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Evergreen ILS vs SAGA GIS

Evergreen ILS logo

Evergreen ILS

Libraries

Highly scalable open source library software

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SAGA GIS logo

SAGA GIS

Maps

Open source terrain and geoscientific analysis with no vendor and no support contract available

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Evergreen ILS server installation is supported only on Debian 10, 11, 12 and 13 and Ubuntu 22.04 and 24.04; SAGA GIS there is no commercial support contract available from anyone, so a procurement process that requires a named supplier with a service level cannot be satisfied and the organisation carries the whole operational risk itself
  • They diverge on capability: Evergreen ILS covers Circulation management, SAGA GIS covers Terrain morphometry.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Evergreen ILS and SAGA GIS actually diverge.

Attributes where Evergreen ILS and SAGA GIS differ
AttributeEvergreen ILSSAGA GIS
Pricing modelopen-sourceOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWeb, Desktop, ApiWindows, Linux, macOS
CategoryLibrariesMaps
Founded2006Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Evergreen ILS

  • Circulation management
  • MARC cataloging
  • Acquisitions
  • Serials management
  • OPAC with faceted search
  • Patron management
  • Offline circulation
  • Consortia support

Only in SAGA GIS

  • Terrain morphometry
  • Hydrological modelling
  • Geostatistics
  • Image analysis
  • Module library
  • QGIS integration
  • Python and R bindings

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Evergreen ILS

  • Running a consortium-scale library catalogue and circulation systemnot SAGA GIS
  • Self-hosting an open source integrated library system across multiple branchesnot SAGA GIS

SAGA GIS

  • A hydrologist deriving catchment boundaries and flow networks from a national elevation model at a resolution commercial tools slow down onnot Evergreen ILS
  • A soil science team producing interpolated property surfaces with documented geostatistical methods for a peer-reviewed papernot Evergreen ILS
  • A government environmental analyst who needs a terrain index that no commercial GIS implements and does not want to write it from scratchnot Evergreen ILS
  • A QGIS user who has hit the limits of the native toolbox and needs the SAGA algorithms already exposed in the processing frameworknot Evergreen ILS

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Evergreen ILS

  • Server installation is supported only on Debian 10, 11, 12 and 13 and Ubuntu 22.04 and 24.04
  • PostgreSQL 14 is the minimum supported version
  • OpenSRF 3.3.0 or later must be installed separately before Evergreen itself
  • Installation is a manual multi-service process requiring a dedicated PostgreSQL superuser account and shell access

SAGA GIS

  • There is no commercial support contract available from anyone, so a procurement process that requires a named supplier with a service level cannot be satisfied and the organisation carries the whole operational risk itself
  • The project explicitly states that everyone working on it has another job and that answers may take a while, which means an urgent production failure has no escalation path
  • The interface is dated and inconsistent across modules, and cartographic output is poor, so most users treat it as an analysis engine and produce maps somewhere else
  • Documentation for many of the several hundred modules is a parameter list without explanation of method or expected input, so choosing the right algorithm often requires reading the source or a published paper
  • Development is concentrated in a small group, which creates real key-person risk: a change in the circumstances of a handful of maintainers would slow or stop releases, and there is no organisation obliged to continue them

Pricing, plan by plan

Evergreen ILS

Free
  • Self-HostedFree
    • Full ILS functionality
    • Circulation system
    • OPAC
  • Hosted (via partners)$200/month
    • Everything in Self-Hosted
    • Managed hosting
    • Professional support

SAGA GIS

Free
  • SAGA GISFree
    • GNU General Public Licence
    • No licence fee and no usage limits
    • No commercial support contract exists

Which should you pick?

Choose Evergreen ILS if

  • You need circulation management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Api.
  • You also want marc cataloging.
Evergreen ILS review

Choose SAGA GIS if

  • You need terrain morphometry.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, macOS.
  • You also want hydrological modelling.
SAGA GIS review

Questions people ask

Is Evergreen ILS or SAGA GIS better?
Neither clearly leads. Evergreen ILS starts at Free and SAGA GIS at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Evergreen ILS or SAGA GIS?
Evergreen ILS starts at Free and SAGA GIS at Free.
Does Evergreen ILS or SAGA GIS run on more platforms?
Evergreen ILS runs on Web, Desktop, Api. SAGA GIS runs on Windows, Linux, macOS.
Can I use Evergreen ILS for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Evergreen ILS best used for?
Evergreen ILS is most often used for running a consortium-scale library catalogue and circulation system, self-hosting an open source integrated library system across multiple branches. Of those, running a consortium-scale library catalogue and circulation system and self-hosting an open source integrated library system across multiple branches are not what SAGA GIS is typically brought in for.
What can Evergreen ILS do that SAGA GIS cannot?
Evergreen ILS covers Circulation management, MARC cataloging, Acquisitions, Serials management. SAGA GIS covers Terrain morphometry, Hydrological modelling, Geostatistics, Image analysis.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Evergreen ILS: Is Evergreen ILS free?

Yes, Evergreen ILS is a free open source library management system. The software is available at no cost for libraries and organizations to install, deploy, and customize according to their needs.

Source
SAGA GIS: Who maintains SAGA GIS?

A small international developer community, originating from physical geography departments at the universities of Göttingen and Hamburg. It is hosted on SourceForge and releases continue in the 9.x line.

Evergreen ILS: Does Evergreen ILS offer commercial support or hosting?

Evergreen ILS website does not list commercial hosting or support services. As an open source project, it relies on community contributions and institutional deployments. Libraries may arrange custom support through integrators or consultants, but no official commercial offerings are detailed on the website.

Source
SAGA GIS: Can I buy support?

No. There is no vendor and no commercial support contract. The project itself states there is no hotline and no guaranteed support.

SAGA GIS: Do I need SAGA if I already run QGIS?

Often not, because many SAGA algorithms are available through the QGIS processing toolbox. Install SAGA directly when you need modules QGIS does not expose or want to script them independently.

SAGA GIS: What licence is it under?

The GNU General Public Licence, so you can modify and redistribute it under the same terms.

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