Quick comparison
| # | App | Pricing | Verified price | Open source | Platforms | Verified facts | Score |
|---|
| 1 |  QGIS | Open source | — | Yes | Windows, macOS, Linux | 4 of 4 | 61.8 |
| 2 |  kepler.gl | Open source | — | Yes | Web, Self-hosted | 5 of 5 | 57.5 |
11. QGISTop pick
Best for: Analysts, researchers and organisations that want full desktop GIS without licence fees
Open sourceWindows, macOS, Linux
Why switch from CARTO
Free open-source desktop GIS for analysts who don't need a cloud platform.
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
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.377
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
2Best for: Analysts and developers who want fast, free visual maps of large point and trip datasets
Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted
Why switch from CARTO
Free, open-source map explorer that renders millions of points in the browser, for visual analysis without a subscription.
Pros
- Free and MIT licensed
- Renders millions of points in the browser
- Embeddable React component and a Jupyter widget
- No account needed for the demo app
Cons
- No spatial analysis toolbox like a desktop GIS
- Collaboration and sharing need your own hosting setup
- Embedding requires React and Redux knowledge
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.363
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