) and at least 4 GB of RAM (8 GB or more recommended).
A graphics card that supports OpenGL ES version 2.0 or higher (for 2D rendering) or OpenGL version 4.5 or higher (for 3D rendering).
A monitor with a resolution of at least 1024 x 768 pixels (higher resolutions recommended).
An internet connection for downloading QGIS 3 and accessing online services.
How to download QGIS 3 for Windows, Mac, or Linux
To download QGIS 3 for your operating system, you need to follow these steps:
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Downloading QGIS 3 from the official website
In your web browser, navigate to On the official website, click on the Download Now button for your operating system.
On the next page, choose the version of QGIS 3 that you want to download. You can select either the latest release (QGIS 3.22.1 'Białowieża') or the long-term release (QGIS 3.16.14 'Hannover'). The latest release has more features and bug fixes, but the long-term release has more stability and support.
Click on the download link for your operating system and architecture (32-bit or 64-bit). This will take you to a page with a list of download mirrors.
Select a mirror that is close to your location and click on the link to download the installer file.
Save the installer file to your computer and run it when the download is complete.
Installing QGIS 3 from binaries or source code
If you prefer to install QGIS 3 from binaries or source code, you can follow these steps:
Download the binaries or source code for QGIS 3 from . You can find them under the Advanced Users section.
Extract the files to a folder on your computer.
Follow the instructions in the README file or the INSTALL file to install QGIS 3 on your system.
Downloading sample data for QGIS 3
If you want to practice using QGIS 3 with some sample data, you can download them from . You can find them under the Sample Data section.
Click on the link for the sample data that you want to download. There are two options: Alaska (USA) or OSGeoLive (World).
Save the zip file to your computer and extract it to a folder of your choice.
Open QGIS 3 and add the sample data as layers using the Data Source Manager toolbar or the Layer menu.
How to start using QGIS 3
Now that you have downloaded and installed QGIS 3, you can start using it for your GIS projects. Here are some basic steps to get you started:
Loading raster and vector data in QGIS 3
Raster data are images that represent continuous surfaces, such as elevation, temperature, or satellite imagery. Vector data are points, lines, or polygons that represent discrete features, such as roads, buildings, or boundaries.
To load raster or vector data in QGIS 3, you can use one of these methods:
Drag and drop the data files from your file explorer to the QGIS window.
Use the Data Source Manager toolbar or the Layer menu to browse for the data files on your computer or online services.
Use the Browser panel to navigate to the data files on your computer or online services.
Once you have loaded the data, you will see them as layers in the Layers panel. You can change the order, visibility, and properties of the layers by right-clicking on them or using the buttons on the Layers toolbar.
Exploring data and composing maps in QGIS 3
To explore the data and compose maps in QGIS 3, you can use the following tools and panels:
The Map canvas, which shows the map view of your data. You can zoom, pan, rotate, and select features on the map using the tools on the Map Navigation toolbar or the mouse wheel and buttons.
The Attribute table, which shows the tabular view of your data. You can open it by right-clicking on a layer and choosing Open Attribute Table. You can edit, filter, select, and sort the data using the tools on the Attribute table toolbar.
The Identify tool, which shows the attributes of a feature when you click on it on the map. You can activate it by clicking on the Identify button on the Attributes toolbar or pressing Ctrl+Shift+I.
The Print Layout, which allows you to create printable maps with elements such as title, legend, scale bar, north arrow, and more. You can open it by choosing Layout New Print Layout from the Project menu or clicking on the New Print Layout button on the Layout toolbar. You can add, move, resize, and customize the elements using the tools on the Layout toolbar and the Item Properties panel.
Creating, editing, managing, and exporting data in QGIS 3
To create, edit, manage, and export data in QGIS 3, you can use the following tools and menus:
The Digitizing toolbar, which allows you to create new features or modify existing ones. You can activate it by choosing View Toolbars Digitizing from the menu bar or pressing Ctrl+Shift+D. You can add points, lines, polygons, or circular features using the tools on the toolbar. You can also edit vertices, reshape features, split features, merge features, rotate features, and more.
The Processing toolbox, which provides access to hundreds of geoprocessing algorithms for analysis, conversion, generalization, geometry, hydrology, interpolation, network analysis, raster analysis, statistics, topology, and more. You can open it by choosing Processing Toolbox from the menu bar or pressing Ctrl+Alt+T. You can run an algorithm by double-clicking on it or right-clicking and choosing Execute.
