ArcGIS Pro alternatives: 3 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Nov 8, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank All GIS software

Top picks

Best overall
QGIS
Open source
Best free option
GRASS
Open source
Best open source
QGIS
Open source

Common reasons people leave ArcGIS Pro: runs on Windows only, and licensed through ArcGIS user types, which costs more than free alternatives. We ranked 3 alternatives by how directly each one replaces ArcGIS Pro, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. QGIS currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#	App	Pricing	Verified price	Open source	Platforms	Verified facts	Score
1	QGIS	Open source	—	Yes	Windows, macOS, Linux	4 of 4	68.8
2	GRASS	Open source	—	Yes	Windows, macOS, Linux	5 of 5	64.8
3	CARTO	Paid	—	No	Web	4 of 4	42.3

1. QGISTop pick
Best for: Analysts, researchers and organisations that want full desktop GIS without licence fees
Open sourceWindows, macOS, Linux
68.8
score / 100
Why switch from ArcGIS Pro
Free and open source on Windows, Mac and Linux, covering most everyday mapping and analysis.
Pros
Free for any use under the GPL, with no seat licences
Runs on Windows, macOS and Linux
Strong cartography with layouts, atlases and reports
Large plugin library and Python scripting
Cons
Less integrated with Esri's ArcGIS Online and Enterprise services
Support comes from the community or third-party firms, not one vendor
Frequent releases mean plugins can lag behind new versions
Visit QGIS Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.3100
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.15100
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is QGIS a good ArcGIS Pro alternative?
Verified facts
4 of 4 verified
License
GPL-2.0
Checked Oct 30, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
Platforms
Windows, macOS, Linux
Checked Nov 8, 2026qgis.org(opens source in a new tab)
Release tracks
Long-term and latest releases
Checked Nov 8, 2026qgis.org(opens source in a new tab)
Price
Free and open source
Checked Nov 8, 2026qgis.org(opens source in a new tab)
2. GRASS
Best for: Researchers and analysts who need heavy raster, terrain or hydrology processing and can script it
Open sourceWindows, macOS, Linux
64.8
score / 100
Why switch from ArcGIS Pro
Free engine for heavy raster, terrain and hydrology analysis, scriptable with Python.
Pros
Very deep set of raster, vector and imagery analysis modules
Python API and command line make large batch jobs repeatable
Built-in temporal framework for time-series rasters
Free under the GPL, with decades of documentation and teaching material
Cons
Steeper learning curve than QGIS, with its own project and region concepts
Weak at cartography and print layouts compared with QGIS or ArcGIS Pro
The desktop GUI looks dated next to commercial GIS tools
Visit GRASS Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.387
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.15100
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is GRASS a good ArcGIS Pro alternative?
Verified facts
5 of 5 verified
License
GNU GPL v2 or later
Checked Nov 8, 2026grass.osgeo.org(opens source in a new tab)
Platforms
Windows, macOS, Linux, Docker, conda
Checked Nov 8, 2026grass.osgeo.org(opens source in a new tab)
In development since
1982
Checked Nov 8, 2026grass.osgeo.org(opens source in a new tab)
Python API
Yes
Checked Nov 8, 2026grass.osgeo.org(opens source in a new tab)
Latest macOS release
8.5.0
Checked Nov 8, 2026grass.osgeo.org(opens source in a new tab)
3. CARTO
Best for: Data teams that keep geospatial data in BigQuery, Snowflake or Databricks and want to analyse it in place
PaidWeb
42.3
score / 100
Why switch from ArcGIS Pro
Cloud-native spatial analysis that keeps data in your warehouse instead of Esri formats.
Pros
Works directly on cloud data warehouses, no data copying
No-code spatial Workflows alongside SQL and APIs
Billing through major cloud marketplaces
Full-platform 30-day free trial
Cons
Needs a cloud data warehouse to get the most from it
Committed plans are quote-only with a 12-month contract
Trials can't be extended or used in production
Visit CARTO Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.312
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.15100
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is CARTO a good ArcGIS Pro alternative?
Verified facts
4 of 4 verified
Free trial
30 days
Checked Nov 8, 2026carto.com(opens source in a new tab)
Pay as you go
No upfront commitment
Checked Nov 8, 2026carto.com(opens source in a new tab)
Marketplace billing
Google Cloud, AWS, Azure, Snowflake
Checked Nov 8, 2026carto.com(opens source in a new tab)
Committed tiers
12-month contract
Checked Nov 8, 2026carto.com(opens source in a new tab)