AppBreakup
Submit an app

Felt alternatives: 4 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Nov 8, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rankAll GIS software

Top picks

  • QGIS logo

    Best overall

    QGIS

    Open source

  • GRASS logo

    Best free option

    GRASS

    Open source

  • QGIS logo

    Best open source

    QGIS

    Open source

Common reasons people leave Felt: free plan can't upload your own data or export, and paid plans are costly for individuals. We ranked 4 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Felt, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. QGIS currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingVerified priceOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1QGIS logoQGISOpen source—YesWindows, macOS, Linux4 of 468.8
2ArcGIS Pro logoArcGIS ProPaid—NoWindows4 of 464.8
3GRASS logoGRASSOpen source—YesWindows, macOS, Linux5 of 559.4
4CARTO logoCARTOPaid—NoWeb4 of 442.3
  1. QGIS logo

    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 Felt

    Free open-source desktop GIS with far deeper analysis, if you don't need live co-editing.

    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 Felt 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. ArcGIS Pro logo

    2. ArcGIS Pro

    Best for: Organisations standardised on Esri that need enterprise GIS and vendor support

    PaidWindows

    64.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from Felt

    Esri's desktop GIS with ArcGIS Online for sharing, the enterprise standard for analysis and publishing.

    Pros

    • Deep integration with ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise
    • 2D, 3D and time-aware maps in one app
    • Automation with Python and ModelBuilder
    • Built-in AI models for imagery analysis

    Cons

    • Runs on Windows only
    • Licensed through ArcGIS user types, which costs more than free alternatives
    • Tied to Esri's platform for sharing and collaboration
    Visit ArcGIS Pro 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 ArcGIS Pro a good Felt alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Platforms
    Windows only
    Checked Nov 8, 2026esri.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    21 days
    Checked Nov 8, 2026esri.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Licensing
    Three license levels
    Checked Nov 8, 2026esri.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Automation
    Python and ModelBuilder
    Checked Nov 8, 2026esri.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. GRASS logo

    3. GRASS

    Best for: Researchers and analysts who need heavy raster, terrain or hydrology processing and can script it

    Open sourceWindows, macOS, Linux

    59.4

    score / 100

    Why switch from Felt

    Free open-source engine for heavy raster and terrain analysis that a web map can't do.

    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 ×0.369
    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 Felt 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)
  4. CARTO logo

    4. 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 Felt

    Enterprise spatial analytics that runs directly on BigQuery, Snowflake or Databricks data.

    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 Felt 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)

The best Felt alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

QGIS logo

Best Felt alternative for most people

QGIS

Free open-source desktop GIS with far deeper analysis, if you don't need live co-editing.

GRASS logo

Best Felt alternative for a free option

GRASS

Free open-source engine for heavy raster and terrain analysis that a web map can't do.

QGIS logo

Best Felt alternative for open source

QGIS

Free open-source desktop GIS with far deeper analysis, if you don't need live co-editing.

QGIS logo

Best Felt alternative for Mac

QGIS

Free open-source desktop GIS with far deeper analysis, if you don't need live co-editing.

ArcGIS Pro logo

Best Felt alternative for Windows

ArcGIS Pro

Esri's desktop GIS with ArcGIS Online for sharing, the enterprise standard for analysis and publishing.

QGIS logo

Best Felt alternative for Linux

QGIS

Free open-source desktop GIS with far deeper analysis, if you don't need live co-editing.

CARTO logo

Best Felt alternative for working in the browser

CARTO

Enterprise spatial analytics that runs directly on BigQuery, Snowflake or Databricks data.

Felt alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Felt?

QGIS ranks first right now. Free open-source desktop GIS with far deeper analysis, if you don't need live co-editing. ArcGIS Pro and GRASS follow it in our ranking.

Felt vs QGIS: what's the difference?

Felt is free with paid plans; QGIS is free and open source. QGIS is open source and Felt is not. Only Felt runs on Web. Only QGIS runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.

Is Felt free?

Felt is free with paid plans. Free plan: Yes, 3 seats and 25 viewers; Starting price: $199/month billed yearly (Team); Extra seat: $49/month yearly or $59 monthly; Free trial: 7 days of Business. Checked on Felt's own site, November 2026.

Is there a free alternative to Felt?

Yes. QGIS (open source) and GRASS (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Felt?

Yes: QGIS and GRASS.

Which Felt alternatives work on Linux?

QGIS and GRASS run on Linux.

Why do people switch from Felt?

The complaints we hear most: free plan can't upload your own data or export; paid plans are costly for individuals; far less analysis depth than a desktop GIS.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Felt, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.