AppBreakup
Submit an app

kepler.gl alternatives: 4 apps ranked by verified data

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

Top picks

  • CARTO logo

    Best overall

    CARTO

    Paid

  • Felt logo

    Best free option

    Felt

    Starting price: $199/month billed yearly (Team)

  • QGIS logo

    Best open source

    QGIS

    Open source

Common reasons people leave kepler.gl: no spatial analysis toolbox like a desktop GIS, and collaboration and sharing need your own hosting setup. We ranked 4 alternatives by how directly each one replaces kepler.gl, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. CARTO currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingVerified priceOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1CARTO logoCARTOPaid—NoWeb4 of 468.8
2Felt logoFeltFree plan + paid$199/month billed yearly (Team)NoWeb5 of 564.8
3QGIS logoQGISOpen source—YesWindows, macOS, Linux4 of 461.8
4ArcGIS Pro logoArcGIS ProPaid—NoWindows4 of 459.4
  1. CARTO logo

    1. CARTOTop pick

    Best for: Data teams that keep geospatial data in BigQuery, Snowflake or Databricks and want to analyse it in place

    PaidWeb

    68.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from kepler.gl

    Cloud location intelligence platform that runs spatial analysis inside your data warehouse, with team sharing.

    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 ×0.3100
    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 CARTO a good kepler.gl 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)
  2. Felt logo

    2. Felt

    Best for: Teams that need to share and edit maps with non-GIS colleagues in the browser

    Free plan + paidWeb

    64.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from kepler.gl

    Collaborative web mapping with easy sharing and editing, for teams that need more than exploration.

    Pros

    • Real-time co-editing and commenting with free viewers
    • Imports common GIS formats and live data sources on paid plans
    • QGIS plugin and REST API connect it to existing workflows

    Cons

    • Free plan can't upload your own data or export
    • Paid plans are costly for individuals
    • Far less analysis depth than a desktop GIS
    Visit Felt 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 Felt a good kepler.gl alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Free plan
    Yes, 3 seats and 25 viewers
    Checked Nov 8, 2026felt.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Starting price
    $199/month billed yearly (Team)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026felt.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Extra seat
    $49/month yearly or $59 monthly
    Checked Nov 8, 2026felt.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    7 days of Business
    Checked Nov 8, 2026felt.com(opens source in a new tab)
    QGIS integration
    QGIS plugin on paid plans
    Checked Nov 8, 2026felt.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. QGIS logo

    3. QGIS

    Best for: Analysts, researchers and organisations that want full desktop GIS without licence fees

    Open sourceWindows, macOS, Linux

    61.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from kepler.gl

    Free desktop GIS with a full geoprocessing toolbox when you need analysis, not just visualisation.

    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 ×0.377
    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

    Is QGIS a good kepler.gl 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)
  4. ArcGIS Pro logo

    4. ArcGIS Pro

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

    PaidWindows

    59.4

    score / 100

    Why switch from kepler.gl

    Industry-standard desktop GIS with deep analysis tools and Esri's data ecosystem.

    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 ×0.369
    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 ArcGIS Pro a good kepler.gl 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)

The best kepler.gl alternative for…

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

CARTO logo

Best kepler.gl alternative for most people

CARTO

Cloud location intelligence platform that runs spatial analysis inside your data warehouse, with team sharing.

QGIS logo

Best kepler.gl alternative for a free option

QGIS

Free desktop GIS with a full geoprocessing toolbox when you need analysis, not just visualisation.

Felt logo

Best kepler.gl alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Felt

Collaborative web mapping with easy sharing and editing, for teams that need more than exploration.

QGIS logo

Best kepler.gl alternative for open source

QGIS

Free desktop GIS with a full geoprocessing toolbox when you need analysis, not just visualisation.

QGIS logo

Best kepler.gl alternative for Mac

QGIS

Free desktop GIS with a full geoprocessing toolbox when you need analysis, not just visualisation.

ArcGIS Pro logo

Best kepler.gl alternative for Windows

ArcGIS Pro

Industry-standard desktop GIS with deep analysis tools and Esri's data ecosystem.

QGIS logo

Best kepler.gl alternative for Linux

QGIS

Free desktop GIS with a full geoprocessing toolbox when you need analysis, not just visualisation.

CARTO logo

Best kepler.gl alternative for working in the browser

CARTO

Cloud location intelligence platform that runs spatial analysis inside your data warehouse, with team sharing.

kepler.gl alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to kepler.gl?

CARTO ranks first right now. Cloud location intelligence platform that runs spatial analysis inside your data warehouse, with team sharing. Felt and QGIS follow it in our ranking.

kepler.gl vs CARTO: what's the difference?

kepler.gl is free and open source; CARTO is a paid product. kepler.gl is open source and CARTO is not. Both run on Web.

Is kepler.gl free?

kepler.gl is free and open source.

Is there a free alternative to kepler.gl?

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

Is there an open-source alternative to kepler.gl?

Yes: QGIS.

Which kepler.gl alternatives work on Linux?

QGIS runs on Linux.

Why do people switch from kepler.gl?

The complaints we hear most: no spatial analysis toolbox like a desktop GIS; collaboration and sharing need your own hosting setup; embedding requires React and Redux knowledge.

How is this list ranked?

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