The Data Source Manager toolbar or menu (Ctrl+L), which allows you to create new data sources or connect to existing ones. You can create new shapefiles or geopackages using the New Shapefile Layer or New Geopackage Layer buttons. You can also connect to databases (such as PostGIS or SpatiaLite), web services (such as WMS or WFS), files (such as CSV or GeoJSON), directories (such as GeoTIFF or NetCDF), or protocols (such as HTTP or FTP).
The Export tool or menu (Ctrl+E), which allows you to export your data to different formats or destinations. You can export your map canvas to an image file (such as PNG or JPEG) using the Save Map as Image button. You can also export your print layout to a PDF file using the Export as PDF button. You can export your layer to another format (such as KML or GPX) using the Export Save Features As option from the Layer menu.
Conclusion and FAQs
Conclusion
In this article, we have shown you how to download QGIS 3 for Windows, Mac, or Linux, and how to start using it for your GIS projects. QGIS 3 is a free and open source geographic information system that offers many features and benefits for working with spatial data. You can load raster and vector data from various sources, explore data and compose maps using different tools and panels, create edit manage and export data using various algorithms and formats.
FAQs
What are some of the differences between QGIS 2 and QGIS 3?
Some of the main differences between QGIS 2 and QGIS 3 are:
QGIS 3 uses Python 3 instead of Python 2 for scripting and plugins.
QGIS 3 uses Qt5 instead of Qt4 for its graphical user interface.
QGIS 3 has a redesigned user interface with a new logo, icons, theme, font size settings.
QGIS 3 has a new locator bar that allows you to search for functions datasets commands and more in the QGIS interface.
QGIS 3 has native support for point cloud data and 3D rendering.
QGIS 3 has more non-blocking and inline editing tools that allow you to modify data without interrupting your workflow.
QGIS 3 has data-defined symbology and labeling that enable you to customize the appearance of your data based on attributes or expressions.
QGIS 3 has atlas map composition that allows you to create dynamic maps that change according to a coverage layer.
QGIS 3 has improved support for online spatial data served as OGC Web Services, such as WMS, WMTS, WCS, WFS, and WFS-T.
QGIS 3 has QGIS Hub that extends the plugin site to support the distribution of community-developed styles, projects, and processing models.
How can I update QGIS 3 to the latest version?
To update QGIS 3 to the latest version, you can use one of these methods:
If you have installed QGIS 3 from the official website, you can download and run the latest installer file from . This will overwrite your existing installation with the new version.
If you have installed QGIS 3 from binaries or source code, you can download and extract the latest files from . You can then follow the instructions in the README file or the INSTALL file to update your installation.
If you have installed QGIS 3 using a package manager (such as OSGeo4W, Homebrew, or APT), you can use the same package manager to update your installation. You can find more information on how to do this on .
How can I get help or support for QGIS 3?
If you need help or support for QGIS 3, you can use one of these resources:
The QGIS documentation, which provides user manuals, tutorials, guides, and references for QGIS 3. You can access it online at or offline from the Help menu in QGIS 3.
The QGIS forum, which is a place where you can ask questions, share tips, and discuss topics related to QGIS 3. You can join it at .
The QGIS mailing list, which is a way to communicate with other QGIS users and developers by email. You can subscribe to it at .
The QGIS IRC channel, which is a chat room where you can talk to other QGIS users and developers in real time. You can connect to it at .
The QGIS bug tracker, which is a system where you can report issues, bugs, or feature requests for QGIS 3. You can access it at .
How can I contribute to QGIS 3 development?
If you want to contribute to QGIS 3 development, you can do one of these things:
Write code for QGIS 3 using C++, Python, or Qt. You can find the source code and guidelines for contributing at .
Write documentation for QGIS 3 using reStructuredText or Markdown. You can find the documentation source and guidelines for contributing at .
Write plugins for QGIS 3 using Python or C++. You can find the plugin development guide and guidelines for contributing at .
Translate QGIS 3 into different languages using Transifex. You can find the translation project and guidelines for contributing at .
Donate money or resources to support QGIS 3 development. You can find the donation options and guidelines for contributing at .
What are some of the best plugins for QGIS 3?
Some of the best plugins for QGIS 3 are:
QuickMapServices, which allows you to add basemaps from various online sources such as Google Maps, OpenStreetMap, Bing Maps, and more.
Profile Tool, which allows you to create elevation profiles from raster or vector data.
Time Manager, which allows you to animate temporal data on a map.
Zonal Statistics, which allows you to calculate statistics for raster data within vector zones.
MMQGIS, which allows you to perform various operations on vector data such as geocoding, geoprocessing, geometry conversion, and more.
QGIS2Web, which allows you to export your QGIS project to a web map using Leaflet or OpenLayers.
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