TOP SPATIAL R PACKAGES FOR 2025
Core Packages: Remote sensing:
• sf: main R package for vectorial operations • rgee: interface to Google Earth Engine (unfortunately, not maintanted
• terra: main R package for common raster and vectorial operations anymore)
• stars: work with spatiotemporal arrays • rstac: access/download data via SpatioTemporal Asset Catalog (STAC)
• rsi: easy implementation of {rstac} to access Landsat, Sentinel-1,
Spatial statistics: Sentinel-2 catalogs, and others. Spectral indices
• spatstat: point patterns, model-fitting, simulation, tests • RSToolbox: tools for remote sensing data analysis
• gstat: main package for geostatistics • gdalcubes: processing of data cubes from satellite image collections
• geoR: a good alternative for geostatistics
LiDAR:
• spdep: package for spatial dependence
• lidR: main package for Airborne LiDAR data, with focus on forestry
• sfdep: spatial dependence using tidy format. Based on spdep applications. Focused on academic research
• exactextract: C++ implementation of zonal statistics • lasR: efficient and faster implementation of {lidR} focused on production
• lidRviewer: uses {rgl} to visualize point clouds in R
Machine learning:
• lidRmetrics: additional metrics to use with {lidR}
• mlr3/mlr3spatial: a flexible and extensible R framework which can
be used for spatial machine learning • FORTLS: process TLS LiDAR data, with focus on forestry applications
• tidymodels: unified framework in R for tabular data modeling
using tidy principles GIS Software connectors:
• spatialsample: functions for spatial resampling • rpostgis: interface between R and PostGIS
• tensorflow & keras3: deep learning framework. It can be used for • Rsagacmd: implements SAGA-GIS functions contained within an S3
ANN, object detection, semantic segmentation... object
• rgrass: interface between R and GRASS
Mapping and WebMapping: • link2GI: connects with several GIS software (GRASS, SAGA, GDAL, Orfeo
Toolbox)
• ggplot2: main R package to create static plots/maps
• arcgis: metapackage to access ArcGIS location services
• tidyterra: utility functions to plot {terra} objects in {ggplot2}, and
other {tidyverse} functions
Species distribution modelling:
• tmap: flexible package for creating static and interactive thematic
maps • biomod2: ensemble SDM framework for multiple algorithm and model
evaluation
• mapsf: creates statis thematic maps with simple syntax
• dismo: tools for SDM including Maxent, BIOCLIM…
• leaflet: main package for creating interactive web maps
• mapview: wrapper around {leaflet} to create web maps easier
• mapgl: high-performance package to create interactive Data download:
visualizations using Mapbox and MapLibre giscoR, elevatr, geodata, osmdata, chirps, eurostat, ecmwft, riem, wbstats,
• mapdeck: R interfacto to Mapbox and [Link] rnaturalearth, spocc, openair, rinat, tigris, tidycensus…
• ggspatial: {ggplot2} extension. North arrow, scale bar…
• maptiles: {ggplot2} extension to easily add base maps
Obsolete/ do not use again:
• leaflet extensions: {leafpop}, {[Link]}, {leaflet.extras2},
sp, raster, rgdal, maptools, rgeos, cartography, caret
{leafem}, {leafsync}
• classInt: useful package to create class intervals
CC BY Adrián Cidre González | Cidree | [Link]