Planet offers several ways to integrate its satellite imagery into GIS platforms like ArcGIS and QGIS, enabling seamless access to near-daily imagery for geospatial analysis and visualization.
ArcGIS
Integration is available through two main methods: the ArcGIS Pro Plugin (Setup Guide), which lets users search for, access, and download imagery directly within the ArcGIS Pro environment, and Web Services (Planet's User Guide), which allow real-time streaming of Planet imagery using standard WMS and WMTS protocols.
QGIS
Planet QGIS Plugin (Setup Guide) enables in-app image search, viewing order statuses, accessing Planet Basemaps, inspecting image metadata, and tasking satellites. It also supports viewing Sentinel Hub data and custom collections (Plugin install), though advanced operations and downloads are limited.
GEE
Planet offers an integration with Google Earth Engine (GEE) for bulk data access or automated workflows (Image delivery guide). Users can use the Orders API for one-time downloads or the Subscriptions API for ongoing deliveries based on a defined area and time range, particularly for users of the Tropical Forest Observatory, where Tropical Basemaps are available alongside other GEE datasets.
Summary
Here’s a comparison table summarizing the main Planet data integration options across ArcGIS, QGIS, and Google Earth Engine:
| Integration Method | Platform | Main Features | Best For | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ArcGIS Pro Plugin | ArcGIS Pro | Search, access, and download Planet imagery within ArcGIS Pro | Desktop GIS users working in the ArcGIS ecosystem | Requires ArcGIS Pro; not suited for real-time streaming |
| Web Services (WMS/WMTS) | ArcGIS / Any GIS | Stream Planet imagery in real time via OGC-compliant services | Visualizing up-to-date imagery in mapping platforms | Streaming only; no local data access or processing |
| Planet QGIS Plugin | QGIS | Search imagery, view orders, stream basemaps, inspect metadata, task satellites | Open-source GIS users who need flexible imagery access | Limited download and dataset operations |
| Sentinel Hub Integration | QGIS | View imagery collections tied to Sentinel Hub accounts and custom datasets | Users subscribed to Sentinel Hub services | Visualization only; no advanced dataset manipulation |
| Orders API | Any (via API) | Download specific imagery by item ID | One-time or manual data downloads | Requires scripting or technical setup |
| Subscriptions API | Any (via API) | Set up automated delivery based on area/time of interest | Recurring data needs and large-scale monitoring workflows | Requires API integration |
| Google Earth Engine (GEE) | GEE (Cloud) | Access Tropical Basemaps natively in GEE | Users of the Tropical Forest Observatory / GEE workflows | Limited to hosted datasets; GEE account required |
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