NASA WorldWind

Free plan Open source AndroidAPILinuxMacSelf-hostedWeb+1

Visit NASA WorldWind Alternatives Pricing

What NASA WorldWind is

NASA WorldWind is an open-source planetary globe engine and SDK for developers building geospatial applications. It renders interactive 3D globes and 2D maps for geographic information, with uses including weather monitoring, city and terrain visualization, vehicle tracking, geospatial analysis, and Earth education.

Web WorldWind is written in JavaScript and runs in browsers on desktop and mobile devices across major operating systems. It supports REST, WMS, and Bing sources for imagery, terrain, and geographic data from public or private sources. WorldWind Java runs on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux using Java and OpenGL. It lists imagery and GIS formats such as GeoTIFF, NITF, Shapefile, KML, GeoJSON, and GPX, along with measurement, line-of-sight analysis, terrain intersection, and shape interactions. The Java edition also lists WMS and WFS protocols and integration with Swing, AWT, and JOGL. The WorldWind Server Kit extends GeoServer for hosting geospatial data. The project provides API documentation, a community forum, and GitHub source code and issue tracking. WorldWind is free and open source.

Who it suits

WorldWind suits developers and organizations building geospatial applications that need interactive globe or map visualization. Its web and Java editions offer different platform and data-format options.

What it does well

Renders interactive 3D globes and 2D maps
Web edition works on desktop and mobile browsers
Java edition includes geospatial analysis tools
Supports public or private geographic data sources
Free, open-source SDK and APIs

What to know first

Geospatial data services were undergoing maintenance
Service outages were possible during April 2023

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
NASA WorldWind	Open-source SDK and APIs · free run-time and development license · unencumbered use on any number of devices	Free
Free	free to download · open-source SDKs	Free

As worldwind.arc.nasa.gov lists them, read 10 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Getting started

Visit the NASA WorldWind website.
Choose the web or Java edition for your application.
For web projects, use the JavaScript edition in a browser environment.
For Java projects, use the edition for Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux.
Consult the API documentation or community forum, and access source code and issue tracking through GitHub.

Verdict

WorldWind offers both web and Java options for building geospatial applications, with data-source support and analysis tools. Its listed geospatial data services had a maintenance-related outage caveat.

Questions

Is NASA WorldWind free?

Yes. The listed plan is free, and the Java edition has a free runtime and development license.

Is WorldWind open source?

Yes. The site describes WorldWind as completely open source.

Which platforms does WorldWind support?

The listed platforms are Android, API, Linux, macOS, self-hosted, web, and Windows. The web edition runs in browsers on desktop and mobile devices; the Java edition runs on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.

What data sources and formats does it support?

Web WorldWind supports REST, WMS, and Bing for imagery, terrain, and geographic data. WorldWind Java lists formats including GeoTIFF, NITF, Shapefile, KML, GeoJSON, and GPX.

What analysis features are included?

WorldWind Java includes measurement, line-of-sight analysis, terrain intersection, and shape interactions.

Where can developers find documentation and source code?

Java resources include API documentation and a community support forum. Source code and issue tracking are managed through GitHub.

Facts from NASA WorldWind's own pages

2D maps: The web SDK provides 2D map mode with selectable and extensible projections. · worldwind.arc.nasa.gov, 15 Oct 2026
3D models: Web WorldWind tutorials demonstrate loading COLLADA .dae models asynchronously and placing them on the globe. · worldwind.arc.nasa.gov, 15 Oct 2026
Analysis features: WorldWind Java includes measurement, line-of-sight analysis, terrain intersection, and shape interactions. · worldwind.arc.nasa.gov, 10 Oct 2026
Android release: The Android repository documents version 0.8.0 as the Gradle dependency and provides 0.9.0-SNAPSHOT artifacts. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
Android SDK: WorldWind Android supplies a library, examples and tutorials for 3D virtual-globe applications on phones and tablets. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
Build requirements: The Web WorldWind build is documented as working with Node.js 12.18.0 LTS and provides npm build, documentation and test commands. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
Company founding: NASA opened for business on October 1, 1958, after the National Aeronautics and Space Act created it. · nasa.gov, 15 Oct 2026
Company headquarters: NASA Headquarters is in Washington, DC. · nasa.gov, 15 Oct 2026
Company legal name: The maker is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a U.S. government agency. · nasa.gov, 15 Oct 2026
Data and protocols: Web WorldWind supports REST, WMS, and Bing and can display imagery, terrain, and geographic data from public or private sources. · worldwind.arc.nasa.gov, 10 Oct 2026
Data services: Web WorldWind supports REST, WMS and Bing data services. · worldwind.arc.nasa.gov, 15 Oct 2026
Desktop graphics requirement: WorldWind Java requires a modern graphics card with a current driver; outdated drivers are identified as a common display problem. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
Documentation: The developer guide covers functionality, user guidance and documentation for every Web WorldWind module. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
Geocoding: The navigation API includes a Nominatim geocoder based on OpenStreetMap data through MapQuest. · worldwind.arc.nasa.gov, 15 Oct 2026
Hosting: The WorldWind Server Kit extends GeoServer to provide a geospatial solution for hosting data. · worldwind.arc.nasa.gov, 10 Oct 2026
Imagery and terrain: It includes built-in high-resolution imagery and terrain and can retrieve custom geographic data from public or private sources. · worldwind.arc.nasa.gov, 15 Oct 2026
Integrations: The SDKs support OGC WMS and related geospatial services, and Android release notes list WMS, WMTS, WCS and GeoPackage support. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
Java data formats: WorldWind Java lists support for imagery, government and GIS formats including GeoTIFF, NITF, Shapefile, KML, GeoJSON, and GPX. · worldwind.arc.nasa.gov, 10 Oct 2026
Java SDK: WorldWind Java is a cross-platform Java SDK for desktop 3D geospatial applications. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
Java support: WorldWind Java runs on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux and uses Java and OpenGL. · worldwind.arc.nasa.gov, 10 Oct 2026
Latest web release: The Web WorldWind repository identifies version 0.11.0 and records COLLADA, placemark-picking and Well-Known Text improvements. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
License: Web WorldWind and WorldWind Java are licensed under Apache License 2.0, while the Android repository states NASA Open Source Agreement 1.3. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
License warranty: The Apache-licensed SDKs are supplied without warranties under the license terms. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
Licensing: The site describes WorldWind as completely open source and says the Java edition has a free run-time and development license. · worldwind.arc.nasa.gov, 10 Oct 2026

Where NASA WorldWind stands on Freedom251

GIS Software#1 of 64
3D Visualization Software#2 of 51