Esri in Redlands, California offers ArcGIS, a geographic information system.
$100
per year
QGIS
Score 9.8 out of 10
N/A
QGIS (formerly Quantum GIS) is a free and open source geographic information system.
N/A
Pricing
ArcGIS
QGIS
Editions & Modules
Viewer
$100
per year
ArcGIS for Personal Use
$100
per year
ArcGIS for Student Use
$100
per year
Editor
$200
per year
Field Worker
$350
per year
Creator
$500
per year
GIS Professional Basic
$700
per year
GIS Professional Basic
2,750
per year
GIS Professional Advanced
3,800
per year
QGIS
Free
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
ArcGIS
QGIS
Free Trial
No
No
Free/Freemium Version
No
Yes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
No
No
Entry-level Setup Fee
No setup fee
No setup fee
Additional Details
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More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
ArcGIS
QGIS
TrustRadius Insights
ArcGIS
QGIS
Highlights
Research Team Insight
Published
ArcGIS and QGIS are geographical information systems used for mapping census data, traffic data, construction plans, environmental information, and other types of spatial data. ArcGIS is a longstanding product of Esri, while QGIS is a free, open-source project.
Features
ArcGIS and QGIS are both used for mapping spatial data, but they have a few important differences.
ArcGIS has been in use for quite a long time, and as such it is well known in spatial data mapping fields. Reviewers say they haven’t found it difficult to locate and hire ArcGIS experts for their projects, which is helpful since ArcGIS is a very robust, full-featured program with a steep learning curve for end users. Data sharing and exporting options make it possible to use ArcGIS for many different types of projects, and ArcGIS provides excellent support for its users, including training.
QGIS is the lean and nimble open-source version of ArcGIS. Simpler than ArcGIS, it is perfect for small projects which use less data, and since it’s free, it’s ideal for organizations with leaner budgets. It’s compatible with ArcGIS, however, so QGIS users can still accept and work with ArcGIS-specific files. Like many open-source projects, it has lots of plugins and extensions that can be used to accomplish things the program alone can’t do.
Limitations
Though ArcGIS and QGIS provide similar services, each has specific limitations that may inform which one is best for your needs.
As the elder statesman of the industry, ArcGIS is prone to the downsides of such a role. It’s complex and fully-featured, so it needs a lot of computer processing power to use properly, the program loads slowly upon opening, and large files take a very long time to save. It’s too complex for simple tasks for the end user, and this complexity is reflected in the price as well. Advanced analytical tools not included in the original software cost extra money. But it should be noted that ArcGIS has an online version that may address and fix many of these issues.
QGIS’s limitations are typical of open-source software. Plugins and extensions for tasks QGIS itself can’t do are abundant, but they are not centrally located and can be difficult to find. QGIS is easier to use than ArcGIS, but there’s still a learning curve, and QGIS lacks the official training resources and dedicated support of its rival. And some builds can be unstable or prone to crashing.
Pricing
As QGIS is open source software, it is free to use. Businesses may reach out to ArcGIS sales for a price quote.
I'm very grateful to be able to use it, and I have a master's degree with a focus in Geospatial Analysis. There can be a bit of a learning curve, and I try to build user-friendly ways for volunteers to see & collect data. Meanwhile, if a colleague is less confident with building such a system, it may be more difficult for them to implement.
QGIS is free and very easy to install, and no license is required. Not having to deal with licensing issues has saved me considerable time and frustration.
The QGIS help community is very active, and it is easy to find answers. Although QGIS does not offer support in the way that ArcMap does, I was always able to google my question and find either a tutorial or website that solved my problem.
QGIS seems to crash less often than ArcMap. It is super annoying to have a program crash when you are in the middle of a project, but I have not had any issues with QGIS. Also, QGIS is updated frequently.
QGIS is hard to use for beginners. A better tutorial and clearer online tutorials could improve this.
Labeling interface is overly complicated. Allowing users to manually add labels to relevant items could be helpful.
QGIS should have more "wizards" that can easily import common data points (median income, population density, etc) and cross tabulate that with other categories easily from uploaded data.
Simply because the program deserves it. It seems to me that it is a fundamental tool for the storage, analysis, and interpretation of medium and large-scale phenomena, unmanageable with traditional engineering software. Its versatility in the handling of the different "layers" with which the data is handled and interpolation tools, make this software a powerful ally both for companies and for the educational part of the universities.
Once set up, the tools are extremely easy to use. I had a staff member develop a tool for field data collection, that included an external and internal dashboards to monitor progress in days. The field workers that collected the data, barely knew how to use a computer, and within minutes they could use the application that was configured for them.
I wasn't a GIS user at all when I started using QGIS, nor did I have any background working with data in anything other than Excel, and as a result, I struggled quite a lot in the beginning (it's not quite Google Maps). But having said that, I haven't come across anything that I couldn't do with a little help from the online community. I've done complex spatial analyses on large datasets of metropolitan cities, designed custom multi-page pdf reports that automatically cycle through different areas of an area, etc.
And the GIS staff that I've appointed, after their initial resistance, took to the tool like a fish to water, and I haven't heard them complain after starting to use the tool for a week or two.
But if you're new to GIS, be patient and invest some time to learn how to use the tool. It is absolutely worth it.
ArcGIS' web support is quite good. They also have a broad user base that is active in answering community members' questions. For more sophisticated questions, ArcGIS technical support is good at answering questions, although answers usually are not instantaneously available. I'd also say that ArcGIS is working hard at making its technical support more reachable, at least it appears that way.
Even though there is a no dedicated support team for QGIS (or at least we are not aware of it), there is a huge online community and a large number of forums catering to every question you may have regarding any particular functionality of QGIS. So, you have a lot of help available but you will have to sift through it on the web.
My students love the "drop" feature in Google Maps, but besides that it truly doesn't compare. I love that you can add, delete, or change layers to this map to better understand its larger affect. There are many more ways to manipulate maps on ArcGIS than on Google Maps. I can also add personal details and information if I want to create a specific map, something that I am unable to do with Google
QGIS is open source and freely available for Windows and Mac iOS Geographic Information System Software. QGIS is highly customizable as per project requirements and different application usage. QGIS has ample tools and plugins that are useful for the analysis of raster and vector data. It also supports GRASS, GDAL, and SAGA tools.
We can ingest data in any format, and convert it to industry-standard spatial files for hosting on our online GIS platform.
Many client projects require us to analyze and understand data before we can report on it.
Because QGIS is free, and the learning curve is negligible for bright GIS technicians, the ROI is practically infinite because the investment is basically zero.
