The paper considers GIS software which may be utilized for airborne lidar data processing. Software list includes proprietary MicroStation with TerraScan plugin, Global Mapper, ArcGIS, ERDAS Imagine, LAStools, as well as free and open source SAGA, WhiteboxTools, and PDAL.io. Possibilities of import-export, 2D and 3D data visualization, point cloud editing and derivation of GIS datasets are examined for each software. Computational efficiency assessment is performed for the procedure of interpolation point elevation data in different software. As a result, the advantages and disadvantages of the considered programs were identified in relation to various tasks.

Novakovsky Boguslav Avgustovich, professor, D.Sc. in Cartography, Federal State Budget Educational Institution of Higher Education M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University (Lomonosov MSU). Russian Federation, 119991, Moscow, GSP-1, Leninskiye Gory, MSU, Faculty of Geography. E-mail: dcaph@mail.ru.

Kudryavtsev Alexander Vladimirovich, Federal State Budget Educational Institution of Higher Education M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University (Lomonosov MSU). Russian Federation, 119991, Moscow, GSP-1, Leninskiye Gory, MSU, Faculty of Geography. E-mail: all.sasa24@ya.ru.

Entin Andrey Lvovich, PhD in Cartography, Federal State Budget Educational Institution of Higher Education M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University (Lomonosov MSU). Russian Federation, 119991, Moscow, GSP-1, Leninskiye Gory, MSU, Faculty of Geography. E-mail: aentin@geogr.msu.ru.

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