Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

PostGIS VS SpatiaLite

Compare PostGIS VS SpatiaLite and see what are their differences

PostGIS logo PostGIS

Open source spatial database

SpatiaLite logo SpatiaLite

SpatiaLite is a spatial extension to SQLite, providing vector geodatabase functionality.
  • PostGIS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-12-18
  • SpatiaLite Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-09-08

PostGIS features and specs

  • Open Source
    PostGIS is open-source, meaning it is free to use and has a strong community support for development and troubleshooting.
  • Integration with PostgreSQL
    PostGIS extends PostgreSQL, a robust relational database management system, providing powerful geospatial capabilities along with traditional SQL features.
  • Rich Geospatial Functions
    PostGIS offers a comprehensive range of geospatial functions and data types, making it suitable for complex spatial queries and analyses.
  • Cross-platform Support
    Being cross-platform, PostGIS can run on various operating systems including Windows, Linux, and macOS, offering flexibility in deployment.
  • Active Community and Documentation
    PostGIS benefits from an active user community and extensive documentation, which aids in learning and problem-solving.
  • Scalability
    Built on PostgreSQL, PostGIS inherits its scalability features, which support large datasets and extensive query capabilities.
  • Customization and Extension
    PostGIS's open architecture allows for customization and the development of extensions to meet specific geospatial needs.

Possible disadvantages of PostGIS

  • Complexity
    The setup and maintenance of PostGIS can be complex for users without prior experience in PostgreSQL or geospatial databases.
  • Performance Overhead
    For extremely large datasets and very high-performance needs, the additional geospatial functionality can introduce some performance overhead.
  • Learning Curve
    There is a significant learning curve associated with mastering PostGIS, particularly for users who are not familiar with GIS or SQL.
  • Resource Intensive
    Running intensive geospatial queries can be resource-intensive, requiring significant memory and processing power.
  • Limited Advanced GIS Features
    While PostGIS offers extensive GIS features, it may fall short compared to specialized GIS software for certain advanced spatial analytics or visualization tasks.
  • Dependency on PostgreSQL
    As PostGIS is an extension to PostgreSQL, users are dependent on PostgreSQL updates and limitations, which might not always align with geospatial needs.

SpatiaLite features and specs

No features have been listed yet.

Analysis of PostGIS

Overall verdict

  • Yes, PostGIS is highly regarded for its capabilities in managing and analyzing spatial data. It is a powerful tool for those needing advanced spatial functionalities and is often recommended due to its open-source nature and extensive community support.

Why this product is good

  • PostGIS is considered a robust spatial database extender for PostgreSQL, offering extensive support for geographic objects, which enables it to manage and analyze spatial data efficiently. It provides a wide range of functions for spatial queries, including geometry and geography data types, and it supports spatial indexing and topological relationships. Its integration with PostgreSQL ensures reliability, scalability, and performance, making it a popular choice for GIS professionals.

Recommended for

  • Geographic Information System (GIS) professionals
  • Organizations managing spatial databases
  • Developers building applications requiring spatial data processing
  • Environmental scientists and urban planners
  • Businesses needing location-based data analysis

PostGIS videos

Como Instalar o PostgreSQL com PostGIS | ALL com GEO

More videos:

  • Review - Paul Ramsey: This Is PostGIS
  • Review - A New Dimension To PostGIS : 3D

SpatiaLite videos

spatialite gui

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to PostGIS and SpatiaLite)
Maps
80 80%
20% 20
Database Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Web Mapping
71 71%
29% 29
Mapping And GIS
71 71%
29% 29

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare PostGIS and SpatiaLite

PostGIS Reviews

The Top 10 Alternatives to ArcGIS
For those in the engineering and GIS community, PostGIS is a well-known open source extension for the PostgreSQL database that allows for spatial data to be stored, managed, and queried. The software enables users to conduct complex geospatial analyses and – because it is built on top of the powerful open-source database PostgreSQL – it can handle large datasets with ease....

SpatiaLite Reviews

We have no reviews of SpatiaLite yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, PostGIS seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 1 time since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

PostGIS mentions (1)

  • Efficient Distance Querying in MySQL
    This is an interesting article about strategies to use when traditional indexes just won't do, but for the love of the index please use MySQL's (or postgres' or sqlite's) built in spatial index for this particular class of problems. It will does this sort of thing much, much more efficiently than 99% of in house solutions. https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/8.0/en/spatial-types.html... - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago

SpatiaLite mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of SpatiaLite yet. Tracking of SpatiaLite recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing PostGIS and SpatiaLite, you can also consider the following products

Slick - A jquery plugin for creating slideshows and carousels into your webpage.

H2GIS - A spatial extension of the H2 database. Compliant, Solid, Tested.

Sequel Pro - MySQL database management for Mac OS X

ArcGIS - ArcGIS software is a data analysis, cloud-based mapping platform that allows users to customize maps and see real-time data ranging from logistics support to overall mapping analysis.

DataGrip - Tool for SQL and databases

GeoMedia Professional - Intergraph is the leading global provider of engineering and geospatial software that enables customers to build and operate more efficient plants and ships, create intelligent maps, and protect critical infrastructure and millions of people around …