Download and Install QGIS (Windows and macOS)
What you'll learn
- Steps to download and install QGIS on Windows and Mac
- The difference between the LTR and latest versions of QGIS
Recommended for
- Anyone who wants to start using QGIS
- Anyone who wants to try installing QGIS
- Anyone who cannot open QGIS on a Mac
Introduction
QGIS is an open source desktop GIS application. It offers many functions for visualizing, creating, editing, and analyzing location data, and anyone can install and use it freely.
QGIS runs on many operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux. This article gives detailed steps for downloading and installing QGIS on Windows and macOS.
If you want to learn more about QGIS before you install it, read this article.
Before you install
System requirements
QGIS does not publish official recommended system requirements.
QGIS is relatively lightweight, so a PC that runs office software comfortably can handle basic map making and data processing without problems. At a minimum, aim for a PC with specs like these.
| Item | Recommended specs |
|---|---|
| Memory | 8 GB or more |
| CPU | Intel Core i5 equivalent or better |
However, large datasets or advanced processing can slow QGIS down. In that case, you may need higher-performance hardware.
Supported operating systems
QGIS is available on multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Versions
To install QGIS, download the installer from the official QGIS website.
Note that QGIS is offered in two versions: the LTR (long-term release, the stable version) and the latest version. The LTR version is the long-term support version, and because it receives regular fixes for important bugs, it is highly stable. The latest version adds new features, but it may include unstable elements.
We recommend that beginners and anyone planning to use QGIS for work choose the LTR version for its stability. If you want to try the latest features, choose the latest version.
License
QGIS is provided under the GNU General Public License (GPL), and anyone can use, modify, and distribute it for free. For details, see the QGIS documentation, “Appendix A: GNU General Public License.”
For example, you can customize QGIS for your own use or distribute it to others. However, a condition of the GPL is that if you change the source code, you must release the changed parts under the same GPL.
Commercial use is also permitted, but you must follow the GPL terms when you distribute or modify QGIS.
Installation steps (Windows)
Download the installer
Use the link below to go to the download page on the official QGIS website.
Before the download, the download page invites you to donate to the QGIS project. QGIS is free to use, but it is sustained by the volunteer work of many community members and by contributions from companies, government agencies, and others, so the page includes this call for donations. You can skip the donation and continue to the download.
To skip the donation, click Skip it and go to download.
After you skip the donation, the Download QGIS page appears. Click Download LTR 3.44 here. To use the latest version, click Download 4.0 below it.
The installer download starts. The file is about 1.3 GB, so it can take a while to finish.
Run the installer
When the download finishes, double-click the installer to start the installation.
From here on, follow the prompts in the installer. Click Next to continue.
When the license agreement screen appears, review it, select the I accept the terms in the License Agreement check box, and click Next.
A screen appears where you specify the installation location and confirm whether to create shortcuts on the desktop and in the Start menu. Click Next without making any changes.
That completes the installation settings. Click Install to start the installation.
If the User Account Control dialog appears, click Yes.
A progress bar appears. Wait for the installation to finish.
When the screen below appears, the installation is complete. Click Finish to close the installer.
You can delete the installer after the installation finishes.
Start QGIS
The installation is complete, so check that QGIS starts.
From the Start menu, open the QGIS 3.44.X folder and click QGIS Desktop 3.44.X to start QGIS.
While QGIS starts, the splash screen of the installed version appears.
When QGIS starts and the welcome page below appears, the installation succeeded.
Other apps in the QGIS 3.44.X folder
In addition to QGIS Desktop 3.44.X, the QGIS folder includes applications such as GRASS GIS and OSGeo4W Shell. If you use only the basic functions of QGIS, you do not need these, so you can safely ignore them.
Installation steps (macOS)
Download the installer
Use the link below to go to the download page on the official QGIS website.
Before the download, the download page invites you to donate to the QGIS project. QGIS is free to use, but it is sustained by the volunteer work of many community members and by contributions from companies, government agencies, and others, so the page includes this call for donations. You can skip the donation and continue to the download.
To skip the donation, click Skip it and go to download.
After you skip the donation, the Download QGIS page appears. Click Download LTR 3.44 for macOS here. To use the latest version, click Download 4.0 for macOS below it.
The installer download starts. The file is about 1.7 GB, so it can take a while to finish.
Run the installer
When the download finishes, double-click the downloaded installer to start the installation.
The license text appears. Review it and click Agree.
The message Opening “qgis-macos-ltr.dmg”… appears. Wait for it to finish.
When loading finishes, the screen below appears. Drag and drop the QGIS icon onto the Applications folder. QGIS starts copying to the Applications folder.
When the copy finishes, the QGIS installation is complete.
Start QGIS
The installation is complete, so check that QGIS starts.
In Finder, open the Applications folder and double-click QGIS-LTR.
As the figure below shows, a warning screen appears: “Apple could not verify “QGIS-LTR” is free of malware that may harm your Mac or compromise your privacy.”
QGIS cannot open like this, so click the Done button for now.
If QGIS does not open on a Mac
To open QGIS, open System Settings on your Mac and click Privacy & Security. Scroll down until you see the message “QGIS-LTR” was blocked to protect your Mac, and click the Open Anyway button next to it.
A dialog titled Open “QGIS-LTR”? appears. Click Open Anyway.
The Privacy & Security screen appears. Enter your password or other credentials.
A splash screen like the one below appears.
After a short wait, a screen like the one below appears. QGIS is now installed correctly.
Conclusion
This article showed how to install QGIS on Windows and macOS.
Many volunteers support QGIS. If you would like to support QGIS more or contribute to it, you can find ways to help on the official QGIS donation page.
QGIS LAB also organizes its articles about how to use QGIS into learning packages. If you want to start learning QGIS, be sure to take a look.
QGIS LAB is a comprehensive information hub for QGIS, the open-source GIS software. Under the concept of “Geospatial for Greater Good,” we share the knowledge and skills to open up the world through location data.
