Kart
Kart is a free, GPL-licensed version control system for geospatial and tabular data.
What Kart is
Kart is a free, GPL-licensed version control system for geospatial and tabular data. It uses standard Git repositories and Git-like commands while tracking changes down to rows and cells. Users can create local branches, review or compare dataset changes, and return to earlier states. Kart synchronizes datasets by moving and applying a minimal compressed set of changes, and its operations run locally. GIS database and file working copies can be edited in common GIS software without plugins. Supported working-copy formats include GeoPackage, PostGIS, Microsoft SQL Server, and MySQL; supported data includes vector features, tables, raster and grid tiles, and tiled LAS data. Documentation describes a plugin for using Kart within QGIS, and Kart can clone and work with a geographical subset of a larger repository. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows and supports self-hosted deployment with user-provided storage. One important limit: the described workflow detects schema changes but does not support them, and an error results. Kart is actively developed, and some APIs may change.
Good
- Tracks changes at row and cell level.
- Uses standard Git repositories and Git-like commands.
- Provides local branches and earlier dataset states.
- Supports several GIS working-copy formats.
- Can work with a geographical subset of a repository.
Watch out
- The described workflow does not support schema changes.
- Some APIs may change as the project develops.
Who it suits
Kart suits teams managing geospatial or tabular datasets that want Git-style branching and history. It may suit GIS users who work with supported database or file formats and need local operations.
Verdict
Kart brings version-control workflows to geospatial and tabular data, including local history, branching, and GIS working copies. Check the schema-change limitation against your editing needs before choosing it.
Plans and prices
From Kart's own pricing page, checked 8 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Kart | Free | GPL-licensed open source software |
The facts
Each one read from Kart's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Branches and history
- Kart supports local branches and lets users review, compare, and switch to earlier dataset changes.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Data types
- Kart supports vector point, line, and polygon features, tabular data, raster and grid tiles, and tiled LAS data.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Downloads
- The maker’s site links to Windows 64-bit, macOS, and Linux amd64/arm64 Debian and RPM downloads.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Editing limit
- The Quick Guide says schema changes should be detected but are not supported in the described workflow and will cause an error.checked 8 Oct 2026
- GIS editing
- Kart provides GIS database and file working copies that can be edited in common GIS software without plugins.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Git workflow
- Kart uses standard Git repositories and Git-like command-line commands.checked 8 Oct 2026
- License
- Kart is made available under a GPL license.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Local operation
- Kart operations are performed locally.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Project status and support
- Kart is actively developed, some APIs may change, and its documentation directs users to GitHub Issues to report bugs and request features.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Kart provides distributed version control for geospatial and tabular data, tracking changes at the row and cell level.checked 8 Oct 2026
- QGIS integration
- Kart documentation describes a Kart Plugin for interacting with Kart directly within QGIS.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Spatial filtering
- Kart can clone and work with a geographical subset of a larger repository.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Supported formats
- Kart supports GeoPackage, PostGIS, Microsoft SQL Server, and MySQL working copies.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Synchronization
- Kart synchronizes datasets by moving and applying a minimal compressed set of changes.checked 8 Oct 2026
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