Mergin Maps Community edition is an open-source solution made in Europe that enables efficient spatial data collection on mobile devices. Its integration with QGIS allows for easy synchronization between mobile and desktop GIS, making it easy to implement even complex field data collection workflows, especially if you are already familiar with QGIS.

We have successfully implemented Mergin Maps for various organizations and projects across France and Switzerland, each with distinct requirements and challenges. Our role spans the entire implementation process, from consulting on data needs and designing data models to configuring workflows and deploying the Mergin Maps server in a cloud infrastructure. The self-hosted approach gives us full control over data security, performance, and customization. Mergin Maps plays an important role in our mission to support public administrations in adopting open-source solutions. The synergy between Mergin Maps and other FOSS tools like QGIS and PostgreSQL helps demonstrate the power of open-source software, making it easier for public organizations to transition away from proprietary systems.

While we are not the core developers of Mergin Maps, we were able to make some improvements to this promising project. In this talk, we will share our hands-on experience, the benefits we’ve observed, and the lessons learned from using Mergin Maps in real-world field data collection scenarios.