Now Launching — Whitebox Next Gen
Whitebox Workflows Next Gen is a milestone release — advances in raster, vector, and LiDAR support. Start free with 700+ tools for Python, R, and QGIS. Upgrade to Pro bundles for governance-grade reproducibility and defensible delivery.
Open for capability breadth. Start free with Whitebox for QGIS, Python, or R to access 700+ tools with transparent, local-first execution. Pro for decision confidence. Add Pro Bundles in Whitebox Workflows Pro — accessible from QGIS, Python, and R — governance outputs, and stakeholder-ready reporting. All built on the same Rust-backed platform.
Open Tier · Python Interface
The foundation of Whitebox. Access 700+ geospatial tools for scripts, notebooks, and production automation. Transparent, local-first, no lock-in.
Learn more →Open Tier · R Interface
The same platform, accessed through R. Built for quantitative analysis, modelling, and research workflows. Same core engine, familiar analytical interface.
Learn more →Open Tier · Free · Recommended Start
The recommended starting point for most users. Free, open-core plugin brings 700+ tools to QGIS with no scripting required. The default desktop interface for analysts who work in QGIS every day.
Learn more →Pro Tier · Licensed
Move high-impact decisions into structured, confidence-aware workflow bundles. All three interfaces — Python, R, and QGIS — included. Governance outputs, stakeholder-ready reports, and compliance-grade diagnostics.
Learn more →Not an incremental version update. Whitebox Next Gen replaces the old monolith with a modular backend library system, built entirely in pure Rust, with all core backend engine libraries fully open-source.
Core capabilities are now implemented as specialized open-source libraries: wbgeotiff, wbraster, wbvector, wblidar, wbprojection, and wbtopology. Cleaner separation of concerns and faster long-term evolution of platform capabilities.
All core backend engine libraries are fully open-source and built in pure Rust — no external GIS dependency coupling. Maximum performance, memory safety, and cross-platform consistency.
Major advances in raster, vector, and LiDAR format support — GeoPackage, FlatGeobuf, GeoParquet, Cloud-Optimized GeoTIFF, COPC, E57 — plus native projection and reprojection workflows across all data types.
wbtopology introduces major new vector analysis depth: network analysis, route-event workflows, and linear referencing — capabilities that were not possible in the previous architecture.
The open-core tool library covers the full geospatial stack. These are everyday workflows that thousands of analysts run at no cost, with no scripting requirement when using QGIS.
Terrain Analysis
Slope, aspect, curvature, hillshade, and advanced terrain indices from any DEM. Whitebox includes terrain-visibility tools unavailable in most GIS stacks — horizon area, time in daylight, and average horizon distance.
Hydrology
Fill sinks, generate flow direction and accumulation grids, delineate watersheds, and extract stream networks. One of the largest collections of open hydrological tools in any GIS platform.
LiDAR Processing
Normalize, classify, and derive terrain and canopy products from LAS/LAZ point clouds. Whitebox handles large tiled datasets efficiently without requiring specialist software.
Remote Sensing
Image filtering, texture analysis, PCA, vegetation indices, and two-date change detection. Works with any raster data — Landsat, Sentinel, drone imagery, or custom inputs.
Vector GIS
Buffer, dissolve, clip, spatial join, near analysis, simplify features, and more. Full vector analysis toolkit alongside raster tools — no separate extension required.
When You Need More
When your work demands reproducible contracts, confidence diagnostics, and stakeholder-ready reporting, the same QGIS, Python, or R environment scales to Pro bundles — no platform change required.
See how the six Pro bundles map to recurring delivery problems and decision-ready outputs.
Hazard screening, ecosystem assessment, and compliance-ready reporting for regulated environmental decisions.
Network readiness, service-area coverage, route governance, and emergency access planning for operational teams.
Quality, production, and risk workflows that move raw point clouds toward decision-ready terrain products.
Screen wind, solar, and corridor projects with transparent, terrain-aware geospatial logic.
Repeatable optical, SAR, and multi-sensor monitoring workflows with confidence diagnostics and decision-ready outputs.
Condition, classify, and optimize agronomic workflows with confidence-aware outputs that support practical action.
Whitebox Workflows is built to plug into the formats, platforms, and deployment environments geospatial teams already use.
GeoTIFF, Cloud-Optimized GeoTIFF, LAS / LAZ, COPC, GeoPackage, FlatGeobuf, GeoParquet, GeoJSON, Shapefile, and CSV-friendly workflows.
QGIS, Python notebooks, R workflows, scripts, and local desktop processing on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Batch-friendly, reproducible, and suitable for on-prem or offline environments where data control matters.
Powerful tooling and practical licensing for teams that need reliable geospatial throughput.
Complete toolkit for analysis, remote sensing, and hydrology
Whitebox for Python and Whitebox for R are both available at no cost
Lightning-fast processing with modern hardware
Windows, macOS, and Linux support
Use this table to decide whether Whitebox for Python, Whitebox for R, Whitebox for QGIS, or Whitebox Workflows Pro is the right fit for your work.
| Product | Best Fit | Starts At | License | Core Value | Typical Outcome | Recommended Next Step |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitebox for PythonFree | GIS analysts, automation engineers, and notebook users working in Python | Free | Free and open | Hundreds of tools for terrain, hydrology, raster/vector, and LiDAR in a Python-first workflow | Get a full analysis baseline running with zero licensing friction in Python. | Get Started |
| Whitebox for RFree | Research, analytics, and modelling teams working in R | Free | Free and open | Hundreds of tools for terrain, hydrology, raster/vector, and LiDAR in an R-first workflow | Adopt the same core toolset with zero licensing friction in R. | Get Started |
| Whitebox for QGISFree | Desktop GIS analysts, government teams, and consultants who need point-and-click access to 700+ tools inside QGIS without scripting | Free | Free and open | 700+ tools for terrain, hydrology, LiDAR, remote sensing, and vector analysis — accessible directly inside QGIS with no scripting | The recommended starting point. Start immediately inside your existing QGIS environment — no license required. | Get Started |
| Whitebox Workflows ProBundle Licensed Tier | Organizations that need standardized, confidence-aware workflows and governance-ready deliverables | From $690 | Annual per-user (bundle-based) | Six commercial bundles and 41 decision-grade workflows across Python, R, and QGIS desktop — all included | Buy by bundle, deploy by workflow, and deliver with reproducible QA and stakeholder-ready reporting. | Explore Pro Bundles |
Need help choosing? See pricing or talk with our team for a recommendation based on your data volume and delivery timelines.
Stay up to date with the latest from Whitebox Geospatial
Learn how to automate large-scale LiDAR processing workflows using Whitebox Workflows Pro in Python.
Read more →Twenty new tools added to the free Whitebox toolsets, including expanded watershed analysis and multispectral vegetation indices.
Read more →Start with Whitebox for Python or Whitebox for R, then add Pro Bundles in Whitebox Workflows Pro when you need advanced proprietary workflows.
Tell us about your project goals and we will recommend the right Whitebox Workflows access level and licensing path.
Email: support@whiteboxgeo.com