QGIS is one of the most widely used open-source desktop GIS applications globally. Vector editing, spatial analysis, cartographic output, the Processing toolchain, and 3D views are all high-frequency capabilities in daily production. On May 29, 2026, the QGIS project released two maintenance versions on the same day: 4.0.3 and 3.44.11, targeting the new QGIS 4 mainline and the 3.44 long-term support branch respectively. Based on the commit history in the GitHub Releases, this article summarizes the key updates. Both versions focus on stability fixes and experience polishing, making them suitable for teams running production projects to evaluate upgrades.

QGIS 4.0.3

4.0.3 is the third patch release under the QGIS 4 generation, still codenamed Norrköping, released on May 29, 2026. Compared to 4.0.2, this version includes over 50 fixes and improvements covering attribute forms, 3D measurement, GPS positioning, vector tile style conversion, and many other modules.

Feature Updates

  1. QML attribute form editor enhancements: The code editor now supports line numbers, and expanding the template dropdown no longer accidentally loses written code, making debugging easier when creating custom form controls.
  2. QgsGeometry spatial functions callable in QML: Spatial relationship functions such as within, touches, and overlaps are now marked as callable, enabling lightweight spatial logic within attribute forms.
  3. Easier access to plugin configuration nodes: Python plugin developers can read and write configuration through a unified settings node, reducing hardcoded paths.
  4. Adaptive welcome page layout optimization: The welcome screen elements are arranged more reasonably on low-resolution or narrow-screen environments.
  5. Improved hyperlink readability in the Blend of Gray theme: Link contrast in the dark theme has been improved, reducing eye strain when viewing maps for long periods.
  6. Fixed Linux desktop window grouping: The StartupWMClass has been updated to QGIS4 for Gnome environments, restoring normal taskbar grouping behavior for multiple windows.

Bug Fixes

  1. Fixed crash when closing the 3D measurement line tool: The measurement dialog remained hidden after switching tools, potentially causing a null pointer crash when closing the 3D view.
  2. Fixed GLTF model loading path issues: After passing the base URI, glTF models with external resources now load more reliably in 3D scenes.
  3. Fixed exception when deleting vertices from a CircularString: Deleting a vertex no longer clears the entire geometry when the vertex index is invalid and there are only 3 nodes.
  4. Fixed RTK quality display for NMEA streams: The RTK positioning quality status is now correctly reflected when both GGA and RMC statements are present.
  5. Fixed conditional style text color: When applying conditional styles to an attribute table, no invalid text color is passed, keeping the preview and actual display consistent.
  6. Fixed ELSE rule counting in categorized symbol legends: Feature counts in vector legends are now more accurate when an ELSE fallback rule exists.
  7. Fixed handling of empty sprite names in Mapbox: Empty strings are now treated as no icon, avoiding unnecessary warnings or incorrect icons during vector tile style conversion.
  8. Fixed output of Processing geometry check algorithm: The gc_layername output field value of the "Check geometry - Holes" algorithm is now correct.
  9. Fixed missing Python bindings: SIP exports for QgsVectorLayer.deleteSelectedFeatures and QgsMergedFeatureRenderer have been completed, so plugins no longer encounter errors.
  10. Reverted the canvas coordinate copy suffix feature: This change was confirmed to affect daily use and has been undone in 4.0.3.
  11. Fixed tooltip colors in the layout designer under the Night Mapping theme: Tooltip text readability in dark themes is restored in Qt6 environments.
  12. Synchronized multi-language translations: Updated translation resources from Transifex, further refining the Chinese interface text.

QGIS 3.44.11

3.44.11 is intended for users still on the 3.44 LTS branch, also released on May 29, 2026. If you have not yet migrated to QGIS 4, this version is worth including in your routine upgrade plan.

Feature Updates

  1. Enhanced Mapbox GL style conversion capabilities: Supports conversion of expressions such as sqrt and coalesce.
  2. Improved vector tile sprite loading: Sprite resources can now be loaded directly from Mapbox-hosted styles.
  3. Improved hyperlink readability in the Blend of Gray theme: The same theme correction as in 4.0.3 ensures a consistent reading experience in dark interfaces.

Bug Fixes

  1. Fixed diffuse lighting for 3D metal-roughness materials: The lighting behavior of PBR materials in 3D views is now more natural.
  2. Fixed Phong spotlight shader: Optimized normal normalization and acos calculations, and improved tangent transformation under non-uniform scaling, enhancing 3D scene lighting stability.
  3. Fixed 3D measurement interface under Wayland: The measurement dialog now has a parent window set, preventing the map tool from being accidentally hidden when moving under Wayland desktop environments.
  4. Fixed regular expression in plugin search: The plugin manager search box no longer throws invalid regular expression errors for certain inputs.
  5. Fixed empty metadata display in plugin dependency manager: When a plugin does not declare dependencies metadata, an empty dependency management window no longer pops up.
  6. Fixed handling of empty sprite names in Mapbox: The same vector tile style compatibility fix as in the 4.0 branch.
  7. Compatibility with GDAL 3.13 development builds: Updated to follow the latest GDAL API changes to avoid compilation or linking failures.
  8. Synchronized multi-language translations: Batch updates from Transifex cover Chinese and many other language packs.

Summary

With this dual release, the QGIS 4 mainline continues to refine details while the 3.44 LTS maintains compatibility. 4.0.3 addresses several "daily pain points" in attribute forms, 3D measurement, GPS, and the Python plugin ecosystem; 3.44.11 further advances Mapbox vector tile style conversion and 3D rendering. For teams already on QGIS 4, evaluating 4.0.3 is recommended. For production environments still on 3.44, 3.44.11 is a low-risk maintenance upgrade.

If you have recommendations for better open-source desktop GIS tools or QGIS plugins, feel free to leave a comment and share your thoughts